Digital subscription growth through better mid-funnel tactics
Max Willens, Digiday,Two years ago, The Star Tribune’s digital subscriptions had stagnated. Now, the site is more than halfway to its 100,000 digital subscriber goal. To achieve these gains, the team focused on building a larger pool of potential subscribers by changing what they published and how they cultivate relationships with readers other than their loyalists. The changes range from improved user experience for logged-in readers and a diversified distribution strategy using Facebook and a third-party tool to reach readers beyond their loyalists with new types of high-performing content.
“Over the past year, the newspaper known locally as the Strib has grown its digital subscriber base 30 percent to 55,000; a basic digital sub costs $3.79 per week. It’s gotten there by targeting different kinds of readers on Facebook, giving registered readers a lighter ad experience and increasing its service journalism.”