Archive for the ‘advertising’ Category
Success in online ad sales for traditional media businesses
Thursday, May 7th, 2009A dramatic increase in the supply of online inventory and a decline in advertiser demand are putting severe pressure on online ad rates. Online sales teams in traditional media businesses are struggling to turn increased traffic into extra revenue, and compare poorly to “old media” sales teams on efficiency measures. Internal competition is often exacerbated by incentive schemes that encourage the trad media team to hold back on client leads for their online colleagues. Yet the old media ad revenues are in inexorable decline, and there is no option but to keep learning and investing, however tempting it may be to outsource online sales. Here are five essentials for success in online ad sales for traditional media companies. I’m indebted to European media consultancy and online sales gurus at Red Door who have extensive expertise in this field. (more…)
Tags: advertisers, advertising, analytics, behavioural targeting, content, context, CPM, niches, online sales, sales team, tracking, traditional media
Posted in advertising, business strategy, consumer
Five warning signs for magazine publishers
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009Yesterday two more established print titles closed; Dennis’ Maxim is now online-only (see Brand Republic)and the ex-journalist’s bible UK Press Gazette has closed completely, as its publisher can’t find a way to make money on the web (see Paid content). Meanwhile newspapers over in the US are closing and one blogger is mapping their decline. This sort of news no doubt puts a shiver down the spine of many traditional publishers. Here I list five warning signs that your publication could be on the danger list, and suggest what you could do now to avert disaster. (more…)
Tags: advertising, archive, Arena, content, magazine closures, market position, Maxim, media brand, online strategy, paid-for content, Press Gazette, proposition, subscriptions, US newspaper closures
Posted in advertising, b2b, business strategy, consumer, content
How can the software industry help online publishers grow classified revenues?
Sunday, April 5th, 2009Online classified advertising should be a rich source of revenue for niche online publishers - whether or not they have a print publication. Yet many struggle to build a critical mass of ads, and experience high churn. Most online directories are targeting SMEs who don’t have the budget to create a bespoke online ad campaign. They are highly focussed on response, and wary of an upfront investment in an unknown site. It’s easier just to buy google adwords. I think that publishers could learn from the way that software providers target SMEs: here’s some tips to encourage new advertisers to test your classi section that were inspired by my own experience with Constant contact, an email service provider: (more…)
Tags: advertisers, classifieds, constant contact, directories, self-service, SMEs, tiered pricing, welcome call
Posted in advertising
Survival tips for small publishers
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009A quote recently heard from one small publisher: “I’m in survival mode; I don’t have time to think about my website”. An understandable sentiment, but maybe their web presence will help them stay in business, without spending a fortune with a developer. Here are some ideas that won’t stretch your budget too much. (more…)
Tags: advertisers, content, email, small publishers, subscriptions, survival tips
Posted in advertising, content, marketing
How to create value from a website for a free publication
Friday, January 23rd, 2009Publications that already sell print subscriptions have an obvious revenue source from their online activity, but what do you do if your print business is free distribution and ad-funded? Here’s some ideas to get you thinking differently about how you can create value: (more…)
Tags: advertising, databases, e-commerce, events, free publications, specials
Posted in advertising, business strategy, commerce, content
Five digital resolutions for publishers
Friday, January 16th, 2009Many publishers will be looking over the precipice of 2009 with a certain amount of dread, given the dire projections for advertising - both on and offline. Here are 5 digital resolutions that should give you a softer landing: (more…)
Tags: advertising, consumers, digital, publishing, subscriptions, top tips
Posted in advertising, consumer, content, marketing