Njuz.net is a satirical media outlet from Serbia with a significant reach in the Western Balkans region and Serbian diaspora all over the world.
To strengthen their sustainability, the Njuz net team focused on developing new video formats to boost their YouTube presence and increase Google Ads revenue, while also launching a webshop as an independent income stream. Highly professional and creatively outstanding, their biggest challenge was moving away from the “we are all doing everything” mindset, especially now that they produce four regular video formats, manage a webshop, and write scripts for Serbia’s most popular late-night show, 24 minuta.
The mentoring process was deliberately business-oriented, pushing them to constantly evaluate results and make strategic decisions: What are the numbers? What performs well and what doesn’t? Should underperforming activities be kept for community value or discontinued to sharpen financial focus? Should they pivot entirely, and how can lessons from day-to-day challenges inform the long-term roadmap?
As part of this, the team tested three new content formats, a satirical quiz, an interview series, and Live with Njuz Team. Ultimately, they kept the quiz as a regular feature since it attracted new audiences and sponsors, while maintaining the other two as occasional “specials” that help strengthen their community but don’t add significant revenue.
At the same time, they launched a webshop featuring Njuz merchandise, which quickly proved a success and provided crucial funding for their less profitable but socially important activities, such as their political satire podcast and webcast. With capacity-building support, they also improved their YouTube presence and visibility, and by hiring operational support, they could delegate routine tasks.
Over the past period, Njuz has seen strong revenue growth driven by strategic shifts toward YouTube, podcasts, and social media platforms, while the website has become less relevant and is likely to be phased out or maintained only for basic visibility. The team prioritised formats and channels that generate both audience engagement and financial returns, resulting in measurable impact across revenue, reach, and community growth.
Financially, the results were significant. Monthly YouTube Google Ads revenue increased by 52%, while the newly launched webshop quickly proved successful, providing a valuable independent income stream. Sponsorship income also grew, with two new contracts secured for their new video format, and three existing sponsors extending long-term support for their popular Njuz POPkast. Patreon donations rose by 33%, showing stronger backing from their community.
Audience growth across platforms highlights the success of their new strategy. YouTube subscribers grew by 19%, with unique viewers surging by 69% (from 970,000 to 1.6 million), confirming the attraction of new audiences. TikTok followers increased by 30%, a key breakthrough in engaging Gen Z, while Instagram (+7%) and Facebook (+3%) saw more modest growth, reflecting their lower strategic priority.
In terms of content, Njuz introduced one new permanent video format – a satirical quiz, alongside two occasional specials (interview series and YouTube Live with the team), which are likely to be integrated into upgraded Patreon packages. They also launched their webshop with a diverse range of merchandise (t-shirts, pullovers, cups, stickers, bags, notebooks, and thermos bottles), further diversifying their offering and strengthening their connection with their audience.
