In an environment where users are tired of banners and their profiling is harvested for targeting by third party data providers, partnering with publishers directly holds more worth, says Binu Varughese Mathew
The digital publishing bandwagon has been disrupted, traditional digital monetisation models are under pressure from technological factors. And it is no more about banners or rich media creatives, as those may be accessed through plentiful programmatic trading desks.
These inventory aggregators are creating new opportunities for the advertiser through organised, seemingly effective customer buckets. The publishing industry has been forced to look elsewhere to find an alternative revenue model and many publishers have effectively responded to these market challenges. From diverse native offerings that only a content creator can provide to the integration of their own data management platforms to deliver persuasive solutions, the evolvement is satisfying.
The advantages a content generator holds with their large contributor network and massive user base are multifold, which no aggregator or trader could offer. The publisher holds the ability to granularly understand its users, their habits and behaviour, and offer custom packages. And many publishers have developed in-house data capabilities that capture their users’ first party information, which is not shared with any exchanges or networks. This data has been packaged into advertising solutions for clients with a direct insertion order.
Comprehending the user has never been more complex. They are no more digital immigrants but are increasingly digital natives. For them smartphones, tablets and social networks happen naturally, and this may be recognised only by a creator, not an accumulator. Accessing these native users is evolving with innovative content solutions swapping place with conventional banners.
Online marketing buzzwords have changed rapidly from online display, to search, social and later to video, mobile and now content. With content marketing taking centre stage, advertisers have eased themselves into a native first story. The results are encouraging, according to stats compiled by SmartBug. Advertisers engaged in content marketing are seeing a big jump in web traffic as high as 7.8 times and a six-fold increase in conversion rates. However, this cannot be just any glorified advertorial as it will cease to work for the conceived goals. Also, relying solely on content networks may then just not be as beneficial but the role the publisher can play becomes more relevant with their user understanding.
Most publishing houses have recognised this and have set up dedicated editorial teams that are commerce focused because the commercial content has to benefit the reader first. It is in the publisher’s interest to dish out information that inspires their audience with a thick story plot rather than copy-pasting press releases from the brand owners. Innovative publishers have now re-engineered data management platforms to deliver brand stories to the right user – a clever way of reaching out to the advertiser-desired audience but resting within the publisher domain. And this comes at a cost. A good commerce story told in the most ingenious way on a premium portal may be the entire campaign budget.
In an environment where users are getting tired of banners that jump all over the screen and their profiling is harvested for targeting by many third party data providers, partnering with publishers directly holds more worth. Users value their privacy, which is evident with more than 250 million people using ad-blocking browser extensions for desktops as well as mobiles. The publishers themselves know this and it is one of the reasons why they have chosen to make their inventory available through programmatic choices. Their sales teams are now empowered consultants selling audiences, custom packages and innovative solutions.
The success of a campaign must be judged on the right advertising metrics. It may not be about the click through rate or conversion rates alone. If the buyer insists on these key performance indicators, ad dollars tend to reach the existing customer base, cannibalising it and altering the natural brand progression. Accord the right value to the media – for the premium opportunities and innovative properties rather than opting for the lower cost per thousand non-viewable inventories on many user-generated pages and fraudulent traffic generator sites. Marketers relying on trading experience alone to deliver on the objectives are exposing their brands to equity laceration. Collaborative work between brands and publishers yield the best investments for the marketing budgets than opting for automated top-line satisfaction metrics. Establishing partnership-oriented relationships with the publisher directly benefits the brand in the long run and raises the overall quality of the advertising campaigns.
The online publishing industry is no longer homogeneous, nor are the users. Consumer trust cannot be violated with invasive tactics and this may be best understood by the content creator themselves. Marketers working together with the publisher on unique innovative properties and organic, engaging content enhances the user experience and at the same time delivers on advertiser goals.
Instead of forcing users to view wallpapered ads, offer them avenues to engage with valued content neatly tailored to user profiles. There is a tremendous opportunity for brand owners to offer these avenues to the web audience and it doesn’t necessarily have to be through placid banners but through relevant publisher-offered solutions. The role of the publisher is the key – in terms of their audience understanding and also the ability to influence them since it is this audience insight that continues to make them attractive to their users. Brands may borrow this experience to further their own goals. After all, it is the audience that matters.
Binu Varughese Mathew is senior vice president at IAS Digital
