Tips on how to increase digital magazine subscriptions

Trying to boost your digital magazine’s subscriptions is a challenge that many publishers face in a market that’s becoming increasingly saturated with content. 

With readers having countless options readily available at their fingertips, standing out and building a loyal subscriber base requires adopting a strategic and systematic approach. Let’s take a look at how you can increase your paid subscribers effectively. 

The status of digital subscriptions today

Subscriptions for digital magazines are facing significant challenges today, and even as more content shifts online, some publishers have been having problems getting readers to subscribe to these new platforms.

In fact, as of 2022, total audiences for magazine companies have decreased by 38.56% over the past three years. That means that there are less and less digital subscriptions from issue to issue.

For example, The Washington Post, despite being fully digital, has been losing around $100 million annually due to decreasing subscriber numbers. This trend reflects a broader issue in the industry, where many consumers are hesitant to commit to paid subscriptions.

Amongst the factors contributing to this shift, three reign supreme:

• Content saturation is currently a major concern—there’s an overwhelming amount of free content available, making it hard for readers to justify paying. 
• Free alternatives, from blogs to social media, offer plenty of options without any cost. 
• Economic considerations also play an important role here, as people become more selective about where they allocate their spending.

Given these various challenges, publishers must rethink their strategies to better align with their audience’s changing preferences.

Practical tips on how to increase your paid subscribers

Improve the reader experience

Optimizing the reader experience is an important factor when it comes to increasing digital magazine subscriptions. One of the most effective ways to do this is by making sure that your magazine’s subscription management portals are intuitive and visually appealing. When readers find it easy to manage their subscriptions, they’re more likely to stay engaged and continue them. 

A smooth, hassle-free experience helps reduce churn while boosting overall satisfaction, making readers feel more connected to the publication.

The visuals you choose to use can play an important role in creating an engaging experience. From eye-catching graphics to well-chosen images, the right digital assets can make your content far more compelling. Hence, you need to cleverly manage digital assets and have a library that can withstand your entire spectrum of impressions—from catchy graphics to stock images for certain occasions, as well as dynamic visuals that can keep your content fresh and engaging.

To further improve the reader experience, why not use skeuomorphism to mimic the aesthetic of old magazines, as well as implement features that pay homage to the days of old? 

It can be anything from a digital signature for subscriptions to a yearly special print edition or even a best-of-the-decade almanac. Sure, print doesn’t pay off the same way it used to, but many still hold the atmosphere dear.

Make everything seem tailor-made

Personalization also plays an essential role in building ongoing reader loyalty—that’s why customizing the content and recommendations to individual preferences can make a significant difference. 

For instance, if you have a reader who frequently engages with articles on technology, offering them more tech-focused content can help further enhance their experience. 

Implementing successful personalization strategies like this helps keep readers interested while also encouraging them to explore more of what the magazine offers, leading to increased engagement and retention. A seemingly simple formula to increase magazine subscriptions.

Offer custom subscription plans

Offering custom subscription plans is an effective way to meet reader’s needs while boosting your subscription numbers. 

Publishers can take advantage of the capacity of customer data to glean invaluable insights into their reader’s preferences and behaviors, allowing them to properly personalize their subscription offerings. 

Having some degree of flexibility in your subscription models is key—readers appreciate options that fit their specific interests and habits, which can make all the difference in whether they choose to subscribe.

Another option is writer-specific subscriptions, where readers can follow their favorite authors and receive notifications or exclusive access to their work. These types of personalized offerings cater to different audience segments, making the subscription feel more relevant and valuable.

Take advantage of free samples and trials

Offering free content samples and trials to prospective readers can be a very powerful way to attract new subscribers to your digital magazine. 

A sample article, a full issue, or a limited-time trial, helps prospective readers learn what they can expect from the article, making it easier for them to commit to a subscription. It’s an effective strategy for drawing in curious readers who might not be ready to subscribe outright but are willing to explore your content.

The key to converting these trial users into paying subscribers lies in the quality of the content you showcase. High-quality, engaging content that resonates with readers can convert a one-time reader into a loyal subscriber for the long term. 

For example, brands like Texture have successfully used free trials to attract readers, offering access to popular magazines for a short period before requiring a subscription.

Integrate push notifications for more digital subscriptions

Integrating push notifications is a smart way to keep your digital magazine readers engaged, but it’s important to understand the differences between mobile app and web push notifications. 

Mobile push notifications are messages that appear on a user’s device, even when they aren’t actively using the app. They can be highly effective for alerting readers to new content, special offers, or reminders about their subscriptions. On the other hand, web push notifications pop up on desktop or mobile browsers, providing a quick way to capture attention while users are browsing the web.

