Although the recent nor'easter in NYC caused some travel issues out west, the turn out for Digiday Publishing Summit was still strong in beautiful Vail, Colorado. Vendors and publishers from across the globe gathered to speak about the advancements, hardships, and innovation within the digital landscape. Other than staying hydrated in the high altitudes of the Rocky Mountains, below are my major takeaways from the summit.
Video: Stay Committed
Video was a big area of discussion amongst publishers, since if done correctly, revenue could stand to be very lucrative. However, publishers should think about the maintenance including the manpower needed for video campaigns to be successful in the long run. During summit sessions, publishers who have made the decision to stick with video in the long run mentioned increased revenue and audiences spent more time on page.
The Evolution of Header Bidding
In terms of revenue, header bidding has revolutionized the publisher landscape. However, with so many players within the space, a publisher’s header bidder has become congested which could lead to unmanageable outcomes with their partners. A simple solution to this presented during Digiday was for publishers to work with a handful of reliable partners to achieve optimal success.
Audience Expansion and Retention
Publishers are always looking for new ways to increase their audience, and social media plays a large part in that. Driving a large portion of inventory from multiple platforms provides the strongest boost in monetization. For many, areas of focus have geared towards platforms including: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Google. With constant change to platform algorithms, publishers should not solely rely on referral traffic but also figure out ways to drive their own traffic.
Overall Digiday Publishing Summit provided a great opportunity to connect with publishers. One thing is for sure, publishers are focused on creating amazing content for their audiences and staying profitable. Learning more about their advertising challenges allows for companies such as 33Across to present monetization solutions that make sense.
