Quit Trying To Sell Ads; Sell Custom Content Instead

Abridged with the author’s permission from a post on Think Tank.

The most valuable assets a media brand has are its audience file and the relationship readers have with that brand. Think creatively about your database not as a mass market, but as a collection of niche audiences. Are there advertisers who would pay a premium for just a special slice?

Media companies can create custom media channels for their clients to talk directly to segments of their audience. A custom media channel consists of advertorial or original edit customized to a specific topic and created in partnership with the sponsor. Because the content is relevant to the audience and delivered to them on a preferred platform (the media company’s site), the potential return on investment for the advertiser is high.

Many publishers are wary of custom content, as it shifts the advertising-editorial paradigm. Some editors are concerned about the editorial integrity of the brand; while publishers worry that custom content programs may eat into their traditional advertising revenue.

The fact is, selling print ads in a B2B publication is a growing challenge, and custom content—webcasts, web sponsorships, events, and the like—are a better way to demonstrate ROI. (In our recently-published study on marketing, media and measurement, 74 percent of our survey respondents said original content and media is the most effective method for generating marketing ROI; only 4 percent cited traditional advertising as the most effective ROI vehicle.)

Traditional media companies need to take a hard look at their business models and think about custom media as an integral part of the mix rather than an ancillary business.  When you get right down to it, marketers want your readers as customers and prospects.  The best way to survive this crazy market is to give them access in as many ways as possible.

Gordon Plutsky is Director of Marketing and Research for King Fish Media.