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Kiplinger.com, companion site to the venerable Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine, is positioning itself as the online resource for the most fiscally responsible Web surfers.
Their core audience is relatively similar to that of the print publication: roughly 70% male, with household incomes in the $70k range. Most are highly educated and working in
managerial positions. The Web site audience , however, skews slightly younger, and only about a third of users are subscribers to Kiplinger Personal Finance. The other two thirds
arrive through search engines or are simply drawn by the Kiplinger name. Estimates for monthly traffic conservatively range between 600,000 and 1 million users.
Content/Contacts
Kiplinger.com offers the fresh content Kiplinger Personal Finance can't provide as a monthly magazine. "We think it's a good medium for the writers to speak more immediately to
the users," says Editor Mark Solheim. Along with an original lead story, refreshed each weekday, the site offers columns and resources on investing and money management; items on
stocks, funds, retirement, college, cash and credit, taxes, insurance and kids and money. Users can also participate in forums on similar topics.
Use Solheim as your first stop for Kiplinger.com staff. "It's easier for me to keep abreast of all the information that's coming through," he says. "I'm the only one who knows
what everyone else is doing." [email protected]; 202/887-6482.
A complete listing of Kiplinger Personal Finance editors and Kiplinger.com staff is available at http://www.kiplinger.com/about/staff.
Pitch Tips
Solheim often receives press releases on "the latest infrastructure tool, or technically-oriented things that have absolutely nothing to do with what I do." He also receives
pitches on new companies, Web sites and small businesses. "Everything we do is going to have an investing or money angle. The CEO of such and such a company having a great story
to tell is something we don't do," he counsels.
Solheim prefers to receive press releases by email. Faxes are acceptable but often pile up in his in-box. While he doesn't mind a follow-up call to an email pitch you're
certain he'll want to hear, do take a hint if your phone isn't ringing. "If you haven't heard from me after two calls, assume it's not useful. Some people are very persistent," he
adds.
Comments
While much of the content on the site comes from Kiplinger Personal Finance and other Kiplinger publications, Solheim has made it his mission as editor to produce more original
content. Typically, the site offers an original lead story each weekday in addition to original content that is published in conjunction with the mailing of the magazine on the
first of each month. While the editorial staff for the Web site is relatively small, if a story is worthy of publication, Solheim will use freelancers in order to ensure that
timely content appears on the site.
In The Pipeline
The Kiplinger.com staff is always on the lookout for expert sources for a weekly market wrap-up. Also in the works is a feature on job searches and compensation.
Solheim is hoping to beef up the site's coverage of money management. Pitch him with sources and stories on anything from retirement to bill-paying and credit cards. "I'd love
to get pitches on something new and useful that's going to change the financial lives of our users."
Because the site is focused on providing the most timely information on personal finance, editors often don't plan out their editorial calendars more than two weeks in advance.
Stories with a timely news peg -- a market trend, changes in interest rates -- get their attention.