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Plastic Payments: Credit Cards, Debit Cards, And Trends in Recurring Transactions

Payment Processing, Research, Research and Benchmarks, Subscriber Only /

As consumer financial lives move from the realm of physical cash into the cloud, subscribers — especially younger subscribers — want to make recurring payments easier, and they are glad to use credit cards to do so. Companies, from credit card providers to online processors to retailers to publishers, are looking to help them do it. But there is the danger of a backlash.

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The Coming Car Crisis: How Detroit Hopes Auto Subscription Services Will Help Minimize The Damage

Business Strategy, Memberships, News, Research, Research and Benchmarks, SaaS and Cloud Services, Subscriber Only /

Back in 2008, the banking industry was riding high on subprime mortgages that were essentially loans to people who were not good credit risks. Now, a new verse of that tune is playing out in the automotive arena, where subprime car loans are popular, and total auto-associated debt is at record highs. Second verse, same as the first? Automakers are hoping that new car subscription services will mitigate the worst and offer a new model for serving customers who should not be taking out car loans in the first place.

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Modern-Day Medicis: When Content Consumers Become Superfans

Auto-renew Subscription, Business Media and Publishing, Entertainment and Streaming, News, Newsletters, Research, Research and Benchmarks, Subscriber Only /

Book publishers, film studios, and TV channels beware! Indie content creators are bypassing traditional intermediaries and forging ongoing relationships directly with subscribing supporters. Two Internet trends — crowdfunding and indie publishing — have combined to create a new way to pay for content. Yes, now everybody can cosplay the Florentine Medicis in the role of patrons of the arts.

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Netflix for Games: Both Console and Mobile Game Publishers Look To Subscription-Based Revenue

Research, Research and Benchmarks, Subscriber Only, Subscription Gaming /

Console makers are seeking long-term control of the seller/customer relationship, and they see subscription services as a way to lock in brand loyalty. Mobile game publishers are realizing that gamer patience for in-app ads and freemium upgrades is wearing thin. So there are strong incentives for both ends of the video game market to look at the Netflix model with envy. However, the analogy between games and filmed entertainment is not perfect, so game publishers face hurdles particular to their industry.

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The Internet of Things: New Ways to Build Subscription Relationships

Auto-renew Subscription, Business Services, Consumer Services, Data and IoT, News, Research, Research and Benchmarks, Subscriber Only /

The market for devices that connect to the Internet is huge and growing. Someday soon, car tires will text when they are wearing out, refrigerators will announce the last yogurt, and pacemakers will call an ambulance. And consumers will sign up to pay monthly for all this to work.

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Dinosaurs and Digerati: The Way Forward for Subscription-Based News Apps

Auto-renew Subscription, Free Subscription, Invoiced Subscription, Metered Subscription, News, Research, Research and Benchmarks, Subscriber Only, Subscription Apps /

When you look at user demand for news on mobile devices, you find hunger and satisfaction. Well, you find some hunger and a lot of satisfaction. In a landscape of free online news, the news app business model that succeeds will be the one that sells something special. The good news is that there is a (small) market for online subscription news, and publishers can make a living serving that market based on features such as excellence, highly valued content, and community.

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The Subscription Video-on-Demand Revolution Continues: Perils and Possibilities on the Battlefield

Auto-renew Subscription, Entertainment and Streaming, News, Research, Research and Benchmarks, Subscriber Only /

The streaming digital video market is chaotic, competitive, and rapidly evolving. But the market is also marked by intense consumer demand and the willingness of those consumers to pay – and to subscribe. That means the market may be a free-for-all, but one in which there is big growth potential for companies who can offer video on demand that meets subscriber desire for compelling original content and the convenience of anytime, anywhere satisfaction.

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Interesting Times for ePublishing: Chaos, Creativity, and Competition

Consumer Media and Publishing, Controlled Circulation, Free Subscription, Gift Subscriptions, Invoiced Subscription, Magazines, Metered Subscription, News, Research, Research and Benchmarks, Subscriber Only /

As reading becomes just one more thing you can do on your screen, new digital competition is pushing eBook, eNewspaper, and eMagazine brands in multiple directions. Prospects for revenue growth are not bright, and will not brighten unless publishers find ways not just to cope with technology challenges, but to transform them into strengths.

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Dating Services: A Way Forward for an Industry Stuck at Second Base

Auto-renew Subscription, Consumer Services, Memberships, News, Product Development, Research, Research and Benchmarks, SaaS and Cloud Services, Subscriber Only /

The online dating industry is stuck in a rut, facing forecasts of dwindling revenue growth and flat penetration rates. The largest company has missed its most recent revenue target as it struggles against self-cannibalization by its very popular free option. The second-place company is looking to diversify into the job recruitment arena, and lesser competitors are facing obstacles. A forecast of flat-to-low growth may reflect the pessimistic opinion that current industry leaders are poorly positioned to take advantage of coming opportunities. However, research suggests untapped demographics and pathways to overcome these hurdles. This column looks at new research conducted in April 2017 to find the best ways to compete for subscribers.

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Organic Search for Publishers: Understanding Long- and Short-tail Keywords

Best Practice and How To, Business Media and Publishing, Consumer Media and Publishing, Magazines, Newsletters, Product Development, Subscriber Acquisition, Subscriber Only, Subscriber Retention /

Kevin Novak continues his discussion on how to implement an effective SEO strategy. In part five of Organic Search for Publishers, he discusses the big mistake publishers make in their metadata, walks through how to choose the right long- and short-tail keywords for your business, shows examples of how a publisher should use keyword discovery tools and his favorite keyword discovery tools that publishers should use.

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