Does Content Equal Revenue? - Social Media Explorer
Does Content Equal Revenue?
Does Content Equal Revenue?
by

David Finch
David Finch

Who hasn’t heard the phrase, “content is king?” For the last few years, every online publishing venue from blogs to webinars, have declared that “content is king.” It’s become the mantra for web publishers. However, while this has become the general consensus, monetizing that content has become the question for the masses of content producers.

One of the biggest questions is how has the economy affected the digital space? Depending on whom you ask or what you read determines the answer that you get. It would be great to know how content related sites are currently doing.

And that’s exactly what Pam Horan, President of OPA asked.

Improving Ad Effectiveness Online Report

Yesterday, the Online Publishing Association, an association who’s members include NPR, About.com and The Huffington Report, released it’s second wave of research within the past six months and have revealed that in spite of hard economic times, that quality content sites “defy industry trends and largely have improved their ad effectiveness over time.”

They have found that ads on these content related sites have raised awareness, message association, brand favorability as well as purchase intent more than portals and networks.

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They also discovered that 18-34 year olds are more likely to respond to ads on these content sites and that when the content and ads were exposed to a more affluent audience they were more likely to:

  • Become aware of the advertised brand
  • Remember the brand’s message
  • Form favorable opinions about the brand, and
  • Have intentions to make a purchase

The report also reveals that video aids, rich media ads and interactive ads have greater impact on content producing sites.

Their summary concludes:
“For ad effectiveness, environment matters -and high quality content sites help advertisers move the needle.”

  • OPA Member sites’ ad effectiveness consistently outperform other sites -Including portals and ad networks, even during an economic recession
  • OPA sites have largely improved their ad effectiveness over time, unlike portals and ad networks
  • These content sites generally do a better job of integrating advertising into professional video, as well as rich media and interactive ads
  • Sponsorships on these content sites achieve greater lift than sponsorships on portals, where effectiveness has fallen below the industry average

If you would like to read the rest of the report, you can download the PDF. [Improving Ad Effectiveness Online]

While this report may be true for their members, like The New York Times and CBS Interactive. I’m curious to know what the metrics are for those that aren’t a part of their association.

As a content producer or an advertiser, do you find these claims to be true? How effective is advertising currently doing on your content sites? What ROI are you seeing with your advertising campaigns. Leave a comment.

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David Finch

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