Turbo-charging City AM’s development of a digital proposition, 200% YoY audience growth and an industry-first move to prevent users with ad blockers from accessing the website’s content.
Martin moved to City AM, the UK’s foremost free business publication, as Digital and Social Media Director in early 2014 with a remit to move its digital proposition from a website in the low 100,000s of monthly visitors to a dynamic and engaging 24/7 destination site.
During the course of his time there, Martin put together a team of talented content creators, developers, marketers and data experts and implement a lean way of collaborative working – which ensured a 200% YoY growth in monthly users within a year of his appointment.
City AM also opened its doors to external contributors to ensure a wide mix of the highest-quality content from specialists in their areas to ensure the site increased its engagement levels.
From a commercial perspective, Martin oversaw the move to block any users who had installed ad blockers from seeing City AM content online unless they turned off their ad blocker or white-listed the site. This was a first for a UK newspaper website as and attracted widespread industry acclaim – as well as ensuring City AM was able to monetise many more of its users.