Subscriptions are far and away the most consistent source of revenue for newspapers. However, to grow their subscriber numbers, sometimes they need to throw away consistency in favor of a more experimental approach.The Independent has been a digital-only title for six years, having sloughed off its loss-inducing paper edition in 2016. While it has been solidly profitable for those years, its revenue has largely been generated through digital advertising; the same sort of business model that led to mass layoffs and bankruptcy at BuzzFeed and Vice respectively.To head off problems with digital advertising, the Independent has made it a priority to diversify its revenue. While ecommerce and video advertising are core, its chair John Paton told me it sees a way clear to multiplying its direct reader revenue by five within three years.
Origen: How personalization increases the odds of subscription success – DCN
