Before programmatic advertising, BroBible found a ceiling on direct ad sales. They built a highly profitable events business, hosting concerts and selling high-value sponsorships to major brands. This became their number one revenue source for two years, demonstrating a creative monetization strategy beyond simple ad inventory.

Big Cabal Media extends its most popular editorial columns, like the personal finance series "Naira Life," into new formats including books, events, and films. This strategy leverages existing audience affinity to de-risk new ventures, create diverse revenue streams, and build brand prestige beyond traditional digital publishing.

To remain sustainable, the local media outlet combines direct ad sales, branded content, merchandise (coupon passports), and a Patreon membership. This multi-pronged approach provides stability and avoids over-reliance on a single, often volatile, revenue stream like programmatic advertising.

Instead of shouldering the full financial and promotional burden of a first-time event, partner with other companies. By splitting costs and co-promoting to a shared target audience, you significantly lower risk and can test the marketing channel more affordably.

Sprout Social amplifies its event presence by sponsoring community-led micro-events and dinners co-hosted with creators during major conferences like INBOUND. This strategy leverages the creator's audience to attract a curated group, piggybacking on existing industry buzz for greater impact.

Social Media Examiner is launching its first AI conference by including it free with tickets to its established Social Media Marketing World event. This strategy leverages an existing audience to launch a new brand, while a lower-priced standalone ticket creates a new entry point for AI-focused attendees.

Big Cabal Media repurposes content from its paid conferences, like "Naira Life," into free YouTube masterclasses and podcast series. This strategy creates a virtuous cycle: the high-quality content attracts new subscribers and builds brand authority, which in turn drives ticket sales for future events from an engaged, pre-warmed audience.

Launch a premium event with minimal financial risk, even without a large audience. First, set a date and find a location. Then, use DMs to get soft commitments from a few ideal attendees. This validation covers initial costs before you officially book the venue or launch publicly.

Instead of charging tourism boards for sponsored content, Jefferson Graham asks them to cover his largest production costs: flights and hotels. This makes the partnership a lower-risk proposition for the tourism board and enables him to produce content that can then be monetized through other channels like sponsorships and licensing.