The causes of newspapers’ classifieds troubles

Here’s another result pulled from our survey of classifieds and media/new-media managers. (The survey’s still open. Please add your voice to make the results more meaningful!)

One question asked respondents to identify the principal causes of newspaper classifieds’ historic downturn. We presented several options and asked people to rank them in order of importance. Here are the overall results of the ranking, with factors considered most significant up top and least significant at the bottom.

1. Newspapers not reacting fast enough
2. Consumers shifting to online
3. Lack of innovation by newspapers
4. Free classifieds (Craigslist, et al)
5. Online classifieds competitors (Monster.com, et al)
6. Ineffective classifieds managers, lack of vision
7. Clients becoming competitors (Realtors, auto dealers)
8. Economic downturn

Let’s do some quick analysis of those results. First, it’s interesting that people involved in the media business and classifieds sector (which make up the bulk of individuals taking this survey) don’t blame the sour economy for classifieds’ troubles. There’s recognition in the industry that larger forces are at work in bringing down the old newspaper classifieds model.

The principal reasons for the newspaper industry’s troubles, this modest survey appears to indicate, are lack of innovation and not reacting quickly enough to changes in the media and business landscape. The No. 2 reason, that consumers increasingly are switching their allegiances online as they seek out classifieds and advertising content, ties in with the industry’s tardiness in reacting.

Free classifieds as offered by Craigslist, et al obviously is seen as a significant factor, but had the industry reacted sooner with real innovation, newspapers might not be in such a mess today. Ditto for the trend of clients (Realtors, auto dealers, employers) becoming online publishers of their own advertising content. We have met the enemy and he is us[1], seems to be the message.

Again, these are preliminary results — presented so that you don’t have to wait for us to slog through a long survey process — so don’t take them overly seriously. As we persuade more classifieds and media managers to take the survey, we’ll publish subsequent and more significant reports. And I’ll be back tomorrow with some more preliminary results.

Please take the survey if you haven’t already!