Just over a year ago, the New York Times pulled the plug on TimesSelect, a subscription-based program that gave online access to the newspaper’s archives and work of columnists. Recently, The Associated Press announced suspension of a new pricing structure fearing that the rate of AP membership cancellations would grow even higher. So what’s happening to content monetization on the Web? Is paid content an idea of the past? How can content providers survive in the digital age?
For my research topic, I will explore business revenue models that are based on content monetization. I’m interested in presenting a business plan of sorts that will examine what the aforementioned companies are doing and use my current employer, Tax Analysts, as a basis for comparison and a case study for content monetization in the publishing industry.
Some of the finer points of content monetization that I will explore include:
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The rise of social networks and the challenges that the Web 2.0 era presents;
- The demand of free content on the Web and its burden on providers;
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The various revenue-making strategies that companies are employing and their levels of success;
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The affect of resource structure on publishers’ overall information and content sales strategy for the Web.
I’ll be conducting some interviews at work to get a better understanding of my company’s content monetization efforts. Ultimately, however, I hope to provide Tax Analysts with a solid beginning strategy to monetize content on the Web successfully.
Comments, leads, and any other type of information are greatly appreciated!
And please join my LinkedIn group on this subject: http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/1158347
November 16, 2008 at 11:22 pm
G- I am a daily reader of the NY Times online and I remember Times Select and being annoyed that I could not read certain articles without a paid membership. I was excited when they cancelled Times Select and I was able to access archived articles for free. I don’t know what the fate of content monetization on the internet will be but it doesn’t look good. The internet has spoiled us to the point where I don’t think anyone really wants to pay for something if we don’t have to.
November 24, 2008 at 2:47 pm
There are some types of online content that seem to be available only through subscription or fee-based transaction:
1. reports and findings from a research organization (e.g., Consumer Reports)
2. industry-specific publications (e.g., a trade association)
3. holdings of certain institutions (e.g., think-tanks, private libraries)
4. entertainment with high perceived value (e.g., pornography)
It’s an interesting project to look at the factors that determine whether someone would pay for online content. It might also be interesting to see if that willingness is influenced by whether a publication contains advertising.