Publishers Sell Subscriptions To Smaller Audiences Ahead Of Midterms
Publishers are gearing up to turn US midterm election interest into paying subscribers, with some seeing a surge in new subscriptions. The midterms are a key test for building direct reader relationships.
Original reporting · digiday.com
Original: “Media Briefing: Publishers are selling more subscriptions to smaller audiences. The midterms are the next test.”
Read “Media Briefing: Publishers are selling more subscriptions to smaller audiences. The…” at Digiday →
How this was written. Gosling Marketing Studio wrote this article with a language model from Digiday’s reporting (model: @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast); it describes that reporting rather than adding to it. The original, linked above, is the full story.
Key points from Digiday’s report
- Publishers are preparing to capitalize on the US midterm elections to gain paying subscribers.
- The typical publisher worldwide reaches a fifth fewer people a month than in 2019, but sells 50% to 85% more subscriptions a quarter.
- Strong news brands remain best positioned to attract subscribers during major news events.
Publishers are preparing to capitalize on the upcoming US midterm elections to gain paying subscribers, according to Digiday. The elections offer a chance to convert casual readers into lasting subscriber relationships, which can drive direct reader revenue.
With the midterms a week away, publishers are mapping out their approach to attract and retain subscribers. The typical publisher worldwide now reaches a fifth fewer people a month than in 2019, but sells 50% to 85% more subscriptions a quarter to that smaller audience.
Declining referral traffic from social media and search engines has raised the stakes for converting election audiences into subscribers. However, strong news brands remain best positioned to attract subscribers during major news events.
Reuters, for example, saw a 50% rise in new subscriptions on Monday, primarily in the US and around coverage of the Brazil election. The company is bolstering its coverage with a US newsroom expansion and content partnerships ahead of the midterms.
The New York Times is taking a different approach, making its midterm election coverage free in The Times app with no paywall until the results are clear. Politico, on the other hand, is rolling out a unified mobile app globally, bringing its free and subscriber-only coverage together in one place.
Other publishers, such as The Hill and CNN, are testing what works and what doesn’t when it comes to converting election interest into paying subscribers. The real test will come after election night, when publishers will need to find ways to retain readers who came for the midterms.
Questions and answers
What is the goal of publishers ahead of the midterms?
The goal is to convert casual readers into lasting subscriber relationships, which can drive direct reader revenue.
How are publishers approaching the midterms?
Publishers are mapping out their approach to attract and retain subscribers, with some offering free coverage and others rolling out new apps and content partnerships.
What happens after election night?
The real test will come after election night, when publishers will need to find ways to retain readers who came for the midterms.
