I answer Catalyst Investor’s Ryan McNally’s question about whether content is a tool to drive people to your web site or whether it is directly monetized. My answer? It depends on your business model and the kind of...

Here’s another video clip from the Catalyst Investors Digital Media Panel last year. In this clip I talk about email metrics that we were using at Aspire/Interweave to measure the ROI of each marketing email we sent out, the value of a subscriber, and how certain metrics can be hard numbers. But I also talk about how you have to know the caveats surrounding these metrics and take them with a grain of salt. Keep in mind that Aspire/Interweave is a consumer enthusiast media company, so the bulk of our revenues were generated by readers, not advertisers. In that sense, we were more akin to an...

Just wanted to invite everyone to attend a free webinar I’m hosting about online metrics for publishers and media planners. The webinar will cover: How to select compare sites and select the right one for your client / and how to sell your site versus your competitor. What key metrics really mean, what the differences are, and why they matter. Metrics that are irrelevant or distractions to the buying process. Games that some publishers play to make themselves look bigger than they really are. What should REALLY matter to a buyer. The webinar is being produced by Media Life Magazine and...

Just read Rob Yoegel’s blog over on Publishing Executive, What Exactly is ‘Publisher’s Own Data?’ He brings up the never-ending specter of the inaccuracies and lack of transparency in web sites that report their own web metrics (uniques, visit, page views, etc.).  He reiterates all of the important points, but what I found most fascinating were the comments posted in response to Rob’s post. Nearly all of the comments focused on how publishers need to get more involved with web audits. Of course the comment thread was started by Peter Black, SVP of Business Development...

I just found out that someone took video of the panel I spoke at during last year’s Catalyst Investors Digital Media Panel and posted it to YouTube. Here I was asked about what the major differences are between print and online publishing. Key points: Online is still publishing, just a different medium and vernacular. You can’t just slap your print content online once a month and expect to succeed. Build off the value of your existing brand. Realize you’ll have to transform your entire company’s culture. Give it focus. What does not have focus will not succeed. Online is NOT...

Every media company has different business challenges and business models, but certain strategies can help almost any publisher grow the e-media side of the business. Are they flashy, new strategies? No. Most are boring fundamentals. But in media, as in football, those who best execute the fundamentals are the ones who win. 1. Sell what you already have. If you sell advertising, take a hard look at your unsold inventory. If you’re less than 75-percent sold-out on your primary positions, you’re leaving significant money on the table. This is by far the easiest way to grow revenue with...