The NorthWestern Financial Review blog and free weekly electronic newsletter have become integral components of the magazine's news delivery mechanism, providing more value to readers and advertisers than ever.
As the NorthWestern Financia/ Review blog nears it second anniversary, daily visits to the web site typically average between 700 and 800. Many days, the visitor count exceeds 1,000.
The blog, found at www.northwesternfinancialreview.com, is updated almost every business day. Many times, two entries are posted on the same day. Blog posts feature a combination of breaking news and editorial opinion. Everything is presented with community bankers in mind. Sometimes blog posts preview articles set for publication in the print magazine, but the vast majority of the material on the blog is fresh, available only on the magazine's web site.
Web site visitors are invited to enter their email address on the home page in order to receive a free weekly electronic newsletter. The newsletter, which has built a loyal following in the two years since it was launched, arrives in email boxes mid-day on Thursdays. The newsletter includes an opening message, generally related to current industry news. The heart of the newsletter is a series of links to industry articles which have appeared in the press during the previous week. The newsletter attempts to identify articles and video clips that most bankers are not likely to have seen, and would otherwise miss.
"Everywhere I go, bankers tell me they like getting the weekly email," said publisher Tom Bengtson. "Our editor, Becky Hilgert, does an incredible job searching the web for the best of the internet each week."
The newsletter is mailed electronically to approximately 1,600 email addresses every week, and the list is growing as new subscribers register through the web site home page.
In addition to the blog, the web site includes a "premium section" offering material available only to paying magazine subscribers. For example, the premium section offers quarterly updated data lists by state from the FDIC. The information is available in Excel spreadsheet format so subscribers can use it for their own board presentations and other internal needs. The premium section also includes an archive of past magazine editions. The search function lets subscribers easily find articles on specific topics, people, banks and events.
NorthWestern Financial Review also uses Twitter to provide additional exposure to the magazine's classified advertising listings and other materials.
NorthWestern Financial Review magazine continues to serve a loyal subscriber base of community bankers throughout the Upper Midwest, Bengtson said. Many subscribers share the magazine with board members and other colleagues.
"The internet has really opened up opportunities for publishers to deliver information in a more compelling fashion," Bengtson said. "By combining the power of print, the internet and email, North Western Financial Review can serve its readers and advertisers more effectively than it ever has in its 116-year history."
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