AMI chief digital officer discusses going from print to digital; plus, mergers & acquisitions, web advertising sales, and yet another new product from Time Inc.
Migrating your publishing operations and editions from print to digital might at first feel daunting, but don’t fret: It’s a manageable move – just ask any Mequoda Member – and one that’s more and more becoming a must.
The same principles of publishing apply, but going from print to digital gives you the opportunity to maximize your content’s potential by multiplying its impact across platforms and channels, from articles to online archives to events to video to white papers to podcasts and much more.
It doesn’t take more work or more staff to succeed on desktop and mobile, only different work and more dynamic staff hired and trained to handle tech, social media strategy, and how to sell online advertising.
But you don’t need us to tell you all of this. Sometimes, you need to hear it from peers who have pulled it off. MinOnline has just such a story in a recent interview.
Making the Move From Print to Digital
Here’s American Media Inc. Chief Digital Offer Brian Kroski on going from print to digital, while maintaining your brand identity as a publisher.
“We believe that our newsstand legacy translates quite well to digital. It starts with quality content, and we have an extraordinary history of what registers with readers. Today, we are building on that heritage by using various data tools to listen to the reader and the data. What we are finding is that there is a lot to share between platforms, including a fundamental understanding of how to participate in the cultural conversation and drive sales (or in our case clicks) with compelling headlines and photography,” Kroski told Caysey Welton.
“Mobile is a huge part of our business and now accounts for more than 60% of the overall traffic to our sites. We think about all of our sites as mobile-first, both editorially and for delivering the best results for advertisers. Social is a huge driver of our growth and engagement for all of our brands, for example Muscle and Fitness receives 45% of its traffic from its more than 7 million social followers. While social platforms have been a great growth factor in 2015, we still have seen strong growth from direct and search as well.”
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Penske Media Buys Indiewire
Penske Media has purchased film site Indiewire from SnagFilms Inc., MinOnline reports.
“Terms of the deal were not disclosed, although Penske has confirmed that Indiewire’s editor-in-chief, Dana Harris, will remain in her current position after Indiewire’s operations are transferred to Penske’s offices in Los Angeles and New York, reporting directly to Jay Penske,” Greg Dool writes.
“Publisher James Israel will also continue to lead sales and marketing, reporting to Variety publisher Michelle Sobrino and Penske Media’s EVP of strategy, George Grobar.”
5 Tips for Digital Advertising Sales Teams
It never hurts to get a little help with ad sales. MinOnline has some advice from an industry expert.
“High-CPM ad units are not only among the most profitable sources for publishers, but they also offer a greater value to the advertisers. A popular example of a high-CPM ad unit is the native ad. The benefits of native are well-documented. Native content even improves purchase intent by 18% compared with banner ads, according to Purch, a digital content and services company,” MediaRadar Chief Revenue Officer Jen Wilga writes.
“Yet, only 4% of advertisers placed native ads from January-November 2015, according to the sites that MediaRadar tracked. Selling native will attract more business and result in a more engaged audience.”
Time Inc. Joins Audience Partners for CampaignFocus Network
Another week, another announcement from Time Inc. digital about a new product – this one geared at political junkies and participants in the electoral process.
“CampaignFocus has cross-platform capabilities, which will enable targeting across all Time Inc. properties following the election,” Jameson Doris writes.
“Audiences available through the network will include likely voters, donors and activists who consume content and brands such as Essence, Fortune, Golf, InStyle, Money, and People, among others. In addition to being able to rapidly identify audience segments across interests, issues and passions, Time Inc. already has diverse audience segments, including new moms, sports enthusiasts, millennials, affluent families, and African American entrepreneurs.”
Are you making the switch from print to digital? You couldn’t have picked a better place to visit. If you don’t know where to begin, download our free Multiplatform Publishing Strategy Handbook today!
To read more about the industry’s shift from print to digital, visit MinOnline.com.
