#133 — The year of the subscription (again)


Newsflash, it is the year of the subscription. Wait, wasn't that last year too? Either way, that's what everyone is talking about this week after Reuter's published their latest report. Plus: Find out how to get 10k subscribers in a month, how to use exclusive stories to drive growth and the answer to a burning question: do email subscription pop-ups actually work?

💯 Top picks

[Podcast] Growing a newsletter to 100k+ subscribers with Codie Sanchez

Wanna know how to go from 0 to 10k subscribers in 30 days? Newsletter Crew chat with Codie, a successful newsletter creator, about growing Contrarian Thinking to 100k subscribers.

💸 Business models

2021 is the year of subscriptions

But also: publishers need to further diversify revenue streams. Read this roundup of the latest Reuter's report from Twipe. Here's another summary of the same report from WNIP.

Are free subscription trials more effective than paid ones?

"Der Spiegel’s experience suggests freebies are less effective"

Having an email marketing list is better than any social media

"Most entrepreneurs neglect their email marketing strategies. Here's why that's a mistake" 🤔 We're not sure if that's still true — but this article makes a point about having an email list you own vs relying on social platforms.

How NorthJersey.com used subscriber-exclusive stories to drive digital subscriptions

"Here’s an idea to steal and adapt: Prioritize digital subscribers over page views, and provide subscriber-only stories on topics that are vital and unique to your community."

✍️ Modern journalism

Re-imagining what it means to build a direct relationship with an audience

Serial media entrepreneur Lakshmi Chaudhry is testing a space for constructive and empathetic journalism in the middle of a pandemic.

Google launch open fund for debunking vaccine misinformation

"The global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is exacerbating a perennial problem of misinformation about immunization. To support additional debunking efforts, the Google News Initiative is launching a COVID-19 Vaccine Counter-Misinformation Open Fund worth up to $3 million."

💻 Technology

Flip subscriptions you no longer use

A new launch on Product Hunt that caught our eye — Flipp allows you to sell pre-owned subscriptions you no longer use, which can be bought on www.unloved.xyz/.

Do email subscription pop-ups actually work?

"Why do organizations still utilize pop-ups when clearly anyone you ask hates them?"

Facebook: Prioritising original news reporting

"Update on January 12, 2021 at 10:00AM PT: News articles that do not contain new original reporting or analysis will now receive less distribution in News Feed. The more extensive original reporting an article contains, the more distribution it will receive in News Feed."

🤷 WTF?

Wikipedia is 20, and its reputation has never been higher

"The crowdsourced encyclopedia is a welcome oddity on the modern internet."


On this page Introduction

Get trends & tips delivered to you.

A weekly roundup of emerging trends, products and ideas in the creator economy, trusted by 50,000+ readers.

No spam. No jibberjabber. Unsubscribe any time.
Create your brand: Launching a publication Start publishing: Creating content that works Grow an audience: Finding your true fans Build a business: Earning revenue from your work