Advertising, B2B, B2C, local, National, Revenue models

Show me the money: The revenue potential from optimizing the website for ad sales

Alisa Cromer July 11, 2023

How much more revenue is available from simple tweaks to the website that persuade advertisers to book an appointment?

Keep in mind that wherever a prospective advertiser discovered your brand, they are going to wind up on your website.

Maybe they were contacted by a rep, received a magazine or email, saw a social post, Googled the category, or got a referral. In any of these cases, most are going to research the website to check-out the advertising page – if they can find it.

Multiple case studies of website optimization for different media products have shown double and triple conversion rates for self-serve products, from small changes in the user experience, such as moving the product into the top navigation bar, cutting down the number of “clicks” to buy, reducing time spent scrolling and sharpening the messaging.

When the Chicago Sun-Times put exposed a classified category in the top navigation bar, they received a 200 to 300% increase in conversions, from one or two leads a week to five to seven.

How much general advertising revenue could be available if the website was optimized to make it easier for advertisers to find the link, and if the landing page did more of the work, pre-selling the client?

Here’s a way to start the calculation:

Estimate the # of new leads per month x 12 months x average annual revenues per advertiser = Total revenues from unsolicited leads

Now that you know the revenue from new leads, how much revenue would be gained by a 30% increase? By 100%?

An extra 2 or 3 leads a month, with an average annual sale of $6000, is an extra $144,000 created with no additional sellers.

This does not even consider that advertisers contacted by media sellers are also researching the website, as are the team members who did not participate in the sales call.

Access the full report on all the ways to optimize a media website to increase advertising leads.

Categories: Advertising, B2B, B2C, local, National, Revenue models

How Niche media use text channels

There are many reasons to create text channels: Texts have a
But increasingly, media are experimenting with other uses: charging for exclusive connections with columnists and editors, communicating with event attendees, and supporting e-commerce.

“It does not have to be local news. It could be someone who covers beer in Portland, or a national vertical," said David Cohn, who leads the team at Subtext, a platform that supports media text channels. He sees the trend reaching into other markets, such as life coaches, chefs, and fitness coaches. Here are ten use cases for publishers from events to paid subscriptions. (Please become a member to continue this report).

Alisa Cromer August 2, 2023

How to train agentic writers to avoid AI tells

If you are using AI to write and don't want to sound like it, here is a list of tells to ask your agent to avoid. And yes, this came from the horse's mouth, ChatGPT, but as a writer and poet in my spare time (!) I've given my personal commentary. You can just cut and paste this as is into style notes saved for your AI agent.

Alisa Cromer August 23, 2026

Should you show prices in the media kit?

The days of pricing grids are over. We looked at dozens of media kits that show the best thinking around the question of whether and how to show pricing. We found five basic approaches: Show prices, but simplify options. Don't show prices. Use across-the-board discounts based on spending level. Charge hourly. Or show a starting from" price. Here are pros and cons of each with examples from the field.

Alisa Cromer July 27, 2024

Understanding the new generation of advertisers

The new generation of business owners - especially at the local level - is younger, digital first, and more interested in marketing than ever before. In fact, they are fueling the first growth in local spend since the great recession. However, they are younger, less experienced in marketing, and want different things from media. Here's the research on this group and how to appeal to them. Please become a member to access this and other reports in the Resource Center.

Alisa Cromer April 30, 2023

Dropping the magazine for an all-digital sales model

For publishers selling digital packages it helps to see models from other media companies. Here's an example of digital-only packages from a company that dropped its print edition. This pricing and packaging strategies is now responsible for 100% of the advertising sales. Please join as a member to see this sampler.

Alisa Cromer April 3, 2023

Top B2C affiliate networks

Affiliate networks and programs (created by a single company) are typically super simple to join. It takes a few steps that can be accomplished in a few minutes, followed by a brief wait period. The larger stores may also require approval. But after that, any admin with access can conduct a search, grab a link, and insert it in a story or button.

Some networks have additional features, such as adding price comparisons between stores, live support, and useful reporting, but the most important factor is the relevance of the store to your niche content. Here is a list of the top networks, and how to find other programs that support your niche. Pleases join as a member to access this content.

Alisa Cromer June 17, 2023

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