Is there a Large Market for Super Expensive Media Subscriptions?
Simon Owens breaks down the potential of enterprise subscription revenue models such as the Bloomberg Terminal.
A Fresh Publishing Study Argues that Paid Digital Subscriptions are the Only Avenue to Growth
This Poynter article unpacks the latest Zuora report on publishing subscriptions.
The bottom line:
“Subscription volume continues to grow even during the pandemic, but ads (as measured by other sources) are sinking even faster than they were before and will continue to do so...
Hence, ‘publishers who are not using digital subscriptions should start,’ the report recommends.”
Related: Check out How premium, ad-free subscriptions are working in local news
Also Related: Find out why In Reader Revenue Model, It’s All About Who You Know
Daily Memphian is Making News in Memphis
Learn how The Daily Memphian engages 45,000 email newsletter subscribers in this Editor & Publisher video interview. Founder and CEO Eric Barnes explains the strategy behind the digital only non-profit, online-only newspaper.
He explains the art and science of deciding which stories are free vs subscriber only, and how that is evolving.
Related: Peak Newsletter? That Was 80 Years Ago
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Reduces Churn to 1%
How do publishers convert subscribers from print to digital? Print only on Sundays and lend subscribers iPads for the daily digital editions.
That’s what the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette started doing two years ago, and it’s been a successful way to reduce churn, so far. Subscribers can keep the iPad as long as their subscription is active.
The secret? The online layout is the same as a traditional paper. Read more about the pros and cons of e-replica editions here.
Click through to see why the publisher sees it as a sound investment.
Note: I discovered this article via Media Roundup
Also Related: Revisiting the Digiday Plan
Axios Is Growing and Profitable Despite Bleak News Landscape
The Wall Street Journal reports that the digital news startup will be profitable this year, with newsletter sponsorships contributing more than 50% of the company’s total revenue.
TechCrunch, Axios, and everyone else reported the launch of Google News Showcase last week.
The premise is that Google will be paying select publishers to create and curate high-quality content.
From TechCruch:
“It’s not clear how much money individual publishers will make out of this initiative, nor how or if it could be used to drive business models that don’t cut Google in on the action. The latter has been a prime focus for many publishers for the last several years.”
Google News Showcase launches first in Brazil and Germany. Time will tell if the investment pleases publishers who both depend on and resent the tech giant. Some are already voicing concerns over the harm it may do to publishers not chosen to participate (the program began with 200).
See this Axios article for a bulleted breakdown of the current relationship status between the two and how this new twist might play out.
Related: “Without technology content is nothing:” What is a media company nowadays?
Will Facebook’s Improvements Help Subscribers See More News from the Publications They Pay to Enjoy?
Facebook is testing features to reduce the friction of logging into a paywalled publication if you already have a subscription, plus actually show you more from that publication in your feed, but can they really recreate something that feels so 2008?
I hope so.
Also encouraging: Newspapers are shifting how they use the platform. While it still serves to drive website traffic to stories, they’ve figure out that it’s best used to promote digital subscriptions.
Related: Podcast: How are Algorithms Changing Journalism?
Image Credits: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch
The Untapped Potential of Newsletters
What distinctive value can your newsletter offer that will incentivize subscriptions?
Sherwin Chua breaks down research that suggests publishers should be investing in them as promising revenue drivers.
India’s Newsletter Ninjas are Here to Charm your Inbox
The Print’s opinion piece on the rise of newsletters in India digs into a microcosm of a global trend. Writers and publishers hope to avoid the saturation challenges of social media and build a loyal following of readers ready to slow down and... actually read.
From Cape Cod with Love: The Local Newspaper’s Slow & Painful Transition from Print to Digital
If you start intentionally reading articles about the fall of the local newspaper, things start looking a little bleak. Maybe it rattles me more as a J-school grad, but local journalism needs a comeback, and part of that starts with reclaiming profits that should support quality news.
This in-depth essay shares the story of Cape Cod’s local newspaper crisis, which mirrors the struggle many publishers face today: finding a business model that works with both print and digital.
Read the whole thing if you have time, and try not to cringe when you think about this: The magazine that published this article made it free to read, because
“This story is free because it is important and we want you to read it, especially if you think your news should be free.”
