Monetizing audio or video content can take different forms, depending on the format and the goals of the content publisher. The most popular method is advertising, typically in the form of pre-rolls, mid-rolls, and post-rolls.
In Africa, advertising is the most common way to monetize content. So long as content publishers have enough quality content and are consistent with their creations, they can easily monetize using this method.
Another form of monetization that is somewhat typical in the African digital content market is sponsorship. However, this doesn’t happen as often as it should as many African content creators either lack the content quality or the capacity to attract sponsorships.
The most challenging method of monetization, which interestingly gives content publishers the most control, is subscription-based monetization.
But what do all these mean and how can they be utilized? First, let’s understand what they are and how a content publisher can monetize using any or all of them.
Advertising
This is the most widely used digital content monetization strategy. Content creators seek advertising opportunities and incorporate them into their content. For audio and video, this typically involves pre-rolls, mid-rolls, and post-rolls.
Pre-rolls are advertisements that play at the beginning of audio or video content, often used in on-demand content. Midrolls are also ad breaks, but as the name suggests, they happen midway through the content. Post-rolls are the same, but they happen at the end of the content. Content publishers usually don’t mention the advertiser’s name. They just take a break, the ad plays, and the content resumes, similar to radio advertisements.
However, African content creators face two main issues in securing advertisements. Firstly, they struggle to attract ads due to a lack of capacity, and secondly, they lack the technical knowledge to insert ad breaks. Atunwa Digital can provide free assistance for creators in this category.
Sponsorships
Sponsorships are similar to advertising but with a slight difference. In this case, the advertiser sponsors the entire content or a portion of it. Unlike advertising, sponsorships require content creators to mention the advertiser or discuss their products/services.
However, acquiring sponsorships is more challenging, as brands often prefer content with a large following or featuring popular celebrities. While established radio and TV stations and popular content creators may not face difficulties in securing sponsorships, smaller stations, and independent publishers struggle.
If you have a substantial inventory but still struggle with advertising and sponsorships, Atunwa Digital can assist.
Read Also: Maximizing Audio Monetization: Three Key Factors for Audio Advertising Success
Subscriptions
The subscription model involves creating premium content behind a paywall. Consumers interested in accessing the content must pay a certain amount.
African content publishers often face challenges with the subscription model. Limited resources and lower purchasing power in Africa contribute to this issue. Even major content publishers on the continent struggle to attract subscribers to paid premium content.
There are various reasons why this model is not so popular in the African content space but two of them are maybe more pronounced.
One is limited resources. While the consumption of digital content continues to soar in Africa, the same cannot necessarily be said for purchasing power. It is for this reason that content publishers like Netflix have some of their cheapest offerings on the continent.
The second reason is a lack of quality content. While most people may be willing to consume content with subpar quality when they are free, more scrutiny is employed when such content has to be paid for. Content publishers and aggregators like Netflix address this issue by having an array of content on their platforms, so the consumer can have a variety of options. But if you’re not Netflix, it becomes imperative to partner with a digital content monetization company like Atunwa Digital that can help you optimize your monetization efforts.
Read Also: 5 Things to Know About Content Monetization
In addition to monetization support, Atunwa Digital also offers technical advice on which monetization model will be best for your content.
It’s important to understand the various monetization models and select the one that suits your needs as a content publisher.
