Most Engaging Stories and Ads, 2019 — 1

In partnership with ASEE, Bulletin Media has been publishing First Bell for 12 years and counting. Every morning, our team uncovers the most important news impacting engineers in higher education.

Without our trusted advertisers, the briefing that informs more than 36,000 engineering educators wouldn’t be possi-ble, so we’re highlighting last year’s top performing advertis-ers and sharing our tips and takeaways to say “thank you” to everyone who supported the briefing in 2019.

Most Engaging Stories and AdsOur most-clicked content and Top 25 ads in ASEE’s First Bell, 2019

Most Engaging Stories and Ads, 2019 — 2

2019 Top Performers(in alphabetical order)

Most Engaging Stories and Ads, 2019 — 3

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

Top Twenty-Five

Most Engaging Stories and Ads, 2019 — 4

13 14

15 16 17

18 19 20

10 11 12

Most Engaging Stories and Ads, 2019 — 5

24 25

21 22 23

Most Engaging Stories and Ads, 2019 — 6

Tips & Takeaways

Narrow your focus on the common denominator. Like last year, many of our top advertisers are competitive engineering programs celebrating faculty achievements and announcing new hires. This strategy is particularly effective because ASEE members enjoy seeing ads that feature leaders in their field, scholars they recognize and hold in high regard, especially when those being acknowledged are presented prestigious awards.

Select content formats that enhance user experience. Ads served in Bulletin Media briefings in the 300x250 format, including similar formats like 336x280 and 300x250, generate 100% more clicks on average when compared to other display ad sizes, e.g., 728x90 and 160x600. Certain formats improve user experience, which in turn improve the response your content generates.

Collaborate with the engineers in your department. Call on the ASEE members in your department to help you develop effective marketing assets and top-notch engineering communications.

Don’t forget our ad design tips from last year. 1) Avoid walls of text and be clear and concise with your messaging. 2) Be distinct with your headline, sub headline, and call-to-action to cre-ate contrast that provides a logical flow for the viewer’s eye. 3) Use real images that your target audience will find relatable. 4) Create a visual indication that your ad is clickable.

Leverage effective media environments. Our readers are actively engaged, and exceptional reader engagement lends itself to exceptional ad visibility. If you’re keen on high open rates, we recommend running ads in our special weekend editions, like our annual End of Year Editions and Conference Editions (see next page). Pairing useful ads with proven content makes for a powerful combination, but beware, these special editions sell out fast!

The best ads do more than promote, they add value. Below are some best practices for advertising in ASEE’s First Bell, inspired by last year’s most-clicked ads.

When developing ads, remember to make thoughtful choices that will resonate with your target audience. If you follow these tips and takeaways, you could be featured in next year’s Top Twenty-Five!

Most Engaging Stories and Ads, 2019 — 7

2019 Most Engaging StoriesOur End of Year briefings feature the stories with the most reader engagement by looking back at the year’s most popular news articles in First Bell. Beginning in mid-November, we published a series of special editions that highlighted 2019’s most engaging content across five areas of inter-est to ASEE members: Higher Education, Diversity and Inclusion, Space and Aeronautics, Trans-portation, and K-12. Check out our year-end editions below to find out what stories captured the attention of the nation’s most influential engineering educators.

Click below to view each End Of Year edition.

Preparing professionals for the day ahead.

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