Diversifying revenue streams has evolved from a forethought into a complete necessity for publishers who want to successfully monetize in the age of social. From header bidding to Facebook Instant Articles and monetization on social, publishers are now turning to subscription models to convert readers into loyal, lasting users. Last year, the pivot to paywalls gained unprecedented traction. By the end of 2017, The New York Times had over 3.5 million digital and print subscriptions. Fast forward to today and you'll find that other big-name publishers — like CNN, The Atlantic, and Wired — have followed suit, looking to online paywalls and subscription-based models to alleviate their financial woes.
It's no surprise as to why they're doing this either. The duopoly that is Facebook and Google continues to dominate digital ad revenue. Not helping matters, Facebook recently dropped their major algorithm bomb that left publishers of every size scrambling. The subscription-based business model has suddenly become a safe bet.
Fortunately for publishers, subscription services don't have to be roadblocks for your readers. In fact, this model urges publishers to create content that is so valuable and meaningful that your audience is willing to pay for it. The moment you become a subscription business completely changes the relationship you have with your customers. For a media company, it's a chance to create a real community and loyal following. At RebelMouse, we have a sophisticated suite of subscription tools to help you create lasting loyalty and impactful revenue.
RebelMouse's Gated-Content Properties
If you're a subscription business, we're here to help you fine-tune your tools and maximize revenue. We have a sophisticated suite of A/B testing tools — complete with Google Analytics integrations — that give you the ability to test what works, what doesn't, and how to better cater to your readers' needs. These tools let you test real-time data and make better-informed decisions that will drive the success of your site. Being able to make insightful updates and improvements will step up your content's engagement several fold.
La Verità
RebelMouse recently launched the amazing Italian newspaper La Verità, using our subscription tools to help them create gated content on a per user basis.
We also built out a Braintree integration that gives them the ability to process subscription payments using either credit cards or PayPal. Everything happens on their site, without redirecting users to any third-party platforms.
Here's an example of what the final signup screen looks like when a user pays with their credit card.
DiversityInc
RebelMouse-powered DiversityInc Best Practices is another subscription-based website that publishes career advice content to help people advance their position at the company they work for. For DiversityInc, we created locked posts that direct unsubscribed users to a paywall.
We also developed various new features in the Users dashboard that allows DiversityInc to upload a company image and avatar for their paid users.
At RebelMouse, we create tools for publishers that give them back control of their content. Our lean tech is constantly adapting, so our clients can confidently maintain their livelihoods in this chaotic world of content saturation and algorithm updates. The special work we do makes us think of Nina Simone's God Bless the Child, because no matter what's going on around us, we've created technology and strategy that is fluid, successful, and working for both new media companies and legacy publishers.
Diversify Your Revenue Stream with RebelMouse
If you're not a subscription-based business, we can help you create your membership site. When you take the time to create high-level content, you'll attract the type of high-quality visitors that not only want to interact with your premium content, but are willing to pay for it. Once you have this filter in place, you quickly start to see what types of content your audience craves, and what you can do to build those long-lasting, valuable relationships.
Whether you want to attract more users with open-access content that guides them to your premium content, have locked posts, or create gated content on a per user basis, we can do it all. Come talk to us, and we'll show you how we can diversify your revenue stream by attracting loyal visitors who convert.
