Metro Creative Connection
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FEATURED VIDEOS

Creative & Sales Ideas
SearchBooks - Preview the latest content by service, get ideas and inspiration, and link directly to what you see on each page
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Webinars
02/08/24 Webinar: Creating Kick-A$$ Ads
Watch Now »

Webinars
01/11/24 Webinar: 10 Minutes to Digital Success (full video)
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VIDEO TUTORIALS

SearchBooks - Preview the latest content by service, get ideas and inspiration, and link directly to what you see on each page

The Metro Newspaper Service SearchBook introduces a variety of new sales and creative tools designed to help you target new business and entice returning advertisers with fresh ideas and coordinated print, digital and social media programs.


02/08/24 Webinar: Creating Kick-A$$ Ads

Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned designer, this helpful webinar provides a comprehensive overview of effective ad design and copywriting techniques to create and sell stellar ads that benefit both your publication and your clients. This workshop also demonstrates how Metro’s subscription resources can help sales and design pros grow revenue with local business-driven advertising, event-focused promotions, and campaigns incorporating digital and social media content.


Ideas to BOOst Halloween revenue


Increase 4th Quarter Revenue with Metro's 2023 Holiday Advertising Service


Planning & Promotions Calendar - Find monthly, weekly and daily events for promotional and advertiser tie-ins


Plus Business - Metro's networking resource for industry success stories


Native Advertising & Social Media - Use Metro editorial features to develop and expand native advertising and social network content


Animated Web Ads - How to easily create an Animated Web Ad


08/10/2023 Webinar: THE POWER OF SPEC ADS (Metro's Laura Koch and the Iowa Newspaper Foundation)


05/02/23 Webinar: SPECIAL SECTIONS: REVIEW and IDEAS (2023 New England Newspaper Convention)

Optimize your sections program with this Metro Webinar presentation for the New England Newspaper & Press Association


04/20/23 Webinar: BEST OF THE BEST REVENUE IDEAS

Join us in reviewing the best of the best print and digital success stories submitted by local newspapers across North America in our recent Best of the Best 2022 Revenue Ideas Contest. This webinar recognizes the contest winners, and shares the details of how they successfully implemented their most successful revenue-generating programs of 2022. Learn what’s working for peer publications in today’s economy, and get inspired to capture more revenue of your own in 2023.


02/16/23 Webinar: SUPPORT & STRATEGY FOR CREATIVE PROS (full video)

Explore all the ways MetroCreativeConnection.com can inspire your best creative work! Metro’s Creative Team shows MCC users how to find and use thousands of fresh design and copy ideas; time-saving production tools; and online features for sharing, collaborating and organizing projects. Plus, they delve into helpful planning tools like the promotional calendar and SearchBook to develop creative tie-ins for local advertisers using a variety of images and layouts, including themed pages, contests, infographics, shaped ads, web ads, coloring panels, headings and more.


02/16/23 Webinar Excerpt: Illustrations & Image Manipulation


02/16/23 Webinar Excerpt: Tips for Writing Compelling Ads


02/16/23 Webinar Excerpt: Designing Attention-Getting Ads


10/21/21 Webinar: LET'S TALK ABOUT SPECS

See how ready-to-present-and-sell spec ads from Metro can help you close 70 to 90 percent of sales calls with this live webinar. Learn about all of the spec ad resources Metro offers to help you start the conversation with new prospects, reconnect with inactive accounts, upsell existing advertisers, and get clients excited about advertising. We’ll also go over valuable planning, sales and design tools included with your subscription; custom ad creation options; and helpful tips for making the most of Metro’s site and services.


08/25/21 Webinar: SALE AFTER SALE AFTER SALE - HOW TO OPEN THE DOOR & CLOSE THE SALE WITH ADVERTISERS

Learn how newspaper account executive Chris Scott is achieving 130 percent of budget using Pulse + Metro presentation tools. Chris will share his best practices for making presentations more compelling, while experts from Pulse and Metro demo how to seamlessly create data-driven sales presentations complete with personalized spec ads to reach and sell more local advertisers in less time, and help them reach their own sales goals. All webinar attendees will receive a free program trial. Q&A to follow. You are invited to a Zoom meeting.


