Archive | March, 2012

Measurement is Key for Paywall Success

From following the paywall hashtag on Twitter over the last 18 months, there has been a steady increase in the debate about paywalls, both pro and con, but mostly without any data or revenue models. Our previous research (http://research.scoutanalytics.com/advertising/the-digital-drop-off/) showed that the move from print to digital significantly reduces the revenue capacity of a publisher. The reality is this: Without a fundamental change in digital ad units and their revenue production, publishers have no choice but to pursue alternate revenue streams. So where do publishers go when advertising revenue becomes unsustainable? Higher-margin marketing services and subscription revenues are quickly becoming the answer, also known as a metered paywall. Not all publishers will be able to implement a full subscription model. […]

Profit is More Important than Monthly Unique Visitors

Do publishers measure what matters for digital? If profit is the goal, then monthly unique visitors and page views are not relevant performance indicators. What matters most for profit is revenue capacity and contribution from the loyal, profitable audience. When a Fly-by is worth less than $0.20 and a Fan is worth 250 times more, it’s hard for publishers to make profitable revenue off Fly-bys. Unfortunately, few publishers put a monetary value on their audience members or develop strategies to build and reward loyalty that yields profits. The monetary value of an audience member is defined as the combination of advertising and direct revenue (e.g., subscriptions, events, e-commerce, etc.). However, analyzing the relationship between loyalty and advertising revenue demonstrates the […]