Out-of-the-Box Subscriber Benefits

Paid subscribers require care and attention. Content entrepreneurs can’t just sit back and watch that recurring revenue come in every month. But what can you do to take that paid subscriber model to the next level without spending a ton of time – and develop a strategy that makes your free audience want to hand over their hard-earned money?

Simon Owens, a newsletter creator with a successful subscription model, has some thoughts. In his presentation at the Content Entrepreneur Expo (CEX), Simon shared eight ideas. Today, I’ll share five of them.

1. Host live Q&A calls: Send an email to your paid subscribers announcing you’re hosting a live video call on Zoom or some other platform. Tell them it’s your “office hours,” and share the link or ask them to RSVP.

Use the calls to add personal interaction at scale. Then, you can repurpose the content into articles, YouTube videos, or podcast episodes.

Simon also advises entrepreneurs to switch up the time of the calls to accommodate subscribers in different time zones. Also, consider inviting featured guests, where you ask some questions then allow your subscribers to ask them. You can even recruit guests from your paid audience.

2. Publish a subscriber-asks column: Every month, Simon asks his paid subscribers for questions. Then, he answers them in his newsletter or podcast that’s free to read or listen to.

This privilege works well because people will want to become subscribers (or be glad they already are) so they don’t miss out on the opportunity. It also helps you develop content ideas that cater to your paid community’s needs. 

3. Sell ebooks based on evergreen articles: You don’t have to create something from scratch every time you ask for a sale. Entice your audience to make a first purchase from your content business before they make a bigger commitment by becoming a subscriber. Simon mentions selling the ebooks on a digital marketplace platform like Gumroad. Or, if your website is set up for sales, you could do it there. You also aren’t limited to an ebook format; bundle your content for sale in any way works best for you (and your audience). 

4. Use a time-delayed paywall: Release new content for free for a limited time, such as 24 hours or one week. Then, lock it behind a paywall. Doing this allows you to grow an audience more quickly and monetize your archived content.

5. Allow paid subscribers to text: You can use this strategy for one-on-one interactions or as a one-way input approach. You don’t even need to give out your mobile number. Platforms like Subtext can work well as a third-party connector. “It creates a sense of intimacy with the audience,” Simon says. 

Simon says this strategy works particularly well for podcasters because they can ask their paid listeners to share their questions during a live recording or ask for a taped recording later.

These five things to do will strengthen your bond with paid subscribers and encourage others to join the ranks. It has another benefit for your content business, too. Simon says, “If you can free up your time so you’re not spending a lot of time on the content behind the paywall because that’s not contributing to your growth. You can spend more time focusing on the free content that widens your funnel and brings in more users.”

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