06/24/21 Webinar: SALES CALL $TRATEGIES for CLOSING up to 90%

LEARN HOW TO CREATE PERSONALIZED, PROFESSIONAL SPEC ADS AND PRESENTATIONS FOR EVERY SALES CALL IN MINUTES USING METRO’S NEWEST AD WIZARD.
Customize print and digital ad designs for any advertiser using their logo.
Create, save and share presentations with teams and clients.
Start seeing close rates of 70 to 90 percent.
All you need is this 45-minute webinar to get started from your laptop or tablet, no further training required.

We’ll also demonstrate how you can incorporate consumer buying data from the experts at Pulse Research to identify the best local business prospects, and create data-driven spec ad presentations to enrich your pitch and make every sales call count.


04/15/21 Webinar: DESIGNING KICK-A$$ CAMPAIGNS

Implement expert tips from Metro’s newspaper, magazine and digital design team, as well as best practices for melding sales and creative input to develop more effective ads and campaigns. Plus, whether you’re a sales rep or designer, discover new ways to target promotions and campaigns for advertisers as a team using your Metro resources.


03/06/21 Webinar: DESIGNING KICK-A$$ ADS

Implement expert tips from Metro's newspaper, magazine and digital design team, as well as best practices for melding sales and creative input to develop more effective ads. Plus, whether you're a sales rep or designer, discover new ways to target promotions for advertisers as a team using your Metro resources.


02/08/24 Webinar: Creating Kick-A$$ Ads

Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned designer, this helpful webinar provides a comprehensive overview of effective ad design and copywriting techniques to create and sell stellar ads that benefit both your publication and your clients. This workshop also demonstrates how Metro’s subscription resources can help sales and design pros grow revenue with local business-driven advertising, event-focused promotions, and campaigns incorporating digital and social media content.


01/25/24 Webinar: Launch Your Own Events Commerce Business With Evvnt & Metro

Get ready to launch your Events Commerce Business in 2024! Discover new revenue opportunities by joining our Evvnt & METRO webinar. Explore innovative strategies for publishers to thrive in the $16 billion events industry through event discovery, marketing and ticketing. Seamlessly connect with event marketers in your local markets using digital calendars that convert to print, boosting your ticket sales revenue. Explore the versatile tools and customizations of our all-in-one events commerce platform, designed to fit any publisher and market. Richard Green, CEO of Evvnt, will guide you on how to successfully kick-start your event commerce venture, generating recurring monthly revenue and invaluable consumer purchase data. Don't miss out on this opportunity!


01/11/24 Webinar: 10 Minutes to Digital Success (full video)

Delve into all the digital offerings a Metro subscription provides! This 10-minute live webinar will cover digital-friendly content available to help publications save time, enhance sites and social media, drive online traffic, and build revenue. From web and mobile ads to social media posts, email marketing tools, web-ready editorial features and images, and more, learn where to find them, how to use them, and best practices for making them profitable.


1/25/24 Webinar: UNLOCKING EVENT COMMERCE OPPORTUNITIES WITH EVVNT & METRO

Implementing time-saving new ways to generate recurring revenue is a top priority for today’s media companies. With EVVNT & METRO, publishers can now connect event marketers to readers instantly with automated digital calendars that can also reverse-publish to print, monetizing advertising as well as ticketing from the $16 billion events industry. This 45-minute webinar will show how fast and easy it is to use these digital calendars to drive discovery and new leads, promote events and marketing services in print, and earn revenue from every ticket sold. Case studies will demonstrate how publishers are using this all-in-one platform to generate thousands in monthly revenue from ticket fees, marketing and advertising, while also gaining valuable consumer purchase data.


08/31/23 Webinar: TEAMING UP TO GROW REVENUE

Join us in exploring the various ways local newspapers and publications are teaming up to create more productive collaborative cultures, and how your Metro subscription tools can help. This live webinar will present industry-tested best practices for getting sales and creative pros working together to save time, increase efficiency and produce greater revenue, all while improving customer and workplace satisfaction. We’ll also review how one publication used their team-focused approach to successfully plan and sell a popular program idea worth $5,000 in monthly revenue.


