Why is Blackvoices.com slipping?
Staff Writer
2009-09-23
.bugnews.bloggieblog.com .
Why is Blackvoices.com slipping? This is a question floating around the internet world. The history of Blackvoices.com started with a guy name Barry Cooper. Cooper got investors to believe his idea about a message board, and a website that focused on the African American community. Although Cooper was not a technical guy by trade, he was able to build a successful brand at that point in time. Cooper was a journalist by trade but, everyone that studies media soon learns the internet is just one big media outlet. Coopers' timing to start a website with chat rooms and an African American focus was on point for the mid 1990's. Cooper made the following comment while still a top executive at Tribune.
"We have a chance to create a large, multi-media company. We see a day when the Blackvoices brand will extend beyond the Internet into broadcast and print."
Well, moneys a MF. Cooper forgot one thing. Tribune owned Blackvoices and sold it. Cooper ,who is still in the internet game at Reach Media, had to turn over the keys to AOL which is ironic being that AOL housed the first Blackvoices.com on its portal dailup site. AOL had a few guys come in to run it and let them go just as fast.
Today , Blackvoices numbers are down. Some say due to people losing jobs, job sites are blocking sites and many others reasons are the major factors for the number drop. These are good theories but not very valid. If you recall the article Barry Cooper outside looking in the un official story , you will remember the focus of the article was the management of Blackvoices. This is still true today.
If you have the resources that Blackvoices has, your content is limitless. For example, they are own and operated by Time Warner AOL. IF you goto your local book store , Time Warner dam near owns every magazine on the rack, cable, movies and radio. The content for Blackvoices should not be a problem but, some say it is.
The next issues is adjustment. Although Blackvoices updated itself with a flashy makeover. This is not enough. A website needs to watch the new internet tools. For example, cell phones and other small devices. I don't see one mobile option on Blackvoices. Everyone knows boost mobile, virgin mobile and every other pay as you go got the hood on lock. Hell, you cannot text a message to the message board nor can you receive a message after something is posted. There is not one Blackberry app ,Apple app nor windows 6.1 app. There are no news updates to your cell phone or even email.
Another problem at Blackvoices is information sharing. The blogs rolls are nice but, many people don't know about AOL's ad network similar to googles or yahoo's overture. The ad network allows you to run your ads on the website at a budget rate.
Everyone knows Blackvoices is planning a new release but , if it is just another pretty face without a brain, the site will see more numbers fall.