Circulation: Secret to profiting in online publishing

By Joan Chioma Obinagwam

Circulation is critical to driving revenue in online publishing.

The publisher of NewsExpress, Isaac Umunna, disclosed during the 9th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publisher (GOCOP) held in Lagos on Wednesday.

“At NewsExpress, we make money every day. Circulation is the key to making money,” he stated.

Umunna likened neglecting circulation to “winking at someone in the dark”—an effort unnoticed without visibility. “If you publish great content but don’t promote it, you won’t see its value,” he explained, highlighting the importance of awareness in marketing communications.

How Circulation Generates Revenue
Umunna outlined five key ways circulation fuels income:

1. Direct Advertising: Advertisers pay to place ads on your website, often requesting analytics to gauge reach. Strong circulation boosts these metrics, attracting more clients.
2. Click-Based Ads: Ads placed on your site generate revenue per click, requiring high traffic driven by circulation.
3. Sponsored Posts and Articles: Payments come from clients for posts or articles with embedded links.
4. Projects and Consultancy: High-traffic platforms attract organizations seeking consultancy or partnerships.
5. Engagements and Goodwill: Increased visibility fosters partnerships and opportunities.

“Organizations prioritize platforms with strong web analytics,” Umunna noted, citing examples where clients seek out top-performing online publications for collaborations.

Strategies for Effective Circulation
To maximize reach, Umunna recommended leveraging social media platforms, bulk email bulletins, and WhatsApp groups. “We send bulk emails four times a day,” he shared. He also advised expanding contact bases by following others on social media, noting that reciprocal follows often occur.

During the presentation titled,”Circulation —The Secret Behind Making Money in Online Publishing” he pointed to practices like inviting people to join your company’s WhatsApp Group or Telegram channel as a way of enhancing an organisation’s circulation.

He stated that notable online platforms, like Premium Times, invites readers to join their WhatsApp group directly on their homepage.

To manage circulation efforts, he suggested adding your contact to staff and consultant lists for oversight. “Whatever you invest in circulation, you’ll recoup many times over,” he assured.

Addressing Challenges
Responding to concerns about sponsored posts with link insertions, Umunna clarified that many requests come from Search Engine Optimization (SEO) companies. He advised assessing such content carefully, similar to vetting stories to avoid legal issues like libel.

On receiving payments from foreign clients, Umunna shared his solution: using a trusted contact in Europe to open an account, alongside options like domiciliary accounts or cryptocurrency (e.g., Bitcoin).

Final Advice
Umunna concluded with a powerful call to action: “Don’t just publish—circulate, circulate, circulate. It will do wonders for you.”

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