LMA is excited to welcome Revcontent as a new R&D partner. You can learn more about Revcontent, predictions for the local media industry in 2021 and more in this Q&A with Revcontent’s CEO Richard Marques.

Please set the stage for native advertising in the local media space. Provide any data, research, etc your company has done in this space.

For local media companies, content recommendation is a unique way to generate powerful revenue while using less page real estate. During a time where users are turning to local media more than ever, it’s critical that publishers have stable, consistent cash flow and programmatic ad tech partners who don’t drag down page speed.

In our exclusive partnership with Nexstar Digital, we’re able to work with them across hundreds of unique domains to engage audiences and drive incremental, brand-safe revenue.

Their SVP of Digital Revenue and Operations, Lori Tavoularis, said to Media Post, “We had a conservative approach to monetization. We gained confidence very quickly, with the product, team and customer service” at Revcontent. Ad quality is always a concern for premium publishers. This partnership [with Revcontent] takes up the least amount of real estate, has the best monetization and the best user experience.”

Please describe what makes Revcontent unique.

Revcontent is a leading content marketing and native advertising platform that leverages lightweight, customizable technology to empower the web’s leading publishers and marketers to reach and exceed their revenue, engagement, and growth goals.

What makes us unique is our dedication to partners – we offer launch and onboarding support, white-glove account management, and features like quarterly business reviews, dedicated Slack channels, and proactive offerings for new revenue streams. We strive to set the standard for account management and powerful technology in our industry, and our team has done a stellar job in implementing dynamic optimizations to exceed performance goals.

How does Revcontent help a local media company? What problem do you solve?

Local journalism is the backbone of communities across the globe, and we’re always proud to champion the editorial teams working hard to provide the most accurate, real-time reporting.

Especially as cookies depreciate and privacy regulations tighten, local media faces the challenge of creating sustainable, viable revenue via advertising. Our network is 90%+ direct demand, so we’re well-positioned to continue business as usual as third-party tracking declines. First-party data belongs to local publishers and doesn’t rely on cookies to drive performance.

Also, as slow ad tech drags down page speed, causing decreased organic search rankings, ad impression losses, and ultimately, less much-needed dollars for journalism, Revcontent’s lighter widgets load ~60% faster than competitors. Local publishers experience a lightning-fast page load speed, creating a seamless user experience and proactively protecting against Google algorithm changes and updates.

Last, when it comes to contract flexibility, we’re proud to be the only publisher-first monetization solution, offering faster payment terms, favorable revenue shares, prepayments, and guarantees to local media companies.

How did COVID change your business?

For both publishers and advertisers, it felt like a volatile time where a lot of the tried-and-trusted platforms and strategies fell apart overnight. While most ad tech companies saw a drastic drop in CPMs as advertisers pulled back spend, we were able to increase Tier 1 CPMs’ by ~33% during Q1 2020. Revcontent’s network is made up of 90%+ first-party demand, so revenue for publishers stayed consistent and predictable throughout the year.

For the team internally, it was a fairly seamless transition to an entirely remote workforce. Moving forward, we have recognized that it’s maybe not the most productive strategy to have all employees in the office at one time, so as we look to return, it will be a more staggered, “boutique hotel”  style approach to working in person.

Do you have one piece of advice you share with your clients you could share with us?

Never stop testing. It’s imperative for long-term success to continually work with the best ad tech partners, so if a current vendor isn’t performing, split test the entire space and find better revenue and terms in your favor.

Richard Marques is the Chief Executive Officer of leading content marketing and native advertising platform, Revcontent. Richard has helped lead the company’s growth and strategy since its founding in 2013. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Marques served as both CMO and COO.  

Revcontent is a leading content marketing and native advertising platform that leverages lightweight, customizable technology to empower the web’s leading publishers and marketers to reach and exceed their revenue, engagement, and growth goals. Revcontent has been featured in industry-leading publications such as TechCrunch, Business Insider, Forbes, Digiday, and AdExchanger, and Revcontent’s CEO is Richard Marques. Learn more at revcontent.com.