Video: stick at it

This week, I had the educational experience of doing one of our ‘five minutes with...’ sponsored pieces as a video interview.

It was with Simon Elliott of crowdfindervideo and the finished version should see the light of day in early May. I learned a lot from the experience.

The interview addressed the question, ‘how can publishers make money from video?’

These are some of the points I picked up from the session:

Every video needs a hook. Viewers make up their minds in a matter of seconds whether or not to bother watching, so you need to grab their attention immediately.
Don’t forget the packaging! Many an exceptional video has failed to get the views it deserved because it wasn’t packaged properly. Every video needs a searchable headline and a clear and enticing thumbnail.
Poor quality video won’t cut it. You might have a top-notch media brand with a loyal following, but don’t expect them to watch poorly produced video, because... they won’t.
If you’re planning to ‘do video’ then plan to do it properly. Appoint someone who knows what they’re doing, give them the resources they need and develop processes.
Don’t expect instant results. Keep turning up; you've got to give yourself long enough to learn and improve.
Work out your monetisation strategy from the start. Don’t expect YouTube ads to make you anything more than beer money until you get a very large following. Sponsorship is usually the best route.

More top tips to follow, from Simon, when the video is published in May.

In the meantime, best wishes for a restful Easter weekend.

James Evelegh

Editor

THANK YOU TO THIS WEEK’S SPONSOR - ACORN

Efficiency as standard!

Acorn is a specialist printer of periodical magazines producing over 300 titles.

Operating from arguably one of the UK’s lowest cost production facilities, we specialise in A4 & A5 size, multi-pagination magazines, from 5,000 - 100,000 copies.

In Q4 2025 we are enhancing our capabilities with a brand-new cover press investment.

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01924 220633 | www.acornweb.co.uk | @AcornWebOffset

In this week's newsletter ...

Puzzles: 5 minutes with… Lynda Newland by Puzzler Media’s deputy managing director (advertorial)
In the news this week
Opportunities & Threats: Academic Media by BMJ Group’s Anca Babor
Calling all tree huggers by Denmaur’s Danny Doogan (advertorial)
Publishing Services Directory This week: Production Services
Useful links

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Live Webinar from PA Media - Unlock Engagement & Revenue with Puzzles

Puzzles aren’t just for fun — they’re powerful tools for driving engagement, dwell time and digital revenue. Join PA Media’s live webinar on Thursday 15th May to discover how puzzles can support your digital goals.

Led by Peter Stirling, PA Media’s Head of Puzzles, the session explores audience trends, best-performing puzzle formats, and expert tips for creating puzzles that keep users coming back. Plus, get a sneak peek at PA’s new digital puzzles — and try it out for yourself!

Secure your spot here to learn how puzzles can power up your audience strategy and boost subscriptions.

ADVERTORIAL

Puzzles: 5 minutes with… Lynda Newland

People like playing puzzles. Fact. So, explains Puzzle Media’s Lynda Newland, if you incorporate puzzles into your content offering, then you can increase dwell time and retention and as well as other marketing KPIs.

Q: Why are puzzles popular with consumers?

A: There are lots of reasons why people solve puzzles. For many, puzzles present a stimulating challenge that helps sharpen their mental agility. Others play them as a way to relax, offering a temporary escape from the everyday stresses of life as they immerse themselves in solving. Then, there are those who simply enjoy the fun and satisfaction, especially when they’re looking for a boredom-busting activity to fill their time. Puzzles are also an inexpensive hobby that provides hours of entertainment, making them a popular choice for people of all ages.

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Standfirst will help you build the publishing website you always wanted

Standfirst^® Publish is designed for media and publishing companies, offering custom websites and web applications on our platform to help you grow.

Selected features include paywall subscriptions integrated with Stripe for content protection and monetisation. Magazine issues for print and digital formats, for easy management and organisation of your magazine content. Our algorithm keeps readers engaged and on your site with related content suggestions. Web applications can be built for data products to integrate into Standfirst Publish media content.

Every website and organisation differs, so we offer flexible pricing options for journalists, growing publishers, and enterprise.

Find out more

In the news this week ...

Business Insider hires Priscilla Ellington

Business Insider has announced the hire of Priscilla Ellington to lead its new events business, BI Live.

The Independent partners with jazz festival

The Independent has announced its return as the exclusive global news partner of Montreux Jazz Festival 2025.

Pride of Britain Fund announces winners

The Pride of Britain Fund has given £100,000 to local heroes across the nation to mark 25th year.

IPSO statement on editorial practices at the Jewish Chronicle

IPSO has been monitoring concerns about standards at the Jewish Chronicle since 2019, when it identified a significant pattern of upheld complaints at the title.

NUJ responds to union-busting at Dow Jones

The NUJ will explore all options to uphold the collective rights of journalists at Dow Jones after the company abruptly ended recognition talks last week.

