[epub] Free to Fee (was PayPal)

[Dawn Rivers Baker <editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 06:20 PM 4/12/02, you wrote:
>How was your paid subscription option received when you got it up and
>running (I am assuming you were free initially and then added a for pay
>opportunity).  We are getting ready to introduce a premium subscription at
>ThriftyFun.com and if you or anyone else who has taken the plunge has any
>advice, it would be appreciated.

Well, it's been slow going.  I've had the free/fee structure going for a 
little over six months now and I only have a couple dozen paying 
subscribers -- although that is better than some folks told me I was going 
to do when I initially made my announcement.  Among my current subscribers, 
my conversion ratio was a pathetic 0.05%.

So, does this mean that I consider this experiment a failure?  No, but what 
I would say is that if you are going to do this, you need patience and 
commitment.  Persuading people to pay for content online is a chore.  My 
solution to this particular problem has been to create a print edition of 
my online premium publication, and to treat the whole thing like a regular 
print newsletter.

That means, among other things, that I'm going to market it like a print 
newsletter -- top choice of marketing method will be direct mail 
marketing.  What will be interesting will be to see whether people opt to 
receive the print newsletter or to read it online.  My current subscribers 
almost unanimously are not interested in receiving the newsletter in print, 
much to my surprise.

I have a few more marketing plans up my sleeve and am chafing at the bit to 
give them a whirl.  I'm putting things off for a few months, though, 
because I'm doing a name change and launching a new publication and I need 
to get all that in place before I start the next phase of my marketing plan.

People *are* becoming more willing to pay for content online, although its 
a slow process and there are still folks out there who seem to think we're 
being unreasonable if we ask consumers to pay for our product.  For as long 
as there are still a few ministers of the church of free, we'll have our 
work cut out for us.  And, as more and more content online goes to a paid 
subscription model, there will be a bit of a shakeout as some publishers 
discover that consumers don't consider their content worth the price.  My 
advice to you is to stick to your guns, and look into the print newsletter 
market for some insights.  That is currently a $5 billion industry, so paid 
subscription newsletters are a viable arm of the publishing business.  You 
may not get a gazillion subscribers right away but with perseverance and 
shrewd marketing, you can probably make it work.

Cheers!
Dawn

Wahmpreneur
Business news for women who work where they live
http://www.wahmpreneur.com



-----------------------April Co-Reg Special-----------------------

   All orders over 50,000 are 20% off! Offer good until 4/30/02.

----------- http://Opt-Influence.com/c/pl.cgi?ppsapr1  -----------

       EPUB archives: http://Ezine-Universe.com/archives/

........................ EPUB Discussion List .....................
Post:                                 mailto:epub@list-universe.com
To Join:                         mailto:join-epub@list-universe.com
To Remove:             mailto:leave-epub-721690Q@cool.sparklist.com
Digest Mode:             mailto:epub-digest@lists.list-universe.com
Comments:                    mailto:epub-feedback@list-universe.com