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Disclaimer: Our top picks are based on our editors’ independent research, analysis, and/or hands-on testing. Editorial policy
Digital publishers are in a fight for survival, striving to capture audience share from established rivals while fending off challenges from new entrants. It’s more important than ever before that publishers cultivate their audience relationships if they hope to drive revenue and maximize engagement.
Audience churn is a real problem for publishers, with some research finding that the media and publishing industry’s average customer retention rate is just 25%. Little wonder then that more and more publishers are turning to customer relationship management (CRM) systems to help build and keep their audience.Â
CRM platforms have emerged as powerful tools that enable publishers to streamline their operations, enhance communication and improve customer satisfaction. There are a number of different platforms available on the market, but not all of them are created equal.
Read to find out more about what we think are the top five CRM platforms for online publishers in 2024.Â
Customer relationship management (CRM) is the practice of collecting and interpreting customer data to build personalized marketing or sales campaigns and strengthen relationships between a brand/publisher and its customers/audience.
CRM systems are tools — cloud-based on on-premise — that assist brands in managing their relationships with customers.
When implemented correctly, CRM software collects data from all the company’s marketing channels and business automation tools, such as web analytic tools, social media channels, online form builders, survey tools, etc. Media publishers can later analyze the processed and organized data and use it to launch new campaigns, optimize their site content and more.Â
Digital publishers need CRM systems to effectively manage their relationships with advertisers, subscribers and other stakeholders.
Publishers manage a vast amount of customer data, including subscriptions, ad placements and audience demographics. By using a CRM platform, publishers can effectively track customer behaviors, tailor their content offerings, and create targeted advertising campaigns.Â
It’s no secret that publishers monetize their content in different ways, including:
Whatever the monetization model, an excellent understanding of the target audience is essential to running profitably. Publishing content that appeals to the target audience can be beneficial in encouraging them to pay for a subscription, click on partners’ ads, purchase affiliate products, or engage in any desired action.
Compiling and analyzing audience data without a centralized solution would take a lot of manual effort if publishers didn’t use CRM systems. More specifically, the software allows users to:
In other words, implementing a CRM solution is a way to save time, build lasting relationships with partners, grow the audience without much effort, and, most importantly, boost profits.
When choosing a CRM platform, publishers should consider the following factors:
Please note that because these are not deep-dive reviews, we’ve listed the following platforms alphabetically rather than in order of preference.
Below is our list of the leading CRM solutions for publishers. It should be noted that the solutions have been listed in alphabetical order, not in terms of preference.
Ad Orbit, formerly known as MagHub, is a comprehensive CRM platform designed for magazine publishers that offers a wide range of features to streamline operations and enhance customer engagement.
Launched in 2013, Ad Orbit serves as a global platform for publishers to efficiently manage all aspects of their media enterprises. The cloud-based CRM platform — which is aimed at media enterprises of all sizes — provides customizable workflows that make it easy to effectively manage day-to-day operations.
At the same time, Ad Orbit also offers flexible booking software that allows users to handle various types of ads, channels, brands, sizes, discounts, positions and more. There are integrated project management tools to manage editorial workflows, collaborate with authors, and streamline content production processes. Audience segmentation features, meanwhile, allow publishers to deliver personalized content and targeted advertising campaigns.
Ad Orbit’s intuitive interface and range of industry-specific solutions make it an attractive choice, though the semi-transparent pricing structure leaves something to be desired.
There are three plans — Standard, Professional and Enterprise. Standard costs $72 per user, per month with a minimum of five users and includes basic features such as media sales CRM, sales pipeline, freelancer management and digital media and inventory module.
The Professional and Enterprise packages also come with a five-users minimum and offer features such as magbuilder layouts, automation workflows and a QA sandbox site. Ad Orbit needs to provide a quote for both of these tiers.
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The Magazine Manager, developed by Mirabel Technologies, was among the first web-based CRM systems designed specifically for the publishing industry. It is used by more than 21,000 publications worldwide. The Magazine Manager’s popularity can be attributed to its wide range of features and its deep understanding of the publishing vertical.
The Magazine Manager provides a collaborative platform for managing contacts and callbacks, allowing publishers to store and organize all relevant information about their contacts. The platform also provides flexible template-based contact lists as well as effortless searching, categorizing and organizing of client data, to further simplify the follow-up process
The Magazine Manager also integrates with third-party platforms MailChimp and Campaigner for email marketing. The platform’s integration of publishing production and order data, meanwhile, helps set it apart from other CRM platforms.
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RunMags is both a comprehensive magazine CRM solution and magazine publishing software that, while perhaps not as widely recognized as some other options, still offers high-quality features
Some of the key features of the magazine CRM software include lead management, contact tracking, sales pipeline management, invoicing and email campaigns.
Moreover, the platform offers comprehensive subscription management tools, enabling publishers to handle various subscription models, automate renewal processes and manage subscriber data effectively. The platform also integrates with Stripe to streamline contract management and subscription billing.
RunMags also has management features to help with ad sales processes. For example, publishers can track ad placements, generate sales reports and optimize revenue generation.Â
Publishers can analyze revenue streams, campaigns, sales rep performance and other financial aspects and use dashboards and reports to optimize their business.
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Salesforce is a major player in the CRM industry, offering cloud-based automation software designed for enterprise use. The platform is a popular choice among leading media companies including NBCUniversal, WarnerMedia and The New York Times.
While Salesforce is not specifically tailored for CRM in the magazine publishing sector, it addresses publishing industry-specific challenges through its related product, Media Cloud. Media Cloud streamlines the monetization and growth of media and digital publishing companies by facilitating subscription management, as well as ad and content sales.Â
Some of Salesforce’s features include tools for lead management, ad sales, content distribution, social media engagement, and analytics. Moreover, it also offers a unified view of customer data, enabling publishers to gain valuable insights into their audience and make data-driven decisions.
Also of note is the fact that Salesforce offers advanced audience segmentation capabilities, meaning publishers can deliver personalized content and targeted ads based on customer preferences and behaviors.
For larger magazines or online publications anticipating rapid growth, Salesforce is an ideal choice owing to its comprehensive capabilities consolidated within a user-friendly platform.Â
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Workbooks, another well-established cloud-based CRM platform, also tailors its offerings to the media sector, with features including audience analysis, payment management and event management. The platform is used by Rapid News Group and Global Water Intelligence.Â
The CRM solution offers subscription management capabilities, allowing publishers to handle subscriptions, automate renewal processes and track subscriber metrics. Workbooks also has lead management functionalities, allowing publishers to track leads, nurture customer relationships and convert prospects into subscribers.
There are also intuitive tools for ad campaign tracking, enabling publishers to monitor the performance of their advertising placements and optimize revenue generation.
Online publishers using Workbooks can efficiently handle tasks such as managing invoices, commissions and discounts. Additionally, the platform aids in tracking the sales cycle, from initiating conversations with advertisers to generating informative reports for partners.
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Publishers looking for a simple solution to handle audiences, manage ad space and launch automated campaigns should consider exploring mid-sized publisher-specific platforms that cater to these requirements.Â
However, for a more advanced solution to streamline sales and marketing campaigns, and effectively manage relationships with advertisers throughout the entire process, including generating reports and handling billing, a comprehensive CRM platform is more suitable.Â
The best CRM platform for online publishers depends on specific needs, budgets and scalability requirements. To find the right platform, start by making a list of the required features and setting a monthly budget.
After, consider exploring a few platforms that meet these. Watching product demos and considering the features, pros, and cons of each platform can help in making an informed decision.
In the end of the day, a little due diligence will go a long way towards helping publishers set themselves up for success.
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