Future introduces new homes media brand

Future has introduced a new homes media brand called ROOMS: a home interest dedicated social zine.

Scroll down for more news…

The demands of modern publishing – flexible, cloud-based, and connected

Think you know WoodWing? ’Oh yes…They're great with on-prem solutions for print production, right?’ Short answer: yes, and no!

Today's WoodWing is built for the modern publisher who's serving audiences via a myriad of channels – both print and digital.

Our core solutions – WoodWing Studio for smooth multichannel content collaboration and WoodWing Assets for storage and retrieval – run fully managed by WoodWing in the cloud. Add the ever-growing Integrations Marketplace, and you’ve got a hassle-free system that’s scalable, future-proof, and ready to grow with you.

Discover what modern publishing looks like

PA Media Group appoints Paul Hunt

PA Media Group today announces the appointment of Paul Hunt as managing director of StreamAMG, its sports streaming business.

Digital Media Awards Europe 2025: winners announced

WAN-IFRA has announced the winners of the Digital Media Awards Europe 2025.

The National appoints Manus Cranny

Manus Cranny joins The National as geo-economics editor.

The FT appoints James Fontanella-Khan

The Financial Times has appointed James Fontanella-Khan as US finance editor in New York to lead a newly formed team that brings corporate finance, banking and asset management under one tent.

Daily Mail reaches Instagram milestone

The Daily Mail has announced it has reached a social media milestone with over five million followers across all Instagram accounts.

HELLO launches standalone franchise

HELLO! has announced the launch of HELLO! London - a premium bi-annual field guide to the UK’s capital.

Ryan Uhl promoted

Mail Metro Media has announced the promotion of Ryan Uhl to the newly created role of managing director, revenue strategy and implementation.

Time Out partners with Between the Bridges

Time Out brings Time Out Eat Street to Between the Bridges, the pop up entertainment venue on the South Bank.

Warners Midlands take delivery of new equipment

The latest in a series of investments, Warners Midlands Printers has announced it has taken delivery of new automation equipment for its bindery as it increases the efficiency of its plant.

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Opportunities & Threats: Academic Media

In a rapidly changing sector, it is vital to safeguard research quality and prevent misinformation, says BMJ Group’s Anca Babor.

The academic media landscape is evolving, driven by digital platforms that speed research dissemination but amplify concerns over misinformation. Institutions and publishers must now prioritise digital excellence and peer reviewed content to safeguard academic and scholarly research integrity.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) offers great potential to enhance research workflows and expand accessibility, but it also presents risks, such as misinformation and threats to research integrity. Publishers have the opportunity to integrate AI tools that support credibility and trust into their workflows. The key question is whether to consider AI-assisted research for publication and how to incorporate AI into decision making.

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ADVERTORIAL

Calling all tree huggers

The paper industry is not responsible for mass deforestation, says Denmaur’s Danny Doogan, and it’s important to put the record straight.

For many years, the environmental spotlight has been on print. The take up of FSC and PEFC certification has helped, as have offsetting schemes such as Carbon Balanced Paper, and now we have the ability to provide the carbon emission figures associated with the production and delivery of paper and print.

However, the common misconception that paper is responsible for mass deforestation remains, which means we’ve either been getting the wrong messages out or not completing the story at all. For me, I think it’s the latter.

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This week: Production Services

EKCS

When you need support, our 500+ experienced staff work as your extended team and deliver at any scale, in any format, 24/7.

View listing →

Henderson News and Media

We provide quality news, feature and production services for newspapers, magazines and online platforms.

View listing →

Mediaferry AI

Mediaferry AI is an innovative platform from EKCS, a global leader in creative production solutions. We transform digital ad operations and enhance publisher-advertiser relationships.

View listing →

PA Media

PA Media is the UK’s leading provider of multimedia content and services. At the core of our content offering sits the news agency – consisting of over 400 journalists and editorial staff.

View listing →

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WEBINAR: Subscriber Acquisition Special - Q&A

(2.30-3.30pm (BST), Thursday 22 May 2025) - FREE-TO-ATTEND

Ask the experts!

We have a panel of 8 experts ready to answer your questions about subscriber acquisition.

With ad revenues under pressure, reader revenues, and subscription revenues in particular, are getting increased attention from publishers.

Finding new prospects, building a relationship with them and creating a frictionless customer journey to ultimately convert them into paid subscribers is the goal.

In InPublishing’s subscriber acquisition special, subs experts – both publisher and supplier – shared their thoughts on best practice and successful strategies and this webinar is your opportunity to put your questions to the them.

We recommend you have a read through the short articles each one wrote for the subscriber acquisition special (which you can read here) as this will help shape your questions.

Useful links

Links

Get our Publishing Partners Guide (free download)

Register

Submissions

Advertise with InPublishing

Contact our sales director, Martin Maynard

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That's all for this week ...

Thanks for reading. We'll be back in your inbox next Thursday morning.

James Evelegh

Editor