News makes up our everyday lives. This is how we get information that we use to go about our day. Politics, weather, entertainment, and international events: are all found on news websites like CNN, The New York Times, The New York Post, and more. These news sites are not non-profit, however. Just like every other business and company, news websites need to make money.
News companies earn money in all kinds of different ways. There may be some ways where even you can play a part, whether you know it or not. In this article, we’re going to answer how news websites make money.
How do news sites make money? Here are the top 6 ways.
As mentioned, there are different ways for news websites to earn their profits. Here are the most common ways:
- Advertisement Placement
Chances are, whenever you scroll through a news website, there are a lot of banners and pop-up ads that sit beside, above, or below the news article. This is the first way news websites make money. Through advertisement networks like Google Ads, news companies are able to monetize their articles.
News websites can also pick and choose what ads go onto their website. Too many advertisements can negatively affect user experience, so if companies can spare the labor and time, they would choose ads that are relevant to their content.
- Paid or sponsored content
News websites also make money by getting paid by businesses to feature their products or services. The products will usually be featured in articles or even video releases by the news company. Other times, news websites will only be paid to share social media posts and advertisements instead of making original content about the paid products.
You will know whenever a news article or post is sponsored, however, as these companies are required to state if they were paid to promote a particular product.
- Paywalls and Premium Subscriptions
This method of earning money does not require advertisements or promotions from other companies. News websites also make money through paywalls: these are virtual “walls” that prevent users from reading articles or viewing a company’s content without buying a subscription.
These subscriptions usually start cheap for new accounts and members. You can expect to pay around $2 – $8 worth of money every month if you want to subscribe to a particular news site.
Besides accessing existing content on the news website, readers can also get access to premium and exclusive content. These companies get to earn money while keeping loyal readers on their sites at the same time.
Similar to promoting paid content, news websites can also earn commissions and money from affiliate programs. An example of an affiliate program is when a reader gets exclusive rewards from purchasing an offer promoted by the news site. The news site then gets a commission from the company it promoted.
Affiliate programs are a bit less common compared to the previous method we’ve talked about. But, they are a possible way for news companies to make money when promoting different products and services.
- Pay-per-click Advertising
Pay-per-click advertising is much slower and much more specific compared to simply getting random advertisements placed on news sites. This process is where news companies earn depending on how many users click on a particular advertisement. One click on an ad costs differ from company to company, but they would usually range from $0.50 to $2 for each click.
There’s no guarantee that readers of a news site will click on a particular advertisement, especially when it’s not being promoted or written about. It’s up to these media companies to think of ways to make these pay-per-click ads more enticing and appealing to their audience.
- Hosting exclusive events and seminars
News companies can also earn money by creating events such as seminars, workshops, and even performances or concerts for different occasions. For seminars and workshops, news sites can feature their writers to discuss certain topics. These can concern writing about politics, national and international concerns, and journalism as a whole.
News companies can also be a bit more ambitious by hosting exclusive music performances from artists and creatives.
Besides hosting these events themselves, news companies can also earn money by simply participating in them as sponsors or media partners. By providing promotional content, they can continue earning money on a large scale.
What can I do to make money on my news site?
If you’re interested in making money for your own news site or blog site, you have to ensure that you know your audience deeply. Figure out what kinds of interests your demographic has, because you’ll be able to find content, advertisements, and partnerships that will encourage them to buy the products that you place.
If your content and audience lean towards the older spectrum, avoid writing content that references a lot of internet trends. When looking for ways to monetize your content, make sure that it remains in-line with the interests of your audience. This way, you can maintain your success, while also becoming a news site that earns as much as they impact.
