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Publishers seeing results with ‘Subscribe with Google’, predictive AI driving double-digit growth for Foxtel, and more
Inside ‘Subscribe with Google’ and the publishers testing the waters
About a year ago, Google announced ‘Subscribe with Google’—a simple way to subscribe to news publications and maintain access everywhere: websites, apps, even search results.
Fast forward to today, and publishers who have tested the technology are seeing some impressive results. In fact, Subscribe with Google delivered 30% better results than the publishers’ own subscription workflow. Now, almost 50 publishers around the world are integrating the product into their operations, from the Financial Times to the Guardian.
“By removing friction, there’s a new injection of energy that’s possible in subscriber economics,” said Craig Forman, President and CEO of McClatchy, who have rolled it out across their local titles.
A frictionless subscription experience like this could be just the boost publishers need, with paywalled articles still getting the boost from search traffic. But once again, it requires putting trust and control in the hands of one of the biggest tech companies in the world. That compromise may well be too difficult for many publishers to accept.
What’s new this week
After months of testing, more publishers have now started rolling out their offerings with ‘Subscribe with Google’, and in the initial stages, there’s some unheard of offers up for grabs, like the Financial Times’ “6 months free” trial.
| How The Economist grows revenue by experimenting with the digital experience The Economist has more than doubled the amount of web traffic it receives via newsletters over the past year. This was achieved with the help of redesigns and content changes. |
| The best upcoming publishing events in Europe To help you sort your calendar, we’ve picked out the must-attend publishing events in the UK and Europe for the next few months, from the mega-conferences to intimate insider events. |
| Predictive AI helps Foxtel drive double-digit growth: Insights for publishers Foxtel developed a creative solution using artificial intelligence which has helped its channel Fox Cricket double its brand recall and become the #1 channel on its network in terms of share. |
| Highlights from Shorenstein Center’s Digital Pay-Meter Playbook Publishers should “invest in capabilities to engage in constant testing and experimentation in digital — to build engagement among digital audiences.” |
| Majority of Adblock users would pay publishers for an ad-free experience The relationship between users and websites has become increasingly difficult to forge with the exponential rise of adblocking. |
| How Meredith’s Parents magazine takes a practical approach to innovation How taking a practical approach to innovation has helped the brand to evolve, and why a digital mindset can also hold great benefits for a print publication. |
| Password-free logins to benefit both web services and publishers in Germany Mobile Connect, a universal password-free online log-in solution is being adopted with immediate effect by Verimi, the first single cross-industry login platform for web-based products. |
| ProPublica on leveraging the power of investigative journalism ProPublica is somewhat unique in that it goes to great lengths to break down the fourth wall between journalists and audiences. |
| How publishers can turn Adblock users into paying subscribers Those same readers who signed to use adblocking tools may be among your best bets for converting to subscribers. |
| What do niche publications understand about their audiences that generalized ones don’t? While newsrooms are exploring alternative approaches to both financing and producing content, there are other sectors who are doing the same – and doing it damn successfully. |
| How to measure, understand and fix the retention rates of your readers While there will still be publications for whom traffic is an important indicator of ‘success’, there are other ways to discern whether what you’re producing represents a good ROI. |
