More E&P Revenue Exclusives
Sleete on "The Street"
Sports and sports heroes like Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan can teach us a lot about sales. In sales, as in sports, you get up to the plate, take a lot of swings and don’t always produce a hit. You play a lot of games but don’t win them all. Yet you suit up every day and compete again.
Ad Sales Life
Nonprofit news outlets have a unique advantage. They can innovate and experiment with new strategies more freely, benefitting from their size and mission-driven focus. For nonprofits, marketing, ad sales, audience development and fundraising are the different sections of an orchestra. When each area is in sync and adapting to changing circumstances, they create a powerful performance that resonates with audiences and drives sustainable growth.
Sleete "on the street"
The best salespeople have innate talents. They have figured out what brings them to the playing field and what their blind spots are. There are some things at which they don’t excel as well as others, but they don't let this deter them. Instead, they zero in on their areas of excellence so they can perform at high levels.
The popularity of newsletters with readers and the revenue-generating opportunities for publishers have increased substantially since E&P’s February 2022 Revenue Round-Up article. A new study of monthly newsletter readers released in July from MAGNA Media Trials and Sherwood Media found 41% said it was their preferred news source — topping a list of 12 sources. The study also found that one-third of newsletter readers don't use news websites as their regular news source.
News media can be a fast-paced environment, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed, especially when resources are limited and difficult decisions about budget cuts or reallocations must be made. This constant drive to stay ahead often leads to innovation fatigue. To address this challenge, E&P columnist Richard E. Brown developed the S.C.O.R.E. framework — a tool designed to evaluate and communicate strategies and guide the entire innovation process.
Drawing from his experiences managing and training sellers and general principles from established profiling tools like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and DISC assessment, E&P columnist Richard E. Brown has identified four primary profiles — the Aggressor, the Analyst, the Actor and the Ally. This A-Suite concept is designed to help salespeople identify strengths and areas for improvement, not only for themselves but also in understanding the business owners and decision-makers they work with.
Hearst Magazines has launched AURA, a revolutionary, first-party ad targeting tool that utilizes proprietary AI-enabled technology and multi-dimensional contextual, behavioral and commerce signals to connect advertisers to their most valuable and engaged customers at scale.
In the fast-paced world of news media sales, traditional tactics can feel like a tired script. However, what if there’s a more powerful approach? E&P columnist Richard E. Brown delves into a topic that's been on his mind lately: his approach to selling sponsorships in the news media industry — an approach that frames the news organization as the “hero” in a hero's journey tackling community issues.
Ad Sales Life
In his early days working with newspaper ads, one pizza restaurant taught E&P columnist Richard E. Brown invaluable lessons about sales, time management and the true essence of value. This wasn’t a fancy pizzeria; it was a run-of-the-mill establishment with a couple of branches across town. However, interactions with the owner opened Brown's eyes to a new perspective on advertising.
Sometimes, what’s old is new again. Warner Bros. Discovery seems to think so, as it has turned to programmatic guaranteed in its latest attempt to capture more ad dollars.
Trust is a foundational element in news media, spanning decades and sometimes even centuries, especially concerning editorial concepts and community connectivity. However, regarding the revenue side of news media, trust is the linchpin for businesses deciding which advertising medium and sponsorship relationships to work closely with to help shape their narrative and value.
In news media advertising, organizations often spend too much time analyzing rates and comparing them to similar-sized outlets. It’s important, but sometimes, focusing too much on rate hinders the ability to assess an opportunity directly. Before immediately delving into pricing considerations, it’s crucial first to identify opportunities aligned with your organization’s goals.
