Niche Media

For decades, publishers lived by one sacred rule: editorial and sales don’t mix. The so-called “church and state” divide was meant to protect integrity and keep advertisers out of the newsroom. But that wall — once seen as the foundation of journalistic credibility — now looks more like an obstacle. Today’s best niche media companies are proving that collaboration between editorial and sales doesn’t erode trust. It strengthens it. The future isn’t about separation. It’s about alignment. *NOTE: This is from today's Niche Fix newsletter, where we share insights from experts and professionals in the niche publishing industry. Read the full article with link in comments 👇

🌟 Sponsor Highlight 🌟 January Spring is a B2B digital marketing agency that works with niche publishers to grow their membership, event attendance, and subscribers using a proven combination of targeted, programmatic display, social media and search. They act as the back-office marketing technology and service provider for our publishers. As a natural extension of publisher partnerships, they offer best-of-breed digital products for their advertisers – 100% margins, no minimums or set-up fees.

Effectively selling over Zoom is now a crucial skill for any salesperson. That’s the topic of this week’s Sunday Sales Tip with Ryan Dohrn .

Your niche media growth starts here. Join us in Orlando for the Niche Media Conference, April 8–10, 2026! Save your seat: https://lnkd.in/gxsU7s2y #NicheMediaConference

Ad sales in 2025 isn’t about sliding a rate card across the table. It’s about listening harder, packaging smarter, and proving value. We sat down with four top niche media sellers who shared how they’re closing deals: “You have to have a strong brand before people are willing to investigate your product.” — Jennifer Watson Laws, HW Media “I don’t go in telling them what they need—I ask.” — Paul Hoefer Spotlight Media “I like to sell packages. A little print, some sponsored stories, maybe a digital guide.” — Julie Miller, M.A., US Military Publishing “Even if you’ve been doing business with a client for 10 years, you don’t know what their goals are next year.” — Nancy O'Brien, AIN Media Group Their playbook is simple: build brand, listen first, back it up with data, and make human connections. Full story in the latest Niche Fix. Read it in comments 👇

The most fun, smart and tactical webinar I've *ever* done will be on October 29th. My promise to publishers: You and your ad sales team will be LIT UP after this. Link down below. Whether you're a Broadstreet customer or not. Kenny McFly. Skateboard. Possibly the Long Live Local News Flag. 1.21 gigawatts of energy. And the highest quality content around.

🌟 Sponsor Highlight 🌟 Meet MediaOS — the all-in-one platform powering modern media businesses. From publishers and creators to event organizers, MediaOS streamlines ad sales, production, accounting, reporting, and more, helping teams grow revenue and work smarter. With a powerful new customer data platform and integrated fulfillment + circulation services through SFG, MediaOS now delivers full-service solutions for B2B and B2C publishers, associations, and membership organizations.

How are you maximizing your sales retention and customer service? That’s the topic of this week’s Sunday Sales Tip with Ryan Dohrn.

Ah, the paywall. The supposed silver bullet of publishing. Put one on your site, sit back, and wait for the subscription money to flow, right? (NOTE: this is from today's edition of the Niche Fix newsletter, where we share insights from experts and professionals in the niche publishing industry. Subscribe with link below.) Not exactly. For every New York Times success story, there are plenty of publishers who end up with little more than frustrated readers and an empty revenue column. So why do most paywalls flop? Read more: https://lnkd.in/gmHDw2Nw

🌟 Sponsor Highlight 🌟 We’re excited to spotlight AdCellerant, a digital advertising and technology company on a mission to make high-quality digital marketing accessible to every business. Through their proprietary platform Ui.Marketing, AdCellerant partners with local marketers, media companies, agencies, and channel sales organizations to deliver powerful, effective advertising solutions. Thanks to AdCellerant for supporting the niche media community!