Question

Topic: Other

Online Paid Newsletter Subscription Periods

Posted by Anonymous on 9/9/2009 at 12:20 PM ET 250 Points
We are converting our hard copy newsletters to online publications. Historically our readers received a monthly hard copy, now they will have access to our new web sites where editors will be posting news weekly rather than monthly. The question is, should an online subscription period be from the date the subscriber registers and pays, or can we keep them as our historic subscriptions which run from M/01/YEAR to M/01/YEAR? Issues internally are revenue recognition and financial systems will be messed up if we go to daily or weekly versus monthly periods.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 9/9/2009 at 12:49 PM Accepted
    Dear Jen,

    Unless it's going to cause major headaches, why not do both?

    For current subscribers, keep things as they are. For new subscribers, move to a monthly payment from the month they
    sign up.

    This way, what people know is what they accept and adopt.
    It's when you begin mucking about with payment structures
    that chaos ensues.

    For current subscribers, if it's what they are used to, leave it
    alone. But new subscribers won't have history with you, so what you set up for them will BECOME their history.

    The easier you make (or keep) the payment process for your subscribers, the more likely it will be that your unsubscribe rate will remain at whatever it is, which, for continuity programs is roughly 20 to 25 percent per month.

    I hope this helps.

    Gary Bloomer
    Wilmington, DE, USA
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 9/9/2009 at 9:03 PM Accepted
    Why not gift them the extra online access time, and start their subscription on the 1st of the following month. It costs you nothing and the free gift can build goodwill.
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