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High-quality content keeps them coming back for more
As an online publisher, there are countless ways to drive revenue including advertising, affiliate marketing, ecommerce, subscriptions, paywalls, and more. You can combine these tactics in any number of ways to meet your business objectives, but they all share one essential element: content.
High-quality content is the foundation of an effective monetization strategy. The trick is building content that keeps your audience coming back for more while also maximizing your revenue opportunities.
Whether you’re looking to improve audience engagement, earn more revenue, or just try out some fresh ideas, take the time to read 50 Ways to Make Media Pay. This new report, sponsored by Sovrn and published by What’s New In Publishing, explores both common and unconventional tactics to help publishers diversify their income opportunities.
5 ways to make content work for you
Content is king in the world of online publishing, and your options for creating content are practically unlimited. Of course, not every content type will work for every publisher. So before you dive into the deep end of the pool, think about your audience, your subject matter, your goals, and the resources you have available.
Following are some content ideas you may want to incorporate into your content strategy:
1. Newsletters
Email newsletters aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but their familiarity doesn’t make them any less valuable. Newsletters can be instrumental in building a relationship with your readers, reducing subscriber churn, and driving engagement with your most valuable content. And these workhorses of the editorial world can offer their own diverse monetization opportunities, including sponsorships, paid advertisements, and premium subscriber-only content.
2. Podcasts
Over the past decade, podcasts have experienced a remarkable resurgence. Research from the World Advertising Research Center (WARC) found that one-third of all internet users — and 37% of Americans — listen to podcasts each month. Podcasts offer a wide range of revenue opportunities, including advertising and subscriptions — which may explain why just about everyone has a podcast these days. Keep an eye on the trends, however, as signs indicate the market may be reaching its saturation point. So if you haven’t already carved out your unique podcast niche, finding an audience may prove difficult.
3. eBooks
Long-form assets like ebooks and whitepapers are a great way to showcase your best content, and they can generate revenue in a variety of ways. Many publishers sell eBooks as standalone products on Kindle and other e-reader platforms. They can also be positioned as exclusive content for paid subscribers or registered site users.
4. eCommerce
While eCommerce is well-known to publishers, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated its acceptance among consumers — and its revenue potential. Common tactics for earning with eCommerce include online shops, price comparisons, product reviews, affiliate links, online courses, and more. For more insight and inspiration on the ecommerce space, check out The Publisher’s Guide to eCommerce from WNiP.
5. Platform partnerships
Most websites receive a sizable portion of their referral traffic from search engines and social media channels, including Google, Facebook, Snapchat, and more. So it’s no surprise that publishers are looking for ways to monetize the reach of these platforms. Partnership arrangements can take a variety of forms, including ad revenue splits, beta testing for new services (like Facebook Live a few years back), and premium content created exclusively for specific platforms. While partnerships between platforms and publishers have some inherent tensions, they can create a worthwhile and mutually beneficial relationship.
You can download the full report for more creative ideas for content monetization, plus dozens of other strategies to make media pay through subscriptions, advertising, paywalls, and more.
