💸 Rewarding your readers

Everybody loves a good deal (Nothing beats a Jet2 Holiday!), and your followers are no different. They've taken the time to subscribe to your newsletter, consume your creative work, and tell their loved ones about you, so why not give them what they deserve in freebie form? This week's newsletter is about developing a discount marketing strategy, enticing your audience with incentives, and how to present your promos in an irresistible way. Let's go!

In this week's issue 📨

• Drafting a discount plan
• Grow using incentives
• How to style your offer

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On the table

Some of the most powerful marketing tools you can harness are discounts and special offers, but you can't just slap a sale sticker on your content and expect your subscriber list to grow. When it comes to promotions, you've got to know what your discounts should be, when to use them, and why you're doing it. Otherwise, you may drive away potential paying customers.

Let's examine some proven discount strategies for publishers that benefit both your target audience and your business.

Your goals

• Special offers can be a wonderful idea, but what are you hoping to gain? Usually, discounts aim to turn site visitors into paying subscribers (Conversion) or keep existing ones (Retention). Striking a good balance between the two is a great place to land when it comes to promotional pricing.
• If you're a new publisher with a light audience, need short-term cash flow, or are introducing something new, conversion should be your main focus. Retention should come into play if you want to reduce churn or foster deeper connections with your existing subscriber base.

Your approach

• Clear and thoughtful messaging is crucial when presenting discounts to potential subscribers or existing members. If your discounts feel irrelevant or confusing, they can come off as annoying and harm your brand. Don't be shy about experimenting with different copy and verbiage.
• Discount timing is everything! Utilize national holidays and special events that are relevant to your niche. This way, you can time your offers perfectly and use important dates to help clarify your reasoning. Start with only a few dates a year that are appropriately spaced out so you don't go overboard.

Your offers

• For new or smaller publications, introductory offers are an excellent way to get the ball rolling. Consider early adopter pricing to reward your readers who are the first to invest in your business. This gives them access to paid content now and can lock them into discount pricing for now or forever.
• If your existing subscriber base is starting to shrink, try grabbing their attention with special yearly pricing along with additional benefits that monthly subscribers don't see. This will help increase member happiness and loyalty, and may encourage monthly members to switch to annual.

Your content

• Timely discounts and special offers can work wonders, but nothing is more valuable than quality content. You can offer coupons until the cows come home, but if you don't have the goods (worthwhile content), then promotional pricing won't matter. Your best offer will always be what you're creating.
• If your audience continues to slip even after promotional pricing, take a step back and reevaluate your content strategy. Take a look at what you're creating, what's doing well, what's not doing well, and what your competitors are doing. Consider tools like Google Analytics to get a clearer picture.

Interesting stories & ideas 📚

• Headlines that create effective content – Josh Spector
• Growth ideas that don't rely on keywords – Animalz
• Journalism confronts its mental health crisis – Journalism.co.uk
• The power of your loyal subscribers – Audience Bridge
• Esports are putting creators center stage – Digiday

A small token

Establishing a large newsletter subscriber base takes lots of time and lots of hard work. You may be tempted to speed up the process by purchasing an email list (No!) or adding personal contacts without their consent (Stop!), but having the patience to gain genuine interest from genuine people is what will truly sustain your business. And what can help spark interest? Incentives.

Marcho Endrich, SEO & Content Marketing Manager at Superchat, shares a few ideas on how to incentivize your readers and attract new subscribers.

#1 Referral bonuses encourage your existing subscribers to spread the word about your brand to their friends and family in exchange for a discount or some free stuff. If you've got great content to brag about, this should be a no-brainer.

#2 Exclusive appointments or VIP lists are a great way to cultivate loyal readership and showcase your expertise. Depending on your newsletter's niche, consider offering some one-on-one time with your most valuable subscribers.

#3 Discounts and vouchers are one of the most effective ways to gain subscribers and the easiest to implement. Just make sure your content is good enough to keep them around long after their promotional period ends.

#4 Free gifts or upgrades can be way more valuable than a one-time discount. Consider offering promotional pricing for a yearly subscription, along with bigger benefits compared to a monthly membership.

#5 Pre-sales and exclusive events are another solid way to make your favorite followers feel like red carpet royalty. If they've invested in you, invest in them by offering first access to new products and content.

#6 Raffles or competitions help cultivate community with some friendly rivalry within your readership and can draw in new followers who want to join in on the fun. Give your members more chances to win if they invite a few friends of their own.

Gift wrap

When offering a discount, words matter. Your special offers should inspire your readers and site visitors to be excited, intrigued, and curious, rather than apathetic, indifferent, or uninterested. If they aren't able to see the value in what you're presenting, or if you come off a bit desperate, you likely won't see much growth from your discount marketing campaign.

Preston Lee, founder of Millo, breaks down how to design captivating promo offers to avoid cheapening your brand.

‣ When sending a discount email to your subscribers, it's all in the subject line. You've got to get them to open your email first before they can take advantage of whatever it is you're offering. Your email subjects need to incite interest, convey honesty, and showcase value.

‣ Most of the time, it's not about what you say, but how you say it, and reading words through a screen makes this even more of a challenge. When it comes to coupons, tone is everything, so try using more conversational language to get your promotional points across. Always sound like yourself!

‣ Your offer should be about one thing: your offer. Get to the point as quickly as possible so your readers understand exactly what you're giving them and what you're trying to accomplish. If you're too long-winded, wandering eyes may click away, and your hard work will be for naught.

‣ To get those roaming eyes focusing on their freebie, make your offer stand out using bold, underlined, or italicized text. Creating a clear call to action helps you promote a specific message in the best way. Don't be shy about using vibrant colors and eye-catching media to hammer things home.

‣ Rarely do people open an email twice. That's why making your promos urgent and infrequent is a great way for your audience to use their discount immediately rather than waiting until later (which is usually never). Creating a real sense of urgency and scarcity encourages them to act fast so they don't miss out.

‣ Use a coupon code to make the experience feel more official and exclusive. Every age group knows what a coupon code is and how to use one, and applying one at checkout is one of life's simple pleasures. As long as you're strategic and intentional with your offers, your readers will appreciate their reward.

Curator's pick ✍️

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