Smart. Fun. Fast. Fearless. That’s how The Daily Beast does the news. And that’s what sets them apart from online content farms, partisan cheerleaders and the commodity news crowd. Visit their site for a smart, speedy take on the news from around the world.
Why and when was The Daily Beast created?
The Daily Beast actually launched about 11 years ago, and it’s been publishing award-winning original reporting and sharp opinion at the intersection of culture and power since then. Over the years, we’ve expanded into other coverage verticals like science, travel, and food and beverage. Today, our cross-platform reach is nearly 30 million users each month.
In 2018, we noticed that our readers were starting to rely on our product recommendations in the same way they trust us to navigate the news. We took that interest and ran with it, launching a dedicated editorial shopping and product recommendations section in September of 2018. We have a small but mighty editorial team that surfaces brands and products that they think will make ours readers’ lives easier and more enjoyable.
In what way does The Daily Beast utilize Affiliate Marketing?
All of the articles published under the Scouted vertical use affiliate links. Our editorial team publishers a variety of types of coverage: sales, product launches, reviews and recommendations, roundups, gift guides, etc. As with so many other premium content publishers in this space, we really see this as a win-win-win opportunity. If our readers are interested in the products written about under Scouted, they win (great new purchase!), the brand wins (sales!), and we win (commission!).
We’re starting to connect this to brand partnerships that focus more on awareness and reach to really give advertisers a full-funnel opportunity across our readership.
What kinds of products and deals resonate with your audience?
We’re just a year in and still learning, but so far some big hits have been footwear, CBD products, bags, activewear, and kitchen goods (everything from Instant Pots to knives). When it comes to apparel and accessories, simple yet polished and versatile styles tend to win. Think Cole Haan, Everlane, Allbirds – and classic brands like Lands’ End, L.L. Bean, Kate Spade.
We’ve seen a lot of interest in tech and skincare products, and will continue to expand coverage in those categories in the coming months.
How does The Daily Beast differentiate itself from competitors in the affiliate space?
Our readership provide a unique opportunity: They tend to fall on in the mature millennial bucket and 45% have a household income of $100k+. As a result, we’ve seen that while price is always part of the equation, product quality and relevance to their lives is most important to our readers. They’re not just scouring the web for deals, they’re relying on us for meaningful recommendations.
Our paid placement opportunities are also pretty unique. Each package includes a strategic mix of a sponsored post (written by our team), homepage exposure, and newsletter integrations – including many of the Daily Beast’s more lifestyle-driven newsletters. And if we need to, we can move really fast to launch these!
Editorially, we try to differentiate ourselves in two main ways: First, we try to focus on the concept of elevated practicality. What are the basic items everyone needs in their life – in their wardrobe, kitchen cabinet, suitcase, etc. – and which brands/products take those items to a different level? And then alongside that, we think focus on the concept of service journalism with a perspective. How can we add value to our readers’ lives with our coverage? This can mean helping them upgrade something in their lives or learn how to do something new, etc.
What are the key factors in determining which programs to join and what do you look for in an advertiser partner?
This is driven by a combination of editorial judgment and data. Does our team think the brand’s products fit the criteria mentioned earlier? Have we seen reader interest in this brand or product category before? We also look at commission rates and have a preferred minimum.
What are benefits for advertisers working with The Daily Beast?
We’re in growth mode, so we’re eager to cover a range of product categories and try new things. Plus, we get to promote Scouted articles on the Daily Beast homepage, which means excellent exposure to an incredibly loyal and dedicated readership on a daily basis. We also believe that the loyal audience we’re writing for is quite unique. Working with the Daily Beast means leveraging the audience trust and relationship we’ve spent over a decade cultivating.
What is the best way that an advertiser can help support their partnership with you?
We’re looking for partners that can help us scale – and in turn help them scale. There are a few key things that go a long way:
- Willingness to test higher commission rate levels
- Using our editorial submission form to surface new/exciting product and brand updates to our editorial team
- Filling in the data gaps, i.e. providing more detailed product level data that might not be available for every transaction on the platform
Why did you join the Awin US Group, and what features do you enjoy?
We joined Awin and ShareASale to expand our access to brands that our editorial team thought our readers would be interested in. We’re still digging into all that the networks have to offer!
Do you have any upcoming promotions, new launches, or exciting news you would like to share?
Q4 means holiday shopping, so we’re absolutely gearing up for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and gift guides. This was our first Prime Day and will be our first Deals Week with a with a full editorial team, so we’re ready to take learnings from the former and really scale up our coverage for the latter. This means increasing publishing volume, homepage distribution, and more.
We’re also rolling out a new set of conversion cards (think: fancy buy buttons) in Q4 that will give us more granular insights around reader behavior and interest across all Scouted coverage. We’re excited to share insights from this deeper level of data with our partners as its available. On top of that, the inclusion of buy buttons in our editorial content will be a much clearer signal to our readers that this is an opportunity to shop. In short, buy buttons on the Daily Beast should mean more traffic to brand sites.
Has there been a pivotal shift or turning point in your affiliate activities within the last 12 months? If so, what was it?
The past year has been about laying the groundwork for our editorial strategy, building a deeper relationship with our readers, and expanding our coverage areas.
Interested in partnering with The Daily Beast? Please contact our publisher management team.
