Identifying Targeted Publisher Opportunities for Digital Subscription Brands
With partnership marketing becoming exponentially popular, subscription brands have the opportunity to explore multiple types of performance partnerships including content sites, loyalty partners, and paid media.
When it comes to content sites, subscriptions have a track record of performing well because they typically come equipped with unique product or service offerings, giving editorial teams more to write about.
Brands looking to partner with content publishers will have a higher likelihood of being included in roundups, listicles, and even featured articles if the publisher aligns well with the brand’s product, services, and demographics; the more targeted the publisher is, the greater chance the advertiser has of being included or featured. That’s why it’s important to call out the synergies between you and the publisher.
Among the performance partnerships available to subscription brands, loyalty partnerships typically yield the most success. Loyalty partnerships are highly successful because consumers tend to be more loyal to loyalty sites than individual brands. Brands looking to work with loyalty partners need to have a competitive cashback offer to make it worth testing for publishers. Mobile advertisers may also consider loyalty partners who exclusively offer in-app placements when looking to target the millennial demographic.
Looking to work with some of the larger, more well-known partners? If so, it’s important to ask publishers the following questions:
- What do you require to onboard new brands?
- What is the relevancy of your product or service?
- What are the next steps and/or nuances you have for establishing new relationships?
- Do you have a media kit you could share with me?
By asking these questions and providing a relevant description of offerings, brands have a higher likelihood of publishers taking the time to provide a thoughtful response.
When exploring unique performance opportunities, Ignite clients have seen success with publishers who have similar demographics to target during the publisher’s post-transaction. This type of placement allows brands to find a relevant audience of consumers who are ready to buy. For example, if a consumer purchases a ticket to a Coldplay concert on a ticketing site that consumer may get an ad for a SiriusXM subscription after completing their transaction. These placements are extremely targeted to individualized consumer purchases – relevant targeting is what drives efficient spend in these channels.
Digital subscriptions have plenty of opportunities in the performance marketing realm. Brands that take the time to do their homework, ask the right questions, and provide relevant information to publishers, will have a higher likelihood of success with performance partnerships.