08/10/2023 Webinar: THE POWER OF SPEC ADS (Metro's Laura Koch and the Iowa Newspaper Foundation)


05/02/23 Webinar: SPECIAL SECTIONS: REVIEW and IDEAS (2023 New England Newspaper Convention)

Optimize your sections program with this Metro Webinar presentation for the New England Newspaper & Press Association


04/20/23 Webinar: BEST OF THE BEST REVENUE IDEAS

Join us in reviewing the best of the best print and digital success stories submitted by local newspapers across North America in our recent Best of the Best 2022 Revenue Ideas Contest. This webinar recognizes the contest winners, and shares the details of how they successfully implemented their most successful revenue-generating programs of 2022. Learn what’s working for peer publications in today’s economy, and get inspired to capture more revenue of your own in 2023.


02/16/23 Webinar: SUPPORT & STRATEGY FOR CREATIVE PROS (full video)

Explore all the ways MetroCreativeConnection.com can inspire your best creative work! Metro’s Creative Team shows MCC users how to find and use thousands of fresh design and copy ideas; time-saving production tools; and online features for sharing, collaborating and organizing projects. Plus, they delve into helpful planning tools like the promotional calendar and SearchBook to develop creative tie-ins for local advertisers using a variety of images and layouts, including themed pages, contests, infographics, shaped ads, web ads, coloring panels, headings and more.


02/16/23 Webinar Excerpt: Illustrations & Image Manipulation


02/16/23 Webinar Excerpt: Tips for Writing Compelling Ads


02/16/23 Webinar Excerpt: Designing Attention-Getting Ads


01/19/23 Webinar: EVERY BENEFIT YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD: 30 MINUTES TO MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR METRO SUBSCRIPTION!

Learn how to extract the most value from your Metro subscription in print, online and on social media with every creative, sales and editorial feature and benefit that’s already included. See just how much more than a stock site Metro delivers, with a rundown of everything from spec ad and article libraries to section features, page layouts, native advertising, social media, web ads, games and puzzles, horoscopes, promotional calendars, team communication tools, custom content requests and beyond. Plus, look at localizing Metro’s flexible content to meet your unique needs and provide added value to advertisers. If you’re looking for ways to save time, grow revenue and overcome staffing challenges with the budget you already have in place, this is an essential webinar you can’t afford to miss!


10/20/22 Webinar - STRATEGIC SPECIAL SECTION PROGRAM PLANNING FOR 2023 (full video)

Discover what special section titles and ideas are performing best for publications across North America, and how you can plan, promote and execute your own seamless and profitable sections targeting key categories using Metro’s Themed Special Sections (TSS) program. This webinar will show you how to use these fully templated, ready-to-present-and-run special sections ­– available in 37 titles featuring unbranded copyright-free content with ad spots in place – to minimize production time and maximize ad revenue. See what’s new for 2023 – fresh themes, bonus mini sections, magazine and tabloid sizes for every title, multiple cover designs, and more – so you can choose the best options for your market. You’ll also learn how to leverage your Metro Creative Library access to optimize sales for every section with personalized spec ads, directories and local program ideas. Plus, get valuable tips for successfully marketing your special sections. This live webinar will also show you how to cultivate digital sections revenue with ready-to-use Themed Websites & Online Directories to match every print title for a coordinated, interactive print and digital program that captures every sales opportunity.


10/20/22 Webinar Excerpt: What's New for 2023


10/20/22 Webinar Excerpt: Anatomy of Metro's Themed Special Sections


10/20/22 Webinar Excerpt: Customize, Localize & Sell!


09/22/22 Webinar - Q4 SELLING WORKSHOP

Unwrap the latest planning, sales, editorial and creative tools your Metro subscription provides to grow-ho-ho fourth-quarter revenue. This webinar will show you all the ways MetroCreativeConnection.com can help your publication engage more advertisers and readers with holiday-themed special sections, pages and locally focused promotions, as well as the Holiday Advertising Service customer appreciation program.


02/17/22 Webinar: "SHOP LOCAL" STRATEGIES FOR AD REVENUE & READER ENGAGEMENT

Learn about the valuable tools Metro provides to help you target and promote local advertisers, events and community investment. Our live webinar will show you how to energize sales and help local merchants compete with big-box businesses using your MCC content libraries, as well as a ready-to-run print and online special section program. Reader engagement tools like contests, social media and unique community programs will also be covered. Register now to benefit from the full spectrum of spec ads, images, editorial features, digital products and ideas available to support and grow your “shop local” efforts!


