The 'revenue-first' strategy that is paying off in subscriptions at the Seattle Times PLUS How to set up Google Publisher Centre

January 31, 2022

We've moved through a number of different strategies in publishing over the last decade - digital-first focused on digital transformation, reader-first as reader revenue took over from a reliance on advertising and now revenue-first from the Seattle Times. It's a subtle but important shift as the Seattle Times focuses less on volume and more on revenue. "[We look at it from] a revenue standpoint, versus a ‘we are chasing this volume number’. Because there are all kinds of terrible things that you can do to your long-term viability and sustainability that will drive that volume number," said Kati Erwert, the publisher’s senior vice president of product, marketing and public service. She challenged the idea of deep discounts to drive up volume, and the Press Gazette highlighted in the piece that the Seattle Times' revenue focus, as opposed to a focus on the number of subscribers, is something that other publishers including The Atlantic are pivoting towards.

The Center for Cooperative Media in New Jersey highlighted its Ad Lab as it supports independent media in the state. They launched the lab because advertising support was the top request from the indie media that they worked with. And they say that demand for this support is outstripping their ability to supply it.

Nieman Lab has profiled an interesting news start-up that delivers personalised news experiences in the US state of South Dakota. With a tip of the hat to Reuters' roots and I think a cheeky reference to the phrase "a little bird told me", the service is called Pigeon 605. The revenue model isn't focused on reader revenue, but the publisher says that innovative delivery and personalisation differentiates it from other providers.

PLUS What's New in Publishing has a great guide in how publishers can set up and take advantage of the tools in Google Publisher Centre. UK freelancers are criticising Twitter's blue tick process as "irrational and opaque". Meta is holding off on adding new users to CrowdTangle as they struggle with staffing issues. Lemonada Media Podcast Network raises $8m in series A funding as growth in media funding continues in 2022. Storybench has another how-to about creating a searchable database for police misconduct.

Press Gazette has been reporting on British journalism without fear or favour since 1965. Our mission is to provide a news and information service which helps the UK journalism.

Pigeon 605 is delivering personalized local news to residents in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University has served as a central connection point, a hub, for New Jersey journalists for 10 years. And in nearly every one of those years, the…

Google news surfaces can generate nearly as much traffic as regular Google search, so it’s critical that you set up Publisher Center properly for your publication If you’re a magazine or newspaper publisher of any kind, you need to have a Google Publisher Center (GPC) account. GPC is the key to getting your content more …

Press Gazette has been reporting on British journalism without fear or favour since 1965. Our mission is to provide a news and information service which helps the UK journalism.

Facebook's parent company Meta Platforms Inc has paused new users from joining its social media tracking tool CrowdTangle due to staffing constraints.

Lemonada Media, the podcast network behind shows like Andy Slavitt's 'In the Bubble,' has raised $8 million in a Series A funding round.

Boston Cop Track is an online prototype documenting police misconduct claims within the city of Boston, designed to serve as a tool for civilian use.