In a time when journalism is struggling, The Guardian seems to have cracked the code. The London-based news organization struggled in recent years as the cost of doing business rose and advertising rates dwindled. Despite an ambitious plan to expand its international coverage, the paper saw just $15.5 million in revenue from April 2015 to…
For hyperlocal news publishers, designing a path toward financial sustainability begins with choosing between non-profit and for-profit status. The differences between non-profit and for-profit news organizations go beyond tax filings. For journalists, editors, and publishers, launching a non-profit site is often about working toward a goal, or a vision, of what local news should ideally…
Do they work, or not? It seems like everyone in the local news business has an opinion on using paywalls as a strategy to generate revenue. If you read news online, you’ve no doubt run into a paywall yourself. Paywalls are a useful tool for encouraging people to subscribe by restricting access to content. Visitors…
The notion that readers won’t pay for news is a myth. Local publishers around the country are finding that readers are willing to pay for access to premium content. According to research by the Media Insight Project, an initiative by the American Press Institute and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 53% of…
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Membership programs have become a source of sustenance for independent local publishers struggling to make up for decreasing ad revenue. While there’s no firm count on exactly how many local publishers are selling memberships to readers, the number is clearly growing. Forward-thinking publishers are finding new ways to maximize revenue through their membership programs, as…
As they look at declining ad rates, independent publishers are searching for new paths to financial sustainability. While there is no single solution that works for everyone, membership programs are growing in popularity among online news publishers. Premium memberships aren’t the same thing as subscriptions or paywalls. Paywalls block access to content for visitors who…
Readers have been clamoring for quality journalism for years. What’s different now is that they’re finally willing to pay for it. The percentage of Americans paying for online news has surged from 9% to 16% in just the past year, according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report. Donations to news organizations have tripled in…
Nine-in-10 marketers use email to engage audiences, and more than half (58%) plan to allocate more budget to email marketing this year. The strength of email as a marketing channel can be largely attributed to the strong return on investment (ROI) — email had a median ROI of 122%, which is 4x higher than other…
More than 23 years have passed since the first banner ad appeared on Wired.com. In the time since, independent publishers have grappled with finding the best ways to generate revenue from their online properties. Subscription models eventually replaced traditional banner ads for many local publishers, but getting readers to pony up $5 per month to…
Updated: February 11, 2020 Email isn’t the newest marketing channel on the block, but when it comes to audience engagement and monetization, it still remains king. Ninety-three percent of publishing and media firms now use email marketing, with many looking for new ways to monetize email newsletters for an additional stream of revenue. Email-first publishers…