01/13/22 Webinar: GET SALES RESULTS YOU'LL LOVE WITH THE WIZARD

Make a date with MiAD®Wizard to see how this valuable sales tool can help increase your close rate to 70 percent or more, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Our live webinar will show you how to find and instantly personalize print and digital spec ads and presentations for all of your prospects – then share them from your laptop or mobile device, print and present, or email – in three simple steps. Send sold specs to your design team for all the finishing touches, and streamline the entire process. All you need is internet access, a web browser and this helpful webinar to start sealing more deals for Valentine’s Day and all year, free trial included!


10/28/21 Webinar: HOLIDAY SALES WORKSHOP

Learn how to maximize guaranteed fourth-quarter revenue using the latest selling tools exclusive to Metro’s Holiday Advertising Service. This live webinar will explore new individual and group greeting layouts and marketing support for Christmas, Thanksgiving, the New Year, Chanukah and Kwanzaa, as well as an archive of more than 10,000 ads and images, available only to Holiday subscribers. Plus, learn how to instantly personalize ads with Metro’s ad Wizard and preview four ready-to-sell templated sections, all included free with this year’s Holiday Service. Examples of how publications are using the Holiday Service to successfully build special sections and fourth-quarter sales will also be included!


10/21/21 Webinar: LET'S TALK ABOUT SPECS

See how ready-to-present-and-sell spec ads from Metro can help you close 70 to 90 percent of sales calls with this live webinar. Learn about all of the spec ad resources Metro offers to help you start the conversation with new prospects, reconnect with inactive accounts, upsell existing advertisers, and get clients excited about advertising. We’ll also go over valuable planning, sales and design tools included with your subscription; custom ad creation options; and helpful tips for making the most of Metro’s site and services.


10/07/21 Webinar: GUARANTEED Q4 $ALES BLUEPRINT

Learn how to maximize guaranteed fourth-quarter revenue using the latest selling tools exclusive to Metro’s Holiday Advertising Service. This live webinar will explore new individual and group greeting layouts and marketing support for Christmas, Thanksgiving, the New Year, Chanukah and Kwanzaa, as well as an archive of more than 10,000 ads and images, available only to Holiday subscribers. Plus, learn how to instantly personalize ads with Metro’s ad Wizard and preview four ready-to-sell templated sections, all included free with this year’s Holiday Service.


09/23/21 Webinar: DIGITAL SUCCE$$ TOOLS & TACTICS

Recorded on September 23, 3021 - Explore the most cost-effective ways to expand online readership and ad revenue with easy-to-implement digital options from Metro. This live webinar covers the quickest ways to dive into digital, a look at sleek ready-to-use online sections and directory designs that draw in advertisers at any price point, and best practices for leveraging your local role in the digital realm.


08/25/21 Webinar: SALE AFTER SALE AFTER SALE - HOW TO OPEN THE DOOR & CLOSE THE SALE WITH ADVERTISERS

Learn how newspaper account executive Chris Scott is achieving 130 percent of budget using Pulse + Metro presentation tools. Chris will share his best practices for making presentations more compelling, while experts from Pulse and Metro demo how to seamlessly create data-driven sales presentations complete with personalized spec ads to reach and sell more local advertisers in less time, and help them reach their own sales goals. All webinar attendees will receive a free program trial. Q&A to follow. You are invited to a Zoom meeting.


06/24/21 Webinar: SALES CALL $TRATEGIES for CLOSING up to 90%

LEARN HOW TO CREATE PERSONALIZED, PROFESSIONAL SPEC ADS AND PRESENTATIONS FOR EVERY SALES CALL IN MINUTES USING METRO’S NEWEST AD WIZARD.
Customize print and digital ad designs for any advertiser using their logo.
Create, save and share presentations with teams and clients.
Start seeing close rates of 70 to 90 percent.
All you need is this 45-minute webinar to get started from your laptop or tablet, no further training required.

We’ll also demonstrate how you can incorporate consumer buying data from the experts at Pulse Research to identify the best local business prospects, and create data-driven spec ad presentations to enrich your pitch and make every sales call count.


