WEEKLY NEWS ROUNDUP
1. Facebook moves to block sharing of news stories in Australia – What’s New in Publishing
Facebook has announced it will ban publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram if a proposal to force tech giants to pay for news becomes law.
“This is not our first choice – it is our last. But it is the only way to protect against an outcome that defies logic and will hurt, not help, the long-term vibrancy of Australia’s news and media sector.”
2. For hard-hitting The Daily Maverick in South Africa, a “Guardian model” is what sells memberships – Digiday
The Daily Maverick doesn’t believe in paywalls, noting the failures of its competitors. Instead it makes all its journalism free to consume but asks readers to support it as they browse. Over the last two years, the company has gained 13,000 paying members, each paying about $4.50 per month.
“What we say with Maverick Insider is ‘help us actually make this possible for people who cannot pay. Be part of something bigger, be part of something really beautiful. It’s an emotional decision.’”
3. Readly intends to list on Nasdaq Stockholm – Press Release
Readly, a European leader within digital subscriptions services for magazines, has announced its intention to launch an initial public offering on Nasdaq Stockholm. The contemplated IPO is expected to consist of both an issue of new shares by Readly aiming to raise primary proceeds for the Company of SEK 450 million.
“Readly’s mission to be the number one magazine hub for curious minds is enabled by our scalable business model and pure-play focus. We will continue to focus on growth in our 11 active markets such as Germany, the United Kingdom and Sweden and expand into new territories.”
4. American company launches a text message news subscription service – Subscription Insider
In six months, the venture capital backed American company has attracted 7,000 subscribers and $400K in annually recurring revenues through its text-based, “clickbait-free”, text message news subscription service
“We initially focused on SMS because text messages have a 98% open rate, as opposed to email which is only 20%, but in the future we plan to develop an ecosystem of news products that offer the first touch of daily news across channels.”
WEEKLY ANALYSIS ROUNDUP
1. How publishers use podcasts to sell subscriptions – What’s New in Publishing
Podcasts are used as a way to entice listeners into a publisher’s wider ecosystem, writes What’s New in Publishing, citing The Economist’s use of the medium both as a subscription driver and as a retention tool.
“As well as helping us attract new subscribers and retain existing ones, podcasts also cover their own cost of production. So it’s a good deal all round”
2. Quartz explains how it nearly doubled subscriber numbers in a year – The Drum
Quartz, a business magazine aimed at young executives, recently breached 21,000 paying members, almost doubling its subscriber base in less than a year. Katie Weber, president of Quartz, explains how the publisher has been growing its paid proposition at an accelerated rate during a pandemic.
We’ve learned that the work of growing a subscription business is incredibly cross-functional, requiring alignment and collaboration between nearly every team at Quartz – from product, analytics and engineering to editorial and marketing
3. How testing drives subscription strategies for the Boston Globe – What’s New in Publishing
Shannon Rose, marketing manager for the Boston Globe tells What’s New in Publishing how her paper has made rigorous A/B testing and data analysis a core feature in their subscription strategy.
At the end of the day, running a subscription campaign has the same exact framework as you’d see for any other performance marketing campaign. You need to examine the full funnel from the user’s first interaction, down through the purchase, and optimize all along that funnel.
4. Facebook’s News Subscription challenges Apple News+, and threatens Flipboard and Google’s coming news product – Forbes
Facebook is testing a feature to link your Facebook account to paid subscriptions at news organizations. It’s a significant challenge to both Apple News+ and Googles pre-announced Google news product. by virtue of keeping users inside Facebook’s walls, writes John Koetsier, tech analyst.
“I’m a long-time Flipboard user, but the app is getting less and less useful as more and more news disappears behind the paywall.”
THE WEEKLY DATA POINT
111 percent
is the stated increase in average number of clicks per article for publishers that are testing Facebook’s new tool that links Facebook accounts with news subscription, allowing users to reach behind the paywall without entering their credentials.
