Financial literacy is getting all the limelight right now, and rightfully so. There are several financial information websites and financial news publishers on the internet vying for consumer attention by providing valuable content. EX.CO had the pleasure of helping one such leading financial news publisher stand out from the crowd.
EX.CO was contacted in the hopes that we could help the publisher drive more revenue without sacrificing UX - our forté!
What was the goal?
The goal was simple:
The financial news publisher wanted to educate readers about financial health while simultaneously driving revenue and providing a premium user experience.
This clear trifecta was what we set out to achieve together but what we accomplished was so much more.
What were the challenges?
The leading financial news publisher was trying to improve audience engagement on its site while also providing quality financial education and a better, more enriching user experience to its readers.
To achieve this, the publisher realized that it would have to dramatically increase its RPMs; however, like most leading digital publishers, various stakeholders across the company had their own KPIs and making everybody happy would definitely be a challenge.
How did EX.CO solve the issue?
For starters, the news publisher implemented EX.CO’s lightweight and powerful video player for all of their desktop, mobile, and AMP traffic.
The team then tapped into various RSS feeds to manage two separate video placements on their site’s most visited pages. This reduced the lagging and ensured the video functioned smoothly, thereby making it easier for the users to consume news on the publisher’s site.
The publisher also connected its premium demand source to the self-serve EX.CO platform, allowing it to maximize yield and improve overall auction dynamics. By adding its own demand, the publisher took back control of its digital real estate and was able to drive higher bids, as a result. With EX.CO, the publisher’s Monetization Team was in a better position to test out auctions and improve overall RPMs.
Finally, EX.CO enabled the publisher to provide a personalized content experience to site visitors. This helped the publisher raise financial awareness amongst their readers and offer the audience a more unique and enriching news reading experience.
The best thing about this is that the Editorial Team did not have to hire any developer or spend money on additional designer resources. Since the EX.CO platform is highly self-sufficient, the news publisher’s team found everything they needed within the platform itself.
What were the results?
The campaign was a massive success and helped the financial news publisher gain more than initially predicted. With the help of EX.CO’s video player and monetization capabilities which also included RSS feeds, the publisher was able to see a steady rise of 87% in revenue. They were also able to record 135% more RPMs within a span of just 12 months.
The publisher was able to experience the most radical boost in their revenue after they linked their own demand sources to the EX.CO platform. This strategic shift helped the news publisher improve their UX, optimize their onsite engagement, and earn 3x more revenue.
To test these new changes, the publisher launched The Financial Literacy Awareness Month editorial on their website, which generated incredible results. Not only did readers actively interact with the publisher’s content, but 55% of them chose the “Learn More” option that redirected them to the educational blog post for first-time investors. Trifecta achieved!
Overall, it was a highly successful campaign that helped this leading financial news publisher accomplish all that we hoped for and more!