As a reader that makes fantastic sense to me. There is no way I can afford to spend tons of money to read all of my favorites. I only have two subscriptions at this point and my limit is five for my budget. Occasionally a writer will have something amazing that I just have to read but then the rest of what they write is not so interesting. Many have been writing about elections but know that they are over I need to know what they are going to write about going forward before subscribing. And this is unfair to the people who I read often but know they aren't hurting in the pocketbook, I will choose people who are less well known first. Spreading the wealth, I hope. Also, I would consider giving a contribution in order to read a story without subscribing. One of the ladies I follow has something on her site that says buy me a coffee. I have bought her a couple. I want you to be able to make a living writing. We need you and you're all doing a fantastic job. I am certainly not opposed to paying you for it. And spreading the word with shares and talking about substack with people I meet. I hope this helps with some ideas.
Buy a coffee is a great idea - often I would like to read a post without subscribing - it may be a one off topic of specific interest to me - I know I can pay for a month in some cases, but not always and then I have to remember to cancel.
I'm not sure how she does it but the one person I know who does writes 'What Joe Biden did today'. It's a very good post and actually I end up giving her more money than I would if I subscribed. She just has a button on there and it's a one-time donation rather than a subscription. As a writer I can understand why you want a subscription. As a reader I prefer not to have my card continuously resubscribing where I will probably forget. I will be subscribing to her but I wonder if she will be continuing with 'what the jerk did today'. I need to know I just don't want to be depressed everyday.
Instead of a % discount, what about 1 month/week of paid subscription?
One thing I believe brings a lot of value for future paid subscribers is to understand what is the benefit they will take.
If they are able to taste, more chances they come back.
Does it make sense?
Yes! From the special offer page, you can chose to offer a free trial for up to 90 days https://write.substack.com/publish/offers/new
Did you see that approach in the past? Might sound wild, but in my mind it makes a lot of sense.
Yes, free trials can be an effective tool to build trust and interest with subscribers. We've even automated free trials in some places with a feature that automatically allows you to offer a 7-day free trial to subscribers when they hit the paywall. https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/4418620510100-Can-I-add-a-free-trial-offer-to-a-paywall-on-my-post
Thanks Katie!
As a reader that makes fantastic sense to me. There is no way I can afford to spend tons of money to read all of my favorites. I only have two subscriptions at this point and my limit is five for my budget. Occasionally a writer will have something amazing that I just have to read but then the rest of what they write is not so interesting. Many have been writing about elections but know that they are over I need to know what they are going to write about going forward before subscribing. And this is unfair to the people who I read often but know they aren't hurting in the pocketbook, I will choose people who are less well known first. Spreading the wealth, I hope. Also, I would consider giving a contribution in order to read a story without subscribing. One of the ladies I follow has something on her site that says buy me a coffee. I have bought her a couple. I want you to be able to make a living writing. We need you and you're all doing a fantastic job. I am certainly not opposed to paying you for it. And spreading the word with shares and talking about substack with people I meet. I hope this helps with some ideas.
This feedback is gold for all writers that have a paid option on their newsletter.
Reader (we) are not rich, and we want to read something meaningful for us.
And we need to know what is that "extra mile" before paying for it.
Buy a coffee is a great idea - often I would like to read a post without subscribing - it may be a one off topic of specific interest to me - I know I can pay for a month in some cases, but not always and then I have to remember to cancel.
Can i ask - how do You “buy a coffee” as I thought you could only subscribe either monthly or yearly through Substack? @dewaltz
I'm not sure how she does it but the one person I know who does writes 'What Joe Biden did today'. It's a very good post and actually I end up giving her more money than I would if I subscribed. She just has a button on there and it's a one-time donation rather than a subscription. As a writer I can understand why you want a subscription. As a reader I prefer not to have my card continuously resubscribing where I will probably forget. I will be subscribing to her but I wonder if she will be continuing with 'what the jerk did today'. I need to know I just don't want to be depressed everyday.
Thanks so much for your quick reply!
My sentiments exactly!!