Financial and Digital Standards Survey - 2025
This confidential survey will be used in aggregate form and presented as financial and digital standards to participating publication members of AAN Publishers.

(Please email todd@aan.org if you would prefer this as a spreadsheet instead of filling out the form.)
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INTRODUCTION
This survey is intended to gather a benchmarking of data for AAN Publishers member publications. Please use current data except for revenue and expense data please report your 2024 numbers. If you have any questions please contact todd@aan.org.
Publication Name *
Contact Name *
Contact Email *
Year Founded *
What is your overall market size (18+ year-old readers)? *
BUSINESS MODEL
Corporate Ownership Structure *
Are you a nonprofit? *
Are you considering changing your business model in 2025 or 2026? *
Total Revenue (Count all revenues related to the AAN Member publication, including special publications, agency-style work, digital client work, etc. If you publish a separate publication with a separate staff -- e.g. parenting, retirement, real estate, city magazine -- then don't count those revenues.) *
Print Circulation *
Print Frequency *
Is your print publication audited? (if applicable)
Clear selection
Percentage of Print Returns (if applicable)
What is your average TOTAL page count for print issues?
What is the average EDITORIAL page percentage in your print issues?
DIGITAL STATS
Website Pageviews per Month *
Website Monthly Unique Users *
Unique Email Addresses (Newsletters) *
Average Open Rate for Newsletters *
Average CTR for Newsletters *
Facebook Followers *
Twitter/X Followers *
Instagram Followers *
Bluesky Followers *
Threads Followers *
TikTok Followers *
Other Significant Followers *
Which Types of Newsletter Do You Send? (select all that apply) *
Required
Percentage of Web Traffic Referral - Direct *
Percentage of Web Traffic Referral - Google *
Percentage of Web Traffic Referral - Social *
Percentage of Web Traffic Referral - Newsletter *
Percentage of Web Traffic Referral - Other Sources *
STAFFING
Number of FTEs - EDITORIAL *
Annual Freelance Budget - Content *
Annual Freelance Budget - Art/Photography *
Do you outsource DESIGN/PRODUCTION *
Number of FTEs - DESIGN/PRODUCTION (Skip if Outsourced) *
Number of FTEs - EVENTS/MARKETING *
Number of FTEs - SALES/REVENUE *
Do you contract with an outside Distribution company? *
Number of FTEs - DISTRIBUTION (Skip if Outsourced)
Cost per delivery location?
Number of FTEs - DIGITAL *
Number of FTEs - GENERAL/ADMIN *
Total FTEs (include part-time/on payroll but not independent contractors) *
TECH STACK
What is your CMS based on? *
What is your Ad Server? *
Who Fulfills Your Digital Services for Clients (SEO, content marketing, programmatic display, OTT, etc)? (Select multiple) *
Required
Newsletter Platform *
Software to Publish Digital Edition *
Best Of Platform *
Event Calendar Software *
REVENUE & EXPENSES
Please report your 2024 revenue and expenses in whole numbers (no dollar signs necessary). 
What is your annual revenue from print? (include primary publication plus associated special issues) *
What is your annual revenue from digital advertising on owned and operated plaforms (excluding newsletters)? *
What is your annual revenue from newsletter advertising? *
What is your annual revenue from digital services? *
What is your annual revenue from social media? *
What is your annual revenue from sponsored/branded content? *
What is your annual revenue from events and promotions? *
What is your annual revenue from reader revenue (membership, subscriptions and/or direct donations)? *
What is your annual revenue from grants? *
What is your annual revenue from merch sales?
What on-demand merch services do you use?
What is your annual revenue from other sources? (Please specify.) *
What is your percentage of profit margin from annual operations? *
Do you have a reader revenue or membership program? *
If yes, what platform do you use for Reader Revenue or Membership?
Clear selection
How many special publications (standalone) do you publish per year? *
Are you offering:
What types events do you produce?
Who produces your events?
Clear selection
Gross Revenue from Events:
Net Profit from Events:
Biggest/Most Profitable Event:
Do you offer a ticketing platform? *
If yes, what platform do you use for ticketing?
Clear selection
What are your annual printing expenses? (include primary publication plus associated special issues) *
What are your annual editorial expenses (include payroll and freelance)? *
What are your annual sales expenses (include sales salaries)? *
What are your annual production expenses (do not include printing, see question above)? *
What are your annual circulation expenses? *
What are your annual distribution expenses? *
What are your annual *in-house* digital/web expenses? *
What are your annual *outside vendor* digital/web expenses? *
What are your annual G&A expenses? *
What are your annual event & marketing expenses? *
MISC OPERATIONS
Sales compensation *
If commission, what percentage or range of percentages do you pay? (Check all that apply)
Who is posting your content (job title)? *
How many stories/posts do you post weekly to your website? *
What percentage of stories are web only?
Clear selection
What is your open rate on Full Page ads? *
What is your open rate on Half Page ads? *
What is your open rate on Quarter Page ads? *
What employee benefits do you offer? *
Required
Do you have office space? *
Did you give raises in the last 12 months?  *
If yes, to raises what percentage on average? *
What percentage of your staff is working remotely? *
What does the future look like? *
Required
Best advice you would give your colleagues:
Questions that we missed?
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