Mixing User- and Publisher-Generated Content: Quantifying the Spillover Effect of User-Generated Content in a Hybrid Content Environment.

This article investigates the relationship between user-generated content (UGC) and publisher-generated content (PGC) consumption in hybrid content environments, where publishers rely primarily on PGC traffic for advertising revenue. Using clickstream data from a major European online portal offering editorial (PGC) and three types of UGC—discussion forums, blogs, and user albums—the study models users' within- and between-session browsing behaviors to identify spillover effects of UGC on PGC consumption. The findings reveal that consumption of forum content, characterized by social interaction, positively influences revisit frequency and increases subsequent PGC consumption by 18%, whereas blogs and albums do not generate such positive spillovers and may even reduce PGC traffic. Simulation studies demonstrate that accounting for these differential spillover effects is critical for optimizing publishers' monetization strategies, with the optimal approach involving selective monetization and professional curation of UGC types to maximize advertising profits.