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Digital Publishing Trends Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

The Online Magazine Revenue Streams That Grew in 2015

As any compromised comment section can tell us, there are a whole lot of ways to make money on the Internet! Online magazine revenue streams comprise some solid volume in that pool (in the legitimate end, that is). In fact, helping digital publishers generate online magazine revenue is how we generate revenue ourselves.

Digital publishers discuss their online magazine revenue; plus, more from Wired and more mergers & acquisitions news

As any SPAM-compromised comment section can tell us, there are a whole lot of ways to make money on the Internet. Online magazine revenue streams comprise some solid volume in that pool (in the legitimate end of it, that is). In fact, helping digital publishers generate online magazine revenue is how we generate revenue ourselves.

It all starts with a multiplatform strategy, which means multiple opportunities to monetize your content. Articles repurposed via online magazine library, white paper, ecommerce content strategy, podcasts, video, and even events are a big part of what we do. Determining the best way to maximize digital advertising revenue is another, depending on the publication.

2015 was a watershed year for online magazine revenue advances, and Folio: visited with several publishing executives to find out which ones they’re favoring these days — and which ones are favoring them as 2016 gets rolling. Let’s start the week with their responses!

Which Online Magazine Revenue Streams Saw Growth in 2015?

Folio: spoke with eight execs about online magazine revenue stream growth and shared their thoughts by way of a cool slide show. Here are a few interesting quotes:

“Events and multi-platform/advertising and sponsorship packages are our #1 high-growth revenue stream.” — Alternative Press CEO/Owner Mike Shea

“We are seeing the highest revenue growth in content marketing, including native advertising and lead gen programs. The success of our programs are based upon our clients’ interests in being seen as thought leaders and moving to more engaging marketing programs. We are also seeing a rise in performance-based, data-driven marketing as clients shift away from traditional display advertising towards metric- and results-oriented campaigns.” — ALM Digital President Jeff Litvack

“We’ve had significant growth in digital advertising revenues across traditional display units, native advertising (BrandVoice) and mobile. We’ve also had double digit percentage growth on our events and insights revenues.” — Forbes CRO Mark Howard

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The Outlook for Mergers & Acquisitions in 2016

AdMedia’s 22nd annual survey talked with more than 6,000 marketers and media execs about mergers & acquisitions, Folio: reports.

“Over two-thirds of respondents were approached by a buyer this year — 68 percent, to be exact, up from 63 percent last year — while more than half (53 percent) were approached by a strategic buyer, as opposed to a financial investor. Additionally, 29 percent of respondents said they received an offer, up from 23 percent last year,” Greg Dool writes.

“The outlook for 2016 is somewhat optimistic. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (63 percent) expect to seek an acquisition target next year, consistent with the 62 percent in last year’s survey. At the same time, though, 54 percent plan to explore a sale of their company in 2016, up sharply from 40 percent in 2015, and only 21 percent will seek investment funding, down from the 35 percent in last year’s survey.”

Wired Expands Digital Content With Two New Channels

Last week, we relayed that Wired broke a billion uniques. This week, Folio: reports that Wired is capitalizing on its digital success to expand its content offerings, adding “Culture” and “Transportation” sections.

“Transportation, which previously lived as a subsection of Wired’s “Gear” channel, will now occupy a tab of its own, headed by associate editor Alex Davies. Prior to joining Wired in 2014, Davies spent two years as a reporter for Business Insider,” Dool writes.

“The transportation vertical will publish about 40 pieces per month, at least 40 percent of which will be related to automotive technology. Wired is looking to bring in two additional full-time writers for the new section. Transportation-related content accounted for eight percent of all traffic to Wired.com in 2015, according to the company, up 30 percent from the year prior. Ford Motor Company serves as the transportation section’s launch sponsor.”

Which segment of your online magazine revenue saw the biggest jump in 2015? What are your expectations for 2016? Let us know in the comments!

To read more about online magazine revenue in the news, visit Folio:.

By Don Nicholas

Founder & Executive Publisher

Don Nicholas serves as Executive Publisher for Food Gardening Network and GreenPrints. He is responsible for all creative, technical, and financial aspects of these multiplatform brands. As senior member of the editorial team, he provides structural guidance, sets standards, and coordinates activities with the technology and business teams. Don is an active gardener whose favorite crops include tomatoes, basil, blueberries, and corn. He and his wife Gail live and work in southern Massachusetts surrounded by forests, family farms, cranberry bogs, and nearby beaches. Don is also the Founder of Mequoda Systems, LLC, which operates and supports numerous online communities including I Like Crochet, I Like Knitting, and We Like Sewing.

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