To drive engagement, try to use push notifications strategically instead of focusing on sheet numbers. For instance, you can send alerts when a new issue is released, share exclusive content, or remind subscribers of the benefits they’re enjoying. Special offers or discounts can also be promoted through push notifications, encouraging readers to act quickly.

However, you must take some extra care when you’re creating these notifications. They should be concise, relevant, and timely to catch the reader’s attention without becoming intrusive. Personalization is key here—tailoring messages based on user behavior can make the notification more impactful.

Implement remarketing strategies

Remarketing is an important strategy for reconnecting with potential subscribers who have shown interest in your digital magazine but haven’t yet committed. It targets users who have interacted with your content—such as visiting the subscription page or downloading a free sample—reminding them of what they liked and encouraging them to take the next step.

Segmenting your audience can make remarketing campaigns more effective. That’s because by grouping readers based on their interactions with your magazine, you can create more targeted and relevant campaigns for them specifically. 

For instance, someone who visited your subscription page but didn’t sign up might receive an ad highlighting a special discount or showcasing exclusive content to nudge them toward subscribing. Making your remarketing campaigns more dynamic can help further improve this strategy. You can also use personalized ads based on users’ browsing history that follow them as they go around the internet. 

These ads present the exact content that piqued their interest, making the offer even more compelling and increasing the likelihood of conversion, turning interested readers into loyal subscribers.

Utilize social referrals and sharing

Utilizing the benefits that come from social referrals and sharing is a powerful way to grow your digital magazine’s subscriber base. 

Word-of-mouth is an incredibly effective tool—when current subscribers share your content with their networks, they’re likely to reach others with similar interests. Encouraging this kind of sharing can naturally attract new readers who are already inclined to enjoy your magazine.

To boost sharing, consider offering incentives like rewards or discounts for referrals. For example, a subscriber who refers a friend could receive a discount on their next renewal or a free month of access. These incentives can easily be integrated into your platform, making the referral process seamless for users.

There are also several tools that can help better facilitate social sharing and track the success of referrals. Taking advantage of platforms like ShareThis allows for easy sharing across multiple social media channels while also providing analytics to monitor how your referral strategies are performing.

Enhance your search engine visibility

Working on improving your digital magazine’s search engine visibility can prove to be essential for driving more organic traffic to your digital magazine. Even if you’re a beginner, these essentials alone can result in quick and noticeable results: 

• Having a solid keyword strategy in place is the foundation of this effort. Researching relevant search terms enables you to optimize your content, making it much more likely to be found by potential readers. Take advantage of Google Ads Keyword Planner to discover high-volume keywords that align with your magazine’s topics, making sure that your content reaches the right audience.
• Optimizing your magazine’s metadata, including title tags and meta descriptions, is another essential step. These elements influence how your content appears in search results, and well-crafted metadata can significantly improve click-through rates. 
• Incorporating Schema markup adds another layer of optimization so that search engines can better comprehend your content and potentially earn you rich snippets.
• Make sure to leverage these rich snippets where you can, which are enhanced search results that can boost your visibility and attract more traffic.

How can Flipsnack take some load off?

We want to be transparent in admitting there is not one tool that can help you apply all these tips. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t specific tools like Flipsnack that can help with certain aspects of this strategy. With Flipsnack’s digital magazine maker, you can create immersive and personalized digital content in a few steps. 

Here’s what you need to know about the process:

1. It starts with an uploaded PDF or you can create a publication from scratch using a built-in Design Studio. 
2. Add interactive elements like videos, slideshows, tags, or media pop-ups.
3. Publish and share the digital magazine privately with your subscribers. 
4. Dive deep into the insights gathered by Flipsnack and customize the next magazine issues based on what type of content your readers enjoy most. 

Wrapping up

Attempting to drive more digital magazine subscriptions can be challenging in the face of growing content saturation, but with the right strategies, it’s entirely achievable. 

Focusing on enhancing the reader experience, providing personalized subscription plans, and leveraging tools like push notifications and social referrals will help you attract and retain a loyal audience. Alongside this, additional measures such as free samples, dynamic remarketing, and enhanced search engine visibility further support your efforts.

As you work on boosting your digital magazine subscriptions, having the right tools can make all the difference. FlipSnack’s digital magazine maker provides publishers with an easy-to-use platform with a wide range of professionally designed templates to help you get started quickly. 

Plus, with Flipsnack, you can begin selling your magazine directly through the platform, making it a seamless solution for monetizing your content.