AdWall in Action: Unlocking New Revenue Streams for Publishers

The media industry is going through yet another shake-up. Traditional models of making money from content are quickly becoming outdated, and transitioning to new ones requires hefty resource investments.

On top of that, ad blockers are everywhere, and user attention has become the most precious currency in the digital economy. People have learned how to ignore banner ads and skip over generic video ads without even blinking.

As a result, news outlets have to get creative in monetizing their audience while also keeping them loyal. These days, a publisher’s success hinges on the quality of their content and how well they can engage users in consuming it.

A Two-Step Strategy for Maximizing Revenue

If you pull a publisher aside and ask them to list their current challenges, you’ll likely hear something like this:

• Ad revenue is shaky due to market changes, making it tough to attract an audience, and income is dropping.
• There’s no perfect formula to balance advertising with user experience. Right now, many publishers just hope their content doesn’t drive readers away.
• Premium advertisers are hesitant to work with media due to low conversion rates, and it’s hard to sell them on the value of brand awareness campaigns.
• Lack of control over ads makes it hard to tailor content to the audience.
• Retaining users and getting them to return for more content is becoming increasingly difficult. Recirculation rates are low.
• Constant Google algorithm updates mess with SEO and requires frequent changes in publishing strategies.

In these conditions, a two-step approach could be the perfect solution, helping not only to engage your audience but also to build an ideal monetization model for every user session.

Step 1: Video as a Hook for Attention

Video is a magnet for your audience and the key tool for grabbing attention. When done right—with a good balance of dynamics, relevance, and captions—embedding video within articles can keep users engaged far longer than text alone.

Despite the need for some investment in tech and content, abandoning this strategy would be a mistake. There are ways to significantly cut video production costs by outsourcing it, which can lead to increased revenue for the editorial team.

Membrana Media’s experience working with partners in 12 global markets has helped pinpoint exactly how to transform content monetization using video. This strategy can be broken down into four key elements:

1. Setting the right expectations – It’s crucial to let users know a video is waiting for them. Clicks on articles increase by 3-5 times when users are informed that there’s a video to watch.
2. Proper placement of the video player – Putting videos where users focus most (like replacing the typical photo under the headline) prompts more clicks and boosts revenue. While the video plays, the page visitor will see at least two premium In-Stream video ads.
3. Relevance – Videos that align with the article’s topic create new habits in how users consume content.‍
4. Interactivity and sound – Advertisers love sound because it signals that users are actively watching. Ads with sound (pre-roll or mid-roll) tend to command higher rates.

Step 2: Monetizing Engagement with AdWall

Once you've captured the reader’s attention with a video, you’ve unlocked a new opportunity to monetize their engagement. For instance, you can offer free access to exclusive content in exchange for watching an ad.

This is what we at Membrana Media call AdWall—an alternative (or addition) to the classic paywall model. It’s essentially a new way to generate revenue by offering users a reward for a simple action. It’s subtle yet highly effective compared to traditional paywalls.

Here’s what AdWall brings to the table:

• Higher revenue through high CPM ads—over $10.
• Users don’t feel pressured—they get free access to premium content without needing to share personal info (unlike regwall and paywall).
• Flexibility in adjusting ad frequency and formats.

This is a game-changer for publishers who haven’t embraced the subscription model but want to safeguard against falling ad revenues.

Why Publishers Should Take Note

The benefits for publishers are clear:

• A single solution for content production and monetization.
• User-focused and easy to integrate with existing monetization strategies.
• Revenue growth, thanks to the combined power of video strategy and AdWall. By implementing both on your site, you can expect to see revenue jump by an average of 100%.

This monetization model is the answer to the age-old question: how do you earn more without scaring off users?