Live blogs have established themselves in the digital media world as an effective tool for providing users with up-to-date information and events in real time. They also offer an attractive platform for advertisers. Working with live blog software providers such as Tickaroo, a number of clients such as Freie Presse and Westfälische Nachrichten from the Aschendorff Group have recognised that live blogs have the potential to significantly increase advertising revenues. Using this case study, we look at how adverts on live blogs can be optimised to benefit both publishers and advertisers.
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HIGHER MEDIA TIME, MORE ADVERTISING REVENUE WITH LIVE BLOGS
A major advantage of live blogs is the more time readers spend on them compared to conventional articles. Our clients have shared with us that their readers stay on pages with integrated live blogs eight times longer than pages with regular articles. This increased media time means that users tend to view more adverts, which in turn increases overall advertising revenue. There are numerous ways to make this suit your business model.
The daily newspaper Westfälische Nachrichten, for example, doesn't rely on automated adverts within its live blogs, but instead places the live blogs on pages that already contain adverts. The adverts therefore surround the live blog without being directly integrated into it. As a result, readers are made aware of the adverts particularly subconsciously and therefore feel no direct influence when reading the live blog.
USER EXPERIENCE SHOULD TAKE CENTRE STAGE
A crucial component in the use of advertising in live blogs is the user experience. Nowadays, it's essential that the adverts do not disrupt the general reading flow. By surrounding the live blog with adverts instead of integrating them directly, the reading experience is not compromised. Journalists and users have repeatedly expressed frustration with adverts that interrupt the article text. The result is often an increased cancellation rate when reading the article. It is therefore very important for publishers to take such feedback seriously and adapt the placement of adverts accordingly.
USE A VARIETY OF AD FORMATS
The variety and flexibility of advertising formats are decisive factors that make live blogs an attractive platform for advertisers. In view of the wide range of possibilities offered by digital advertising today, the use of different formats in live blogs opens up a broad spectrum of creative and effective advertising opportunities.
💡Creative play with formats:
In live blogs, adverts can go far beyond the traditional framework. Whether it's videos, photos, animations or graphics, the different formats offer a wide range of possibilities to attract readers' attention and bring the advertising messages to life. The variation of formats can help to break the monotony, enrich the user experience and make the advertising content more interesting and appealing.
🔗 Utilisation of the Length of Live Blogs:
Another advantage of live blogs is their potentially considerable length. Since the length of a live blog depends on the development of the reported event, it can vary considerably. Longer live blogs offer the opportunity to place more adverts without overloading the content. This provides a larger surface area for the adverts and increases the likelihood of them being noticed by readers.
🎯 Targeted Placement of Advertisements:
When placing ads in longer live blogs, it is important to follow a strategy that both maximises the visibility of the ads and ensures reader-friendliness. Thoughtful placement of ads can ensure that they appear at the optimal moment, for example during natural breaks in live content or at strategic points that are likely to generate high reader engagement.
✨ Adjustments to Content Flow:
Careful integration of adverts into the natural flow of the liveblog is crucial. Adverts should be designed and placed in such a way that they support the flow of reading and do not disrupt it. This requires a deep understanding of the dynamics of liveblogging and the interests of the target group.
BALANCE BETWEEN CONTENT AND ADVERTISING
When deciding to integrate adverts into live blogs, it's important to create a balanced mix of editorial content and adverts. Excessive advertising can negatively impact the user experience and deter readers in the long run. Publishers should therefore take particular care to ensure that adverts complement the editorial content and do not dominate it. Another particularly sensitive issue when placing adverts in live blogs are events such as terrorist attacks or natural disasters. In these special cases, no adverts should be placed in order to focus on the reporting and the sensitivity of the topic. This approach not only shows respect for those affected, but also contributes to the credibility and seriousness of the medium.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS AND FLEXIBILITY
From a technical point of view, the integration of adverts in liveblogs offers challenges, but also a multitude of opportunities. It is important that the adverts are technically integrated in such a way that they are optimally displayed on both desktop and mobile devices. Flexibility in ad placement and design can help to communicate advertising messages more effectively and increase reader interest.
DEVELOPING LONG-TERM STRATEGIES
Overall, it is advisable for publishers and advertisers to develop a long-term strategy for ads in live blogs. This involves analysing user data to understand what types of ads work best with different audiences and adapting the strategy based on these insights. This data-driven approach makes it possible to tailor advertising content more precisely to the interests and behaviour of readers. This can ultimately not only increase click-through rates and engagement with the adverts, but also improve overall user satisfaction and brand perception. Close co-operation between publishers and advertisers can also help to better adapt advertising messages to the context of the liveblog. Transparency towards readers, for example by clearly labelling sponsored content, is also crucial to maintaining audience trust.
CONCLUSION
Ads in and around live blogs offer significant opportunities for both publishers and advertisers. With the right strategy and execution, live blogs can become a valuable source of revenue while enriching the user experience and strengthening reader loyalty. By catering to readers' needs while leveraging effective advertising opportunities, media companies can successfully navigate the digital landscape and monetise their content.
