Mequoda Daily: Is No-Subscription the New Digital Subscription Model?

In This Issue: Mequoda Daily New Media Trends: Is No-Subscription the New Digital Subscription Model? People Magazine Thinks Not Trouble Viewing? | Send to a Friend | My Account | Subscribe to RSS | Whitelist Us | Subscribe | Unsubscribe

August 23, 2010 Is No-Subscription the New Digital Subscription Model? By Amanda MacArthur People Magazine Thinks Not It's funny. When everyone first thought that online subscriptions were a good idea, they coupled print and online subscriptions. It just made sense. When people are asking for a digital version of your publication, why not just increase their monthly subscription and include both versions? Somewhere along the line, many publishers saw how well this model worked and split the two subscriptions apart, leaving a digital-only subscription and a print-only subscription. Smart publishers let the combination package remain, but raised rates, forcing subscribers to choose. Considering the cost of production and delivery with print, and the lack of cost with digital, what caused publishers to get greedy? It's an ongoing competition for survival of the fittest, and the most innovative package will win. Let's talk about People for instance. This is a magazine heavily read on flights, in the doctors waiting room and frankly, in the bathroom. A print subscription is highly valued for this magazine due to the "quick-read" nature of it. In their new People iPad app, they've clearly taken this into consideration. Now that they've gotten past minor road blocks that were keeping them from launching the app, they've wowed the media by announcing free subscriptions to all current subscribers. That's a pretty big leap from what other magazine publishers have been offering with iPad apps. Many of them are offering one-off purchases and emphasizing the newsstand model rather than the subscription model. Tomorrow is our iPad and iPhone Apps for Publishers webinar. Register now so you can learn how publishers are building iPad applications to sell more products, increase subscriptions and boost online revenues. According to MediaWeek, "People's subscriber base is extremely loyal and pays a premium price for the magazine," explained Martha Nelson, editor of the Time Inc. Style & Entertainment Group, in announcing the app. "We want them to have the ability to consume People content however they choose." The average subscription price of People is over $100, which is among the highest-priced titles. For $3.99, non-subscribers can buy individual issues. So far, there isn't any way to buy a subscription through the app, though it's in the future. The app itself, is much like the Vanity Fair app. It's pretty much the exact same content as what you'll find in the magazine. But is there anything wrong with that? They've taken it a few steps further by offering videos and photos, but nothing as interactive as, say, the Wired app which often includes 360 degree images, audio files, animated infographics and more interactive advertising. The free subscription model is the first time Time Inc. has offered such a deal on one of their apps. All Things Digital says that "The rest of [Time Inc.'s] flagship mag iPad apps are expected to join it in the next 30 days or so," and predicts "as will the rest of the publishing industry's for-tablet offerings." Where are you in this whole debacle? Is selling one-offs good enough? Should publishers offer free digital subscriptions? Do you think an all-inclusive digital + print subscription is best? Let us know in the comments. And if you want tons of more ideas for what you can do with your publication on the iPad and iPhone, join us tomorrow for our iPad and iPhone Apps for Publishers webinar at 12:30pm Eastern.   View Blog Post & Leave a Comment [-503.623013-] Featured Product Take 90 minutes to discover which mobile application strategy is best for you Register for our iPad and iPhone Apps for Publishers Webinar Newest Complimentary White Papers Content Marketing Strategy Basics - Learn the Seven Components of the Content Marketing Strategy Email Copywriting Basics - Begin Creating Email Marketing Campaigns that Result in Higher Open Rates Google Keyword Tool Basics - Instructions on How to Get a Higher Page Ranking in Google by Utilizing the Google Keyword Tool SEO Campaign Management Basics - Tips on How to Receive More Website Visibility Twitter Tutorial on Maximizing Website Traffic - Learn How to Use Twitter More Successfully Website Homepage Design Basics - Create a User-Friendly Website that Engages Visitors Download more complimentary white papers >>>   FEATURED EVENT Take 90 minutes to discover which mobile application strategy is best for you Register for our iPad and iPhone Apps For Publishers Webinar     UPCOMING WEBINARS 8/24: iPad and iPhone Apps for Publishers 9/21: WordPress vs. Drupal vs. Telligent 10/12: Building Subscription Websites that Sell 11/2: SEO Campaign Management 2011 TOP 5 COMPLIMENTARY WHITE PAPERS 17 Best Email Subject Lines Deadly Membership Website Mistakes Email Design Best Practices How to Write a White Paper that Sells Launch a Link Building Campaign More free white papers >>> CONNECT WITH US

About Mequoda Daily The Mequoda Daily provides free, valuable tips that publishers need to build better websites. Through the Daily, publishers take advantage of sharing industry best practices with close colleagues and publishing professionals worldwide. These publishers aspire to conquer the challenges of website publishing, such as bringing print content online, creating new online revenue streams and building more profitable websites. For more information, visit http://daily.mequoda.com. Design by Free blogger template Subscription Administration You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the Mequoda Daily email newsletter. Help us be sure that this email newsletter gets to your inbox. Adding our return address mequoda@e.mequoda.com to your address book may 'whitelist' us with your filter, helping future email newsletters get to your inbox. Unsubscribe? Clicking the "junk" button in your email client won't take you off our list. If you want to unsubscribe, please do it properly by removing yourself from the Mequoda Daily email newsletter. This message has been sent to genci125@gmail.com WCIDV2:34D834127374E1636C1A1E8230C46737ECD8772F89088B0F Did a friend send this to you? Sign up for our newsletter and recieve a special report-Seven Online Publishing Secrets-at no cost to you. Forward this email to a friend Unsubscribe from the Mequoda Daily email newsletter Manage your email preferences Send feedback to the Editor Need to contact us? View our privacy policy. Copyright © 2010 Mequoda Group LLC and the Mequoda Daily. All rights reserved.