As avid readers of blogs and LinkedIn posts from industry leaders, we came across this article re-posted by our colleagues at Brainworks – “8 Ways to Increase Digital Revenue by 50% or More.” With a headline like that, we had to stop and read it. It contains some valuable tips, we agree with many of the author’s tips, and we provide software to make it happen!  Here are our top 3 takeaways from the article.

Simplify Digital Advertising Programs

Our take: Research shows local retail/SMB customers are buying more media products than ever, but from fewer sales representatives. Simultaneously, many sellers report feeling overwhelmed by the number of products they are asked to sell, and the amount of paperwork needed for each product sold. A single workflow that provides print, social, and digital advertising along with other optional bundled options makes it easy for sellers to present comprehensive campaigns and spec ads to customers on the fly. They can schedule the campaign, process the credit card or billing info, and send it to pagination, Google DFP, Facebook business manager or others in just a few clicks. They spend more time selling, and less time on paperwork without having to remember to sell all the options because they are all built right into the workflow.

Automate Online Ad Sales

Our take: Keep it simple and affordable. For local retail owners who prefer self-service, offer simple, affordable bundles of your top products that they can buy online using automated ad design tools and integrated payment options. Remember to leave out industry jargon and explain the value of the audience the ad bundles are reaching. Automated reporting & proofs are also a big part of the process. You won’t lose business, you’ll learn about new prospects AND your sales reps can follow up and grow the business. Brainworks and Naviga (formerly Newscyle), both iPublish partners, are now recommending that their newspapers use automation for ad design and online ordering.

Launch Programmatic Audience Extension

Our take: Programmatic advertising is important. For local businesses, these smaller buys can generate fantastic performance with the right targeting. No one knows the local audience better than a local media company—show local retailers how to benefit from your experience! “I have seen programmatic audience extension add hundreds of thousands of dollars of new revenue for publishers. The margins for newspapers are still high—40 to 70% in most cases,” Shenfal reports in the article. iPublish Media Solutions software offers integrated programmatic solutions with your preferred partner (or we’ll connect you with one).

See all eight ways in the article originally posted on Publishing Executive. Let us know if you have any questions or if you like to see a product that does this effectively and inexpensively.