16 Must-Read Articles of 2016

by Megan Black Second Street

9 Dos and Don’ts of Email Marketing

No matter the size of your media company, email is top-of-mind for everyone. This popular article clearly illustrates 9 tips to follow when designing your emails. From layout and design suggestions to best practices for your pre-header text and from names, you’ll be sure to find some helpful insight here.

9 Dos and Don’ts of Email Marketing

122 Prize Ideas for Every Contest on Your Calendar

One of our top-read articles of the year, this piece provides over 120 prize ideas for all the contests you may run including ideas for basketball, Mother’s Day, and nature & weather-related promotions.

122 Prize Ideas for Every Contest on Your Calendar

13 Quizzes Your Digital Content Teams Will Love

Quizzes can be leverages as audience engagement tools for your news, editorial, and programming departments. This article shows 13 quizzes that can complement digital stories, work as standalone pieces, or even promoting your special sections or special programming. Check out these 13 unique quizzes to inspire your digital content teams.

13 Quizzes Your Digital Content Teams Will Love

Achieving Your Ambitious Revenue and Database Goals

Setting goals and achieving them is tough, but Beth Mann of WKDZ-FM proves time and time again that it can be done. In this article written from the Second Street Summit, Beth shares her story of how her incredibly small market station in Paducah, KY is setting and achieving a digital revenue goal of $500,000.

Achieving Your Ambitious Revenue and Database Goals

KKFN-FM Basketball Bracket Scores $40K, Drives 150+ Leads

KKFN’s basketball bracket was a great story to tell. By working with four unique advertisers – urology center, local media college, tax preparer, and sports bar – the station was able to deliver amazing leads for their sponsors and generate $40,000 in revenue for their station. The case study outlines all aspects of their campaign and provides a ton of inspiration for readers.

KKFN-FM Basketball Bracket Scores $40K, Drives 150+ Leads

63 Perfect Summer Ideas for Hot Advertisers

The summer months present an opportunity to connect with some unique advertisers in your market. In another one of our top-read articles of 2016, we’ll show you seven great summertime advertisers and provide you with tons of contest and quiz ideas to help you secure this hot summertime revenue.

63 Perfect Summer Ideas for Hot Advertisers

7 Important Goals for Media (& How to Surpass Them)

Concerned with database growth, revenue, or improving time on site? This popular article breaks down seven common and important goals for media companies and how you can achieve each one of them.

7 Important Goals for Media (& How to Surpass Them)

10 Emails You Should Send to Improve Your Program

Email should be one of your top priorities heading into 2017. As you look at developing your email program, here are ten emails that you’ll want to be leveraging within your email strategy.

10 Emails You Should Send to Improve Your Program

Multi-Promotion Football Campaign Drives $126K for Paper

The News Tribune’s football campaign wasn’t just a success for the paper, but the case study became one of our top-viewed articles of 2016. In this story, Kate Bare shares her team’s strategy of combining a pick’em, a photo contest, a quiz bundle, and an infographic to provide their sponsors with maximum branding opportunities and generate a whopping $126,000 in revenue for the paper.

Multi-Promotion Football Campaign Drives $126K for Paper

5 Perfect Ideas for Local Auto Dealers

No matter your market, auto dealers are likely one of your top advertising partners. In this article, you’ll find five success stories of promotions and interactive content that can help you secure your next advertising deal with a local auto dealer.

5 Perfect Ideas for Local Auto Dealers

Gold Medal Moments: Second Street Summit Success Stories

Inspired by the 2016 Summer Games, the Second Street Summit gave out gold medals for some big successes from partners. In this article we’ll give you a quick look into six media companies who found big success from a variety of different promotions and interactive content.

Gold Medal Moments: Second Street Summit Success Stories

Halloween Photo Contest Generates 400+ Opt-Ins for Sponsor

People love a good photo contest, and the Second Street Lab agrees. One of our top-viewed articles of 2016, this case study tells the big success story of The Roanoke Times’ Halloween photo contest. Sponsored by local clothing retailers, the contest drove hundreds of opt-ins and generated $3,000 in revenue for the paper.

Halloween Photo Contest Generates 400+ Opt-Ins for Sponsor

How Facebook’s New Branded Content Policies Will Affect You

Facebook is frequently changing its rules and algorithms for connecting with your social media audience. When they enacted new guidelines to their Branded Content policies, many media companies were scrambling to make sure they adhered to the new rules. Is your Facebook Page adhering to the most recent guidelines?

How Facebook’s New Branded Content Policies Will Affect You

241 Ideas to Engage Your Audience

Since it’s release in September, our 241 Ideas to Engage Your Audience playbook has become one of our top-downloads of all time. This book is jam-packed with nearly 250 ideas for building out your promotions and interactive content calendar. When your team sits down to brainstorm ideas for 2017, make sure you bring this playbook to the table.

241 Ideas to Engage Your Audience

Q&A: Federated Media’s Digital Content Strategy

Quizzes present a unique opportunity for more than just your sales department. In this interview, Sam Tongue of Federated Media shares the story behind their digital content team’s dynamic quiz strategy and how they plan to grow over the next year.

Q&A: Federated Media’s Digital Content Strategy

Fantastic Photo Contest Ideas for the Whole Year

We’re rounding out our top 16 with another one of our top-viewed articles. This articles shows you the top ideas for photo contests for every month of the year. Photo contests drive lot of engagement with your audience, generate tons pageviews, and collect tons of data about your users. When you make your 2017 New Year’s resolutions, be sure that “incorporating more photo contests” is on your list.

Fantastic Photo Contest Ideas for the Whole Year

Hopefully you’ve found some inspiration for your team’s New Year’s resolutions. So set your 2017 goals high, invigorate your email strategy, and consider pushing new initiatives to engage your audience more so than ever before.

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