Paywall Podcast - Subscription strategies for news and magazine publishers

Mar 28 2025 67 ep. 33 mins 7
Paywall Podcast - Subscription strategies for news and magazine publishers artwork

We discuss paywall strategies for content publishers. With over 1000 news, magazine, and content publishers running our Leaky Paywall platform we have learned quite a bit about what works (and doesn't) in digital publishing. Join Pete and Tyler for a deep dive that will help you grow your paid audience.

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AI-Powered LocalCalendar: How SalemReporter.com Became the Go-To Events Destination

Mar 28 2025 26 mins  
In this episode of the Paywall Podcast, sponsored by LeakyPaywall, Pete and Tyler discuss the implementation and impact of a local events calendar on the Salem Reporter website. The calendar, live for two months, almost immediately improved SEO, driving significant traffic as events ranked on Google. The site hosts about 1000 events daily through automation, with constant updates t

10 reasons why your subscription revenue is underperforming (and how to fix them)

Mar 07 2025 30 mins  
In this episode of the Paywall Podcast, sponsored by LeakyPaywall, Pete and Tyler focus on the top 10 reasons for underperforming subscription revenue for news and magazine publishers. They discuss several common issues such as the inefficacy of free registrations on paid subscription pages, the importance of visible and easily accessible subscription buttons, the issue of too many

Your Event Calendar challenge and our take on the solution

Feb 07 2025 19 mins  
In this episode of the Paywall Podcast, sponsored by LeakyPaywall, Pete and Tyler discuss the difficulties faced by local and regional publishers in maintaining comprehensive and up-to-date event calendars. They introduce a new automated event calendar solution that leverages AI to collect, categorize, and display events seamlessly on WordPress websites. The system not only saves p

How content restrictions drive subscriptions

Jan 20 2025 27 mins  
In this episode of the Paywall Podcast, sponsored by LeakyPaywall, Pete and Tyler discuss the various content restriction strategies for news and magazine publishers. The hosts discuss different phases of paywalls: hard paywalls, metered paywalls, and free registration. The discussion include the benefits and challenges associated with each, using examples like the New York Times,

Subscription Sticker Shock: Should You Raise Your Prices?

Dec 04 2024 40 mins  
In this episode of the Paywall Podcast, sponsored by LeakyPaywall, Pete and Tyler discuss strategies for increasing subscription prices without affecting subscriber retention. They stress observing industry giants like Netflix for pricing cues and recommend annual over monthly subscriptions to avoid frequent small charges. The discussion includes trial-based promotions over deep di

Black Friday Without the Profit Burn

Nov 16 2024 16 mins  
In this episode of the Paywall Podcast, sponsored by LeakyPaywall, Pete and Tyler discusses the optimal Black Friday strategies for news and magazine publishers, emphasizing the importance of offering time-based discounts over monetary discounts to reduce subscriber churn. The conversation covers various pricing structures and ways to elevate subscribers to higher commitment plans,

How Mexico News Daily Streamlines Newsletters with Flowletter for a Seamless Reader Experience

Oct 17 2024 31 mins  
In this episode of the Paywall Podcast, sponsored by LeakyPaywall, Pete and Tyler explores Flow Letter, an innovative newsletter system that integrates seamlessly with WordPress to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of newsletter creation for publishers. The discussion includes a case study on Mexico News Daily's transition from MailChimp to Flow Letter, resulting in signific

Promote Subscription Benefits Over Features in Seconds using AI

Sep 27 2024 25 mins  
In this episode of the Paywall Podcast, sponsored by LeakyPaywall, Pete and Tyler focus on the importance of emphasizing subscriber benefits over features for news and magazine publishers. The episode introduces a method using AI, specifically ChatGPT, to transform feature-centric language on subscription pages into compelling benefits that resonate with potential subscribers. An e

How to Boost Traffic, Build Your Email List, and Increase Subscriptions with the Right Paywall Strategy

Aug 08 2024 46 mins  
This episode of the Paywall Podcast, sponsored by LeakyPaywall, Pete and Tyler provide an in-depth analysis on how news and magazine publishers can increase website traffic, build email lists, and grow paid subscriptions with effective paywall strategies. Common concerns among publishers, such as the fear of paywalls reducing traffic and ad revenue, are discussed. The hosts advocat

The Subscription Page Formula: Best Practices Blueprint

Jul 25 2024 36 mins  
In this episode of the Paywall Podcast, sponsored by LeakyPaywall, Pete and Tyler provide an in-depth analysis of successful paywall strategies for news and magazine publishers. Highlighting examples like the Civil War Monitor and Salem Reporter, they stress the critical importance of simplifying subscription landing pages to enhance user experience and increase conversions. Key in