Breaking down the myth that there is a subscriptions ceiling in news media is the focus of this report.

Key subjects covered in the report include:

• Myths vs. facts: the state of online engagement and subscriptions
• Cracking the growth code: lessons from the top-performing brands
• Funnel audit: 7 reasons subscriptions are not growing
• Growth engine: Tying strategy, organisation, and workflows

“There Is No Subscription Ceiling for News Media” walks readers through the steps to building a growth machine and underscores the importance of strategy, organisation, and governance. It also provides indisputable evidence that when publishers align their objectives with the reader’s journey and focus on these key elements, they can create a powerful engine that drives sustainable subscription growth even in this rapidly changing environment.

Author

Greg Piechota, INMA Readers First Initiative Lead and Researcher-in-Residence

Who should read this report

Media company leaders and professionals responsible for digital subscriptions

Detailed overview

Drawing from research presented during INMA’s Media Subscription Summit in New York in March, the report counters the idea that there is a subscription ceiling.

According to the report, while fear around the news business seemed to get worse in recent months — with phrases like news avoidance, subscription fatigue, market ceiling, and subscription reversal dominating conversations — the data shows a much different story.

The report goes on to break down six common myths held by publishers today and provides a data-informed answer to each one. Per Piechota, the data reveals good news and a call for publishers to keep moving forward to keep pushing the digital frontier.

In this timely report, Piechota turns to top-performing brands to understand how to best move forward and looks at the challenges of balancing subscription volume and value growth. By peeking behind the curtain of the top 25% fastest-growing news brands, Piechota shares insight into the characteristics of fast-growers and the best strategies for growth.

Among the report’s case studies are the New York Times, Axel Springer, Mediahuis, Haaretz, News24, Advance Local, The Irish Times, Dow Jones, and The Washington Post.