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Inside the Hall is now in its 18th season of Indiana basketball coverage. Whether you’ve been here since the start in 2007 or found us along the way, a big thanks to everyone for your loyal readership. We appreciate every one of you. We enjoy reading your comments and applaud your continued passion for IU basketball. The fanbase is what makes this program special. The vibrant community we’ve cultivated continues to make the business viable. We’re in no imminent danger of shutting the doors.
That said, it’s no secret that times are challenging for independent publishers like us. The landscape of online publishing continues to evolve, and several issues are cutting into the sustainability of what independent publishers who provide free content do:
Ad Revenue Challenges: The last few years have seen decreased ad rates in the marketplace. With a majority of our readership now reaching the site via a mobile device, there’s less screen real estate for ads. Other publishers have bombarded mobile devices with fixed video ads that cover up the content you’re trying to read to compensate. We’ve avoided doing that because we value your user experience.
Rise of AI and Google Search Decline: People are now turning to AI chatbots like ChatGPT to search for answers or find information. Google now often surfaces an “AI Overview” section at the top of a search query, meaning fewer users are being fed to sites like ours, leading to less search traffic.
Changes and New Entrants in the Social Media Landscape: Facebook now prioritizes content created by friends or family over news. X has recently deemphasized links off the platform. A younger generation prefers TikTok as a place to search for and consume news and opinion.
To adapt to these challenges, we’ve diversified our revenue pool, including, but not limited to, affiliate marketing programs and sponsorship of this season’s Podcast on the Brink via Visit Bloomington.
That said, we also want to turn to you. If you’ve enjoyed our coverage and want to support us, we humbly ask you to consider making a donation via PayPal. Every contribution – no matter the size or whether it’s recurring or not – directly supports our sustainability. We understand that not everyone is in position to donate and appreciate your continued readership and support regardless.
Thank you for joining us on this journey, one we hope continues for years to come.
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