Innovation: Paying For Web Content To Survive

In the beginning was the internet, it thrives on free web content and by that transformed the world of journalism. But that era might be receding into the past as companies find ways to monetize.

Web content providers are fighting to make money from news, blogs, movies, music and others. But netizens have insisted that web content has to be free. That information wants to be free. That notwithstanding, Web content providers have to evolve ways to monetize content.

We have to recognize that the era of free internet was created by techies who couldn’t identify content or their monetary value or monetize same. Monetizing content is a huge media ambition that demands a whole new business model anchored on monetization. Era of depending on Google placed ads has to shift. The era of sponsoring or advertising against online articles and videos has to evolve into one with a business model that enables payment for customized content about their businesses, their products and services.

We think building content ideas around products/services is a deft move in bringing in home the cheese. While content providers must begin to look forward to selling subscriptions for content. Sponsorship deals will be highly welcome into this strategy.

But we should demand much from our creative abilities, as we have to make sponsored content interesting enough that it becomes interactive. We are moving deeper into the era of web shows with their storylines featuring companies’ products and services. For us in sub Saharan, taking a cue from this can boost revenue. We expect to see a time when online newspapers put their content behind walls. Time shall tell.