06/17/21 Webinar: DIGITAL SUCCE$$ TOOLS & TACTICS

Explore the most cost-effective ways to expand online readership and ad revenue with easy-to-implement digital options from Metro. This live webinar covers the quickest ways to dive into digital, sleek ready-to use online sections and directory designs that draw in advertisers at any price point, and best practices for leveraging your local role in the digital realm.


05/13/21 Webinar: DIGITAL SUCCE$$ TOOLS & TACTICS

Explore the most cost-effective ways to expand online readership and ad revenue with easy-to-implement digital options from Metro. This live webinar covers the quickest ways to dive into digital, sleek ready-to use online sections and directory designs that draw in advertisers at any price point, and best practices for leveraging your local role in the digital realm.


04/15/21 Webinar: DESIGNING KICK-A$$ CAMPAIGNS

Implement expert tips from Metro’s newspaper, magazine and digital design team, as well as best practices for melding sales and creative input to develop more effective ads and campaigns. Plus, whether you’re a sales rep or designer, discover new ways to target promotions and campaigns for advertisers as a team using your Metro resources.


03/04/21 Webinar: DESIGNING KICK-A$$ ADS

Implement expert tips from Metro's newspaper, magazine and digital design team, as well as best practices for melding sales and creative input to develop more effective ads. Plus, whether you're a sales rep or designer, discover new ways to target promotions for advertisers as a team using your Metro resources.


• Finding Covid-19 images and ads - How to locate COVID-19 images, ads, designs, features and special section, plus games, puzzles and recipes in Metro’s libraries.


• Finding images - Find the images you need for engaging ads & designs (vectors, photos, icons, borders, backgrounds, headings, etc.) in the Creative Library.


• Searching - Optimize your search experience and results using keyword and search filter options


• Sorting - Options to sort by Best Match, Most Popular or Most Recent


• Download - Download color, black & white and high resolution versions


• High-res Photos - Find and download 300 dpi high-resolution photos


• Image Hovers - What Image hover windows display to give you quick-click options


• More Options Window - Options to download, preview, save, share and link to expanded content

Clicking the "hamburger" icon under any thumbnail brings you to its MORE OPTIONS page where you can get details about the file, access the color or black and white versions, see download options, view keywords, see other files associated with the one you're viewing, as well as see files that are similar based on your keywords.


• Image Types - Finding images based on style or category

Search within similar Image Type design styles


• Archive - Expand search years to find more Images and Spec Ads


• Using the Lightbox Tool - Save content for future reference or batch downloading

Save content for future reference or batch downloading


• Using the Project Organizer - Create folders to save and organize content and even share it with co-workers

Organize selections and share with co-workers using the Project Organizer. 


• Coloring Activities - panels, pages and contests


01/11/24 Webinar: 10 Minutes to Digital Success (full video)

Delve into all the digital offerings a Metro subscription provides! This 10-minute live webinar will cover digital-friendly content available to help publications save time, enhance sites and social media, drive online traffic, and build revenue. From web and mobile ads to social media posts, email marketing tools, web-ready editorial features and images, and more, learn where to find them, how to use them, and best practices for making them profitable.


• Web & Mobile Ads - Find, print and download web and mobile ad versions


• Animated Web Ads - How to easily create an Animated Web Ad


• Themed Websites & Directories - In only five minutes, see the ease and profitability of Themed Websites


• Using the Lightbox Tool - Save content for future reference or batch downloading

Save content for future reference or batch downloading


• Using the Project Organizer - Create folders to save and organize content and even share it with co-workers

Organize selections and share with co-workers using the Project Organizer. 


• Overview - In only five minutes, see the ease and profitability of Themed Websites


Digital Succe$$ Tools & Tactics Webinar

Explore the most cost-effective ways to expand online readership and ad revenue with easy-to-implement digital options from Metro. This live webinar covers the quickest ways to dive into digital, sleek ready-to use online sections and directory designs that draw in advertisers at any price point, and best practices for leveraging your local role in the digital realm.


• March 25th Webinar:  Growing Digital Revenue With Themed Websites & Directories

Learn how to expand digital advertising with Themed Websites & Directories, including ones for COVID-19.


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