{"id":219582,"date":"2024-06-05T10:22:09","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T14:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lionpublishers.com\/?p=219582"},"modified":"2024-06-05T10:22:11","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T14:22:11","slug":"how-the-lansing-journal-grew-recurring-reader-revenue-by-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lionpublishers.com\/how-the-lansing-journal-grew-recurring-reader-revenue-by-20\/","title":{"rendered":"How The Lansing Journal grew recurring reader revenue by 20%"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In late 2023, following her participation in LION\u2019s Sustainability Audit<\/a> and Sustainability Lab<\/a> programs, Melanie Jongsma, publisher of The Lansing Journal<\/a>, launched a matching campaign to reach 350 monthly supporters, or about 10 percent of their total subscriber base. Melanie has been working toward this goal since she participated in a 2021 LION program, where her coach, Phillip Smith, mentioned that healthy news businesses should be converting about 10 percent of their subscribers into monthly supporters. In this spotlight, we\u2019ll discuss the tactics and results of the campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Goal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Secure 50 new monthly supporters to hit 350 by the end of 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Approach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Leveraging $5,000 of their LION Sustainability Audit program stipend, they created a matching campaign to generate recurring monthly support. The campaign ran from December 12 to December 31, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Impact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Journal signed up 48 new monthly supporters, yielding $14,000 in projected revenue for 2024. Six months later, only one of those supporters has canceled their recurring contribution. \u201dThis is why I love my Monthlies!\u201d said Melanie. \u201cOnce they sign up, they are VERY faithful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How It Happened<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On the heels of a successful Giving NEWSday<\/a> matching campaign in November, The Journal launched the new matching campaign, appealing to their community across email, social media, and direct outreach. The campaign kicked off with an email to all subscribers with the subject line, \u201cA Sustainability Grