Is It Time For Big Publishing To Think Smaller?

The publishing climate is changing. What does this mean for traditional publishing, technology, and the future?

• No secret here, trust is crucial for building relationships with readers. Faisal Kalim offers strategies for publishers here.
• Is our current model of journalism healthy and sustainable? The World Economic Forum thinks independent creators and engaged communities are the future.
• Axios is expanding. Sara Guaglione explains how Axios is creating local news-focused newsletters across the country (Digiday).
• Publishers vs. Big Tech? Sadie Hale is offering 4 strategies for navigating the relationship in this FIPP article.
• Google’s made changes (again). Here’s what Steve Wilson-Beales with Journalism.co.uk thinks you need to know.

Issue 50 • Oct 7th 2021 •

The Publishing Industry’s Push For Subscribers

This week’s publishing insights reveal a theme: publishers are prioritizing subscriptions over traditional revenue streams. Take a look at how it’s going and the impact on journalism.

• This Digiday article by Sara Guaglione breaks down what we know: newsletters are helping publishers increase subscriptions.
• One Asian business site published one story a day and gained 30,000 subscribers. Read Laura Oliver’s story about it here.
• The future is here. Robot journalism is driving subscriptions, according to Faisal Kalim for What’s New in Publishing.
• Could “Debranding” be the key for publishers who want to prioritize subscriptions over ad revenue? Laura Hazard Owen with Nieman lab thinks so.
• The Fix explains just what kind of role Facebook and Google are playing for newsletters and spoiler it’s not all positive.
• Where do you get your news? Joshua Benton looks at the relationship between Facebook, users, and journalism in this Niemanlab article.

Issue 49 • Sep 30th 2021 •

Publishing News From Around The World

This week's Publishing is a roundup of articles from across the publishing world.

• The worker-owned Defector, at a year old, has over 40,000 paying subscribers and $3.2M in revenue.
• Twitter rolls out some updates that publishers should be aware of.
• The Washing Post launches The 7, a new short-read newsletter that that can be consumed through multiple platforms.
• Small publishers have a longer runway to digital, but they still need to take off.
• European publishers make paid podcasts work. Examples from France, Germany, UK, Sweden and Poland.

Issue 48 • Sep 23rd 2021 •

What Does It Take To Achieve Success As A Publisher?

What is the secret to publishing success? This week’s publishing insights look at success in terms of: starting on the right foot, maintaining readers and subscribers, and companies who have paved the way.

• Austin Rief, co-founder of Morning Brew, is sharing how he built up his newsletter to 3.5m readers.
• Just how did Politico get to the place where it’s being sold for $1 billion? This article is identifying the smart moves they made.
• Looking to add to your reading list? Here are 19 newsletters every journalist should read.
• At the recent Digital Media Asia conference, 3 publishers discussed how they increased subscriptions using the audience funnel.
• One good thing the last year brought was new subscription revenue, but how are publishers planning on keeping those readers? Take a look.
• Local newsletters are on the rise, and David Ramos explains just how to start one in 6 well-thought-out steps. Should you be concerned an independent creator or media group will start one in your town, or do you have the market cornered?

Issue 47 • Sep 9th 2021 •

How Can Publishers Retain Subscribers In A Constantly Changing Landscape?

Over the past year, publishers have identified, utilized, and maximized the power of newsletter subscribers. However, gaining a subscriber doesn’t mean you’ll keep them. Take a look at some possible tactics and solutions in this week’s publishing insights.

• Once you get subscribers, how do you keep them? Jeff Sonderman and Gwen Vargo with the American Press Institute surveyed publishers and came up with 9 strategies for subscriber retention that might work for you, too.
• Speaking of retention, in this Influencive article, Bruno (no, I can’t figure out his last name) takes a look at how publishers are expanding their newsletters in an effort to both gain and retain subscribers.
• Upcoming cookie changes have brands and agencies in a frenzy, but Max Willens has found that publishers just don’t seem to be worried. Find out why in this Digiday article (fair warning: you must be a member for full access).
• There’s no denying that COVID has impacted subscriptions. In the latest Media Voices podcast episode, Bauer UK CEO Chris Duncan shares his story of building subscriptions through crisis.
• Sara Guaglione reports for Digiday about the Atlantic’s growing subscriber base (up nearly 50% in the last year) and the challenge of keeping momentum growing as traffic declines.

Issue 46 • Sep 3rd 2021 •

Subscriptions Are Here To Stay, But What Does That Mean For Publishers?

This week’s publishing insights touch on everything from credibility to sustainable growth strategies. Take a look:

• Pew Research Center’s State of News Media offers important insights including the fact that a mere 7% of newspapers aren't sending email newsletters.
• Media companies are looking at newsletters as a means of getting paid subscriptions. Turns out email is beating out social media, SEO, direct, and more. A Media Operator breaks it down.
• If there’s anything the last couple of years has shown us, it’s that credibility matters. What’s New in Publishing examines how publisher credibility creates economic value.
• Is there something you’re doing just because you’ve always done it that way? If so, you may want to reconsider that. Consensus: the publishing industry needs to be innovative and adaptive if it’s going to reach people.
• In this Politico article, Jack Shafer explains what he calls “the paradox of subscriber journalism,” aka it creates more money and fewer readers.
• Matt Lindsay and Abi Spooner recently sat down to discuss creating customer-centric revenue models. Watch the conversation or read the transcript to gain insights into pricing strategy and sustainable growth.

Issue 45 • Aug 26th 2021 •

Newsrooms Keep Tapping Into The Power Of Newsletters

Internet algorithms, financing, and consumer behaviors are all changing and impacting traditional newsrooms. Newsletters play their role in keeping up with the changes. Check out this week’s publishing insights:

• Quartz, a global business news publisher, is clearly doing something right. Listen to Editor in Chief Katherine Bell explain how they’ve converted 3 quarters of their members into paying subscribers and plan on expanding membership to include 4 exclusive newsletters.
• Media has a financing problem, but Jakub Parusinski may know a solution: increased monthly recurring revenue through newsletters and subscriptions.
• Just how smart is the internet algorithm really? More people than ever before are consuming news through non-traditional media (read: social media). According to this Marketing Dive article, newsrooms have no choice but to adapt.
• What if you don’t have to “do more with less”? What if you could “do less with less” for a greater impact? Four newsrooms are sharing how to stop doing work that underperforms.

Issue 44 • Aug 19th 2021 •

Putting The Newsletter In News

There’s so much newsletter-related (and newsletter-adjacent) news this week for publishers, I had to condense it into a bulleted list.

• Is print actually dying? USA Today is shifting to a digital subscription model in what could be the end of an era. This article breaks down the why, how, and paywall future of news.
• Axios reports that The New York Times is doubling down on newsletters with at least 18 news and existing newsletters available only to subscribers starting August 16.
• Quartz refocuses subscription program on email newsletters—they now have 11—, citing email newsletters as the first step in getting someone to convert to a paid subscription. They liken the approach to "a very modern take on a weekly magazine."
• Turns out publishers are using newsletters to grow their number of paying members (shocking, I know). This article lists 9 ways news publishers are using email, including things like extra content for paid subscribers, free newsletters with links to paywalled articles, email as a service, and more. It’s worth a read.
• Ryan Sneddon is “building a hyperlocal newsletter empire one city at a time” and is sharing how it’s done with Nathan Barry. He discusses motivation, interacting with your audience, assessing growth, and more newsletter tips you’ll appreciate.
• Turns out people-centered still matters. Documented, a non-profit news site, used a “community-oriented approach” to grow their audience, improve site analytics, drive new visits, and create more content using a circular strategy. Check it out.
• This Digiday research doesn’t bode well for Twitter. Twitter may be one of the most widely used social platforms, but it drives the fewest results for media companies.

Issue 43 • Aug 12th 2021 •

A Look Back At 2020: The State Of The News Media Industry

Pew Research Center recently released 6 key takeaways about the state of the news media industry in 2020. They’re mostly about advertising, subscription, and audience growth.

Two somewhat significant findings:

• For the first time, newspapers made more money from circulation than from advertising
• Total advertising revenue—beyond just news—is now mostly digital

Something to think about as you strategize.

Discovered via American Press Institute.

Related: Speaking of the digital world, last year local news outlets boosted digital subscriptions by about 50%. Discovered via American Press Institute.

Also Related: What does the future of publishing look like in cookie-less, privacy-focused digital world? This article breaks it down.

Issue 42 • Aug 5th 2021 •

Digital Ad Fraud Keeps Growing

This article shares an update on the state of digital ad fraud. Kevin Rehberg includes these 4 points publishers should know:

1. As digital ad spend grows, so does fraud
2. Everyone is affected by fraud, including publishers
3. Publishers can stand out as quality media
4. It takes more than one solution to address the problem

Discovered via Editor and Publisher.

Issue 41 • Jul 29th 2021 •