Maximise Your Revenue by Developing a Multi-Tier Online Monetisation Mix

As internet monetisation methods continue to evolve it's becoming vital for website owners to develop diversified revenue streams both within and beyond advertising.  Reliance on advertising alone – particularly display banner style advertising – is unlikely to meet revenue objectives but can complement a broader monetisation mix.

There is a growing range of advertising monetisation choices which are available to all types of traditional and non-traditional digital media publishers. These require different skill levels, some being passive or low effort and others involving online sales specialists selling tailored solution-based opportunities to advertisers and agencies.

The amount of revenue attracted is dependent on factors such as the monetisation model, target market and the amount of traffic a website attracts. 

Here we offer an overview of different tiered revenue streams which can be applied through websites, blogs, newsletters and various digital platforms -

Tier 1 – Premium Tailored Advertising

Predominately sold through a specialised in-house dedicated sales person/team.  These are usually high yield packages which are sold on a tailored basis to meet an advertisers specific brief. Cost is not necessarily dependent on the total amount of traffic rather reach against a sites target market and their audiences engagement levels.

Examples of advertising sold through this premium tier include:

• - Sponsorship/Contextual Placements
• - Advertorial/Branded Content
• - Audience Product Surveys
• - Webinar/Podcast
• - Newsletter & EDM
• - Directory/Classifieds
• - Premium Cost Per Thousand (CPM) Display Advertising

Tier 2 – Digital Sales Agency Selling Premium Display Advertising.

Display online and digital advertising inventory can be outsourced to a sales representation agency and sold at a premium rate – mostly cpm (cost per thousand impressions).  These sales representation agencies take a percentage of all sales.  Each agency has their own set of criteria regarding who they choose to represent usually based on high impression and unique browser thresholds, quality of site content and reach to key target markets.

Tier 3 – Automated Digital Trading Networks

Digital advertising sold and optimised through automated networks offers ALL media owners an incremental, low effort revenue stream to add to a broader and often higher yield monetisation mix.  Publishers can decide what and how much inventory they sell through these automated networks.  Increasingly they are seen as an opportunity to monetise unsold and remnant  inventory leaving sales teams free to concentrate on higher yielding tailored solutions such as those outlined in Tier 1.  Most online pubishers generate revenue through at least one automated digital trading network.

These automated options are also available and highly effective for smaller publishers who perhaps do not have specialised expertise in digital advertising sales or run other platforms such as directories or classifieds sites.

Non-traditional media attracting a high niche audience can also add an easy to manage additional advertising based revenue stream through automated network options. 

A combination of automated network options can be applied and optimised.

Examples of advertising sold through this automated tier include -

• - Performance (cost per lead, cost per click, cost per acquisition)
• - Display (cost per thousand)
• - Lead Generation
• - Affiliate
• - Exchanges, Real Time & DMP (Data Management Platforms)

Tier 4 – Multi-Media & Emerging Platforms

Media brands are increasingly becoming 'platform neutral' and evolving to other tablet based devices in line with audience needs and technology trends - and then applying a revenue strategy to these extension platforms.  Platforms can include mobile, ipad and other tablets such as android - with revenue strategies still emerging and adapting.

Tier 5 - Non-Advertising Revenue Streams

There are a range of non-advertising revenue options which can be applied to digital and online platforms. 

These include:

• -    Paid Content/PayWalls
• -    Paid for Editorial/Blog Comment (not recommended unless shown as sponsored copy)
• -    Retail/e-tail/m-commerce/t-commerce
• -    Branded Merchandise
• -    Events & Seminars
• -    Content Syndication
• -    Offering specialised and consultancy skills

As different revenue opportunities continue to develop each digital media brand can apply their own unique combination of effective advertising and non-advertising revenue streams depending on factors such as traffic, target market and levels of available skill and expertise.

We'll continue to evolve this guide in line with evolving and fragmenting revenue streams - please subscribe to our newsletter - to stay up to date.

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Further Resources

• MediaScape Guide to Digital Sales Representation Agencies, Networks & Exchanges - comprehensive overview of the evolving digital media landscape in the Australian market showing businesses offering sales representation, networks and automated trading platforms and exchanges

• Advertising Sales Centre - articles, guides and tips for media owners and sales specialists

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