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Minal Bopaiah

Give Us 6 Minutes, We’ll Give You 10 Data Charts

FInance, News /

It’s almost the new year, which means I’m getting ready to publish an all-new edition of Subscription Site Insider’s Benchmark Report for you. But first, I need your help! Please click to take our six-minute (anonymous) survey: http://subsiteinsider.com/2013s Your answers will be critical to helping me create useful charts and data to benchmark the industry for you. PLUS, as my personal “thank you,” I’ll send a copy of the Executive Summary to everyone who takes the survey. The…

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2 Reasons Why Banner Ads are Great for Niche Subscription Sites

Business Strategy, News, Technology /

This week, Ryan Dohrn spoke to Insider members about selling advertising on paywall sites. He had lots of great tips, but my favorite was the fact that banner and display ads still work — and they work *really* well for niche publications. Dohrn, founder of 360 Ad Sales, explained how advertisers love buying ad space on paywall/subscription websites since they’re clearly getting an audience interested enough in the niche topic to pay for content. Which means…

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Time Inc. Adds 20 Digital Subscriptions for Kindle Fire

News, Subscriber Acquisition, Subscription Apps, Technology /

The tablet world is moving and changing fast. Just this week, analysts predicted that Android devices will overtake the iPad in the tablet market by the middle of 2013. This is mainly because Google has licensed its technology to other vendors, which allows for “diversified price points,” thereby making tablets a more affordable device, and putting them in the hands of more consumers. Hopping on this bandwagon (and following the release of the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD),…

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LinkedIn Makes $50 Million from Individual Subscriptions

Business Services, FInance, News /

LinkedIn posted its Q3 earnings recently and showed overall strong growth. The subscription and networking website generated $252 million in revenue, much of it from subscription products. Premium individual subscriptions accounted for $50 million, a small portion of overall revenues. However, the more B2B services — Talent (Hiring) Solutions and Marketing Solutions — generated $202 million. And these services include some subscription revenues. In addition, these number represent significant growth for the company. Premium subscription revenue grew by 74%…

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Banner Ads That Actually Engage Viewers

Business Strategy, News, Subscriber Acquisition /

Since many of our readers are running hybrid sites (i.e., generating revenue from both subscriptions and advertising), or looking to run ads for their own product or services, I thought I’d take today to write about banner ads. Banner ads have long been the stepchild of digital marketing, loved neither by audiences or publishers. But recently, Werther’s Original ran a banner ad on the Food Network site that was both interactive, social and relevant. First, the banner expands…

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Get More Customer Data from Your iPad Apps with ‘Bonus Time’

News, Subscriber Acquisition, Subscription Apps, Technology /

As I’ve discussed before, selling your mobile and tablet apps through your own website can help avoid Apple’s hefty 30% cut from your revenues. In addition, it also helps you get more customer data (including a credit card number, which Apple never gives you). But in case you don’t’ have the manpower or tech support to set up an app authorization and tracking system through your own website, you have another option. Apple now lets publishers get…

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Amazon Prime Adds Monthly Subscription Plan, Competes With Hulu and Netflix

Business Strategy, Entertainment and Streaming, FInance, News, Subscriber Acquisition /

Amazon introduced a new pricing option for its “Prime” service this week — $7.99/month instead of the normal $79.99 a year. While basic math lets consumers know that the monthly price is more steep in the long run, the new subscription option seems to be an effort to compete more directly with Hulu and Netflix, both of which offer monthly plans at exactly the same price. Originally, Amazon Prime was a way for avid book buyers to…

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Should Digital Newspapers Team Up With Streaming Music Providers?

News, Subscriber Acquisition /

This just out from Europe: Content provider Aspiro is teaming up with two European newspapers — the Swedish Aftonbladet and Danish daily Politiken — to grow the subscription base and revenues for its streaming music service, WiMP. Aspiro recently posted losses despite a nine-figure fundraising cycle, and “Aftonbladet publisher Schibsted took 73.4 percent ownership of Aspiro this year for 340 million Swedish krona ($50.8 million) in a bid to inject paid streaming content in to its news business,”…

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Should Your Tablet Magazines Move From Monthly to Weekly Updates?

News, Subscription Apps, Technology /

Print magazines may benefit from tablets even more than newspapers. To paraphrase Stewart Brand, the right information at the right time can change your life, and consumers will pay for that convenience. That may be why a plethora of print magazines are now adopting paid subscription tablet editions. In fact, Future has made £5 million from its iPad magazine in the last year. But, as with any disruptive technology, publishers shouldn’t adopt all the rules of print publishing…

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Case Study Lessons: Multi-User Trials Help Convert Individuals into Site License Prospects

Business Services, News, Subscriber Acquisition /

This week’s Case Study on our sister site Subscription Site Insider has one of the most interesting lead generation tactics we’ve seen for site license sales. GenomeWeb provides news and information about the molecular biology and genomics fields. Obviously, this is the type of publication that’s ripe for site license sales, particularly for companies creating technology based on scientific advancements. In order to facilitate upselling site licenses, GenomeWeb has created a paid ($95) three-person trial. During the…

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