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The business publisher The Wall Street Journal launched its affiliate commerce arm, Buy Side, last June, in a bid to parlay its recommendation authority and affluent readership into a new source of revenue.
One year later, despite a broader pullback in consumer spending, the division has found its commercial footing, refined its audience strategy and introduced a series of new initiatives, according to head of business development and marketing Emily Welsh.
In conversation with community editor Luz Corona during Adweek’s Commerceweek event in Manhattan, Welsh detailed a number of insights the division has gleaned from its first year of operation.
“Getting into this space and finding a new way to diversify our revenue stream were no-brainers,” Welsh said, “but we had to make sure that we created a product that readers could trust, especially because we are a part of The Journal. So far, I think we have been able to accomplish that.”
Although nascent, Buy Side has already provided its parent company Dow Jones with a promising new source of revenue, as well as valuable consumer data that it has used to inform its advertising products.
The early traction comes as the affiliate marketing ecosystem more broadly prepares to navigate the potentially disruptive effects of generative artificial intelligence, which threatens to throttle search traffic, as well as the increasing saturation of the affiliate landscape.
Relatable personal finance content is a sweet spot
In its first year of operation, Buy Side has seen its lifestyle writing generate a significant audience, but personal finance content has, unsurprisingly, attracted its greatest readership, said Welsh.
The most-read financial articles from Buy Side have addressed the subject of savings accounts, specifically high-yield savings accounts, although Welsh wouldn’t share specific readership figures. Content exploring certificates of deposit (CDs) also performs well for the publisher.
Although The Wall Street Journal has a reputation for providing aspirational content, relatable personal finance reporting has really moved the needle for Buy Side, Welsh told Adweek.
In particular, the most engaged-with article of its first year, Babies Are Expensive—This Amazon Credit Card Helps Me Ease the Sting—reflects how the division has paired an approachable tone and subject matter with an informed financial recommendation.