Print remains one of the strongest channels for native and sponsored ad campaigns. Niche publishers have to think outside the box and get creative.
Charles Warner, (CEO/Editor in Chief, Innovation & Tech Today) recently spoke at Super Niche in Louisville. He urged niche publishers to get the most out of their native ad campaigns by looking beyond traditional advertising norms to push the view of what native advertising can be. Charles knows the native and sponsored print channel inside and out. Below are some of the highlights of his presentation, “Print Native Advertising for the Big Win!”
Create new native ad opportunities within your niche by looking for untapped or under-appreciated topics.
First, look for ways to take your traditional advertising path in a new direction. For example, in each issue you can feature a regional “tech zone,” which opens up an opportunity to contact any companies within that region and offer an ad. Additionally, this is also an excellent opportunity to place native content from advertisers who are in the tech zone and have a compelling message that relates to the audience. (This content should stand on its own or fit nicely in the overall piece.)
To niche down the example even further, run a tech story on cybersecurity. (A hot topic in tech.) Have credible authors with strong backgrounds in cybersecurity write articles. Make sure the design and layout flow smoothly. And have a major advertiser “present” the whole piece with a call to action on the ad after the story runs.
Think of new ways to expand your print native ads beyond the typical back cover presentation.
Turn your back cover into a BIG story by interviewing experts or celebrities about the topic, vs just a typical ad. For example, Kevin Hart was a spokesman for a headphone company, and instead of just a back cover ad, the back cover became a second cover with an exclusive interview inside.
These print native campaigns can be a lot more than integrated articles inside your magazine – think tip-ons, wrappers, inserts, outserts, marketing tie-ins and more.
For success, your internal operations also need to be on board with the power and bandwidth of what native advertising can be.
Here are five practical actions you can take to supercharge your native ad sales:
- Educate your salesforce and customers.
- Make sure your editorial and creative staff understands the importance of native advertising.
- Think like an agency! Kick the door down with ideas!
- Provide 3rd party validation, examples to share and feedback from past advertisers.
- Compliment your advertisers for creative campaigns, give awards.
Finally, there are so many ways to create successful print native ad campaigns. 33% of publishers’ overall predicted advertising revenues will come from native advertising in 2018. (according to FIPP) Look for those untapped opportunities within your niche and then develop a native ad campaign around them to boost revenues–for both you and your advertisers!
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More about Charles: Charles Warner is the CEO of Innovative Properties Worldwide, a veteran-owned media company out of Denver. He is responsible for overseeing the company’s many areas of specialization, including custom publishing, sponsorship sales, onsite activation, audience development, ad sales training, and branded content. Charles has almost 20 years’ experience selling print and digital advertising in publications of all sizes. In 2010, he created Ad Sales 101 to simplify the process for selling print advertising, while speaking to salespeople all around the country. Training and motivating sales teams remain a passion for him today.
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About this blogger: Diana Landau is the Content Wrangler for Niche Media. A former sales director and corporate marketing hack, she has now found nirvana in writing and wrangling quality content. Diana is a food, wine, art and SF Giants enthusiast…who sometimes gets carried away.
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