Publishers thrived before the digital age, but most took a major hit in the transition period from print to Internet. Newspaper circulation decreased 25 percent between 2010 to 2014, and magazine circulation declined 19 percent within the same time period, according to Fortune. Publishers may not get back to their original size, but they can empower themselves and stand out among other publishers by developing well-rounded strategies and aligning themselves with the digital ecosystem that we live in today.
Paid Advertising
Publishers are shifting their focus from print advertising to digital, it can be a cumbersome process executing such a pivot. Having said that, if a publisher is looking to bring the most value possible to it’s merchants, they should be utilizing the most effective marketing tactics, beginning with paid advertising.
- Think Mobile: With the exponential growth of mobile driven traffic, you want to make sure you’re utilizing a platform that supports mobile optimized bidding and can measure it’s success.
- Think Visual: Photos and videos are the most engaging type of content you can put in front of a customer. That’s why implementing Display Network driven campaigns should be a vital instrument for your advertising strategy.
- Think Social: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest- these are the places where your customers spend the majority of their time searching the net. Although they’re not always on these platforms specifically to purchase something, social sites have proven to be vital channels for a company to not only build awareness and engage with a community, but to drive sales.
Further, with forecasts predicting a slight growth in overall advertising revenue for publishers, reversing the downward trend of the past five years, paid advertising is not a fool proof system to deliver a positive ROI as a large publisher. With a 69 percent increase in ad blocking users over the past year, publishers should be looking at other methods to bring value to their stakeholders and remain relevant with the times…
Leveraging Data
Data makes the advertising world go around, and publishers have a significant amount of first-party audience data to bring to the table. However, many publishers fail to analyze and manage their data with the right tools, creating lower visibility. Publishers can use this data to tailor messaging and advertising for their audience, increasing the relevancy of what your readers see.
Maximize Revenue with Yield Management
Yield management is the process of adjusting your advertising prices based on several factors, such as demographics, demand, and volume- something that our platform thrives on. Publishers utilizing a data-driven approach for managing their online ad inventory can use this information to maximize the revenue directly, instead of allowing advertisers to have the upper hand in pricing.
Boost Publisher Awareness
The digital age disrupted the publishing industry, but it also brings many opportunities to boost awareness through higher reach and a variety of marketing channels. A well-rounded marketing strategy builds the publisher’s audience, increases brand awareness, and helps build the publisher’s business in this competitive world.
Publishers are dealing with many changes as they switch to new revenue models and advertising strategies while implementing data analysis. For help with managing online ad inventory and gaining deeper insight into publisher audience data, demo the MatchCraft Advantage platform for a hands-on look at how the right software helps publishers succeed in the digital age.