Case Study: SLT

The Salt Lake Tribune (SLTrib.com) employs a multifaceted revenue strategy to sustain independent journalism. As part of an ongoing effort to optimize revenue generation, we are currently testing different ad placements and donation ask lengths while maintaining our established subscription model.

Ads Within Articles

Advertising remains a significant revenue stream for The Salt Lake Tribune. We utilize various types of ads, including:

• Display Ads: Banner and inline ads placed within articles.

• "Sticky" Ads: Highly visible ads that stick to the bottom or top of a viewport

• Video Ads: Autoplay or click-to-play videos embedded in articles.

Current Testing

To enhance user experience and maximize ad revenue, we are testing different placements within article pages:

• Above the fold vs. mid-article vs. end of article placements

• Frequency of ads per article

• Ad density in relation to content readability

Early observations suggest that mid-article placements tend to have higher engagement, but further analysis is required to determine the ideal balance between revenue generation and user experience.

Donation Asks

As a nonprofit newsroom, reader contributions are a crucial part of our financial model. To refine our donation strategy, we are experimenting with:

• Shorter vs. longer donation messaging

• Placement variations: at the top, within the article, or at the bottom

• Different wording and calls to action

Current Testing

Our focus is on understanding which donation ask format leads to higher engagement and conversion rates. Initial insights indicate that concise, direct asks with a compelling call to action perform better, but further testing is ongoing. We are currently testing longer versus shorts asks to see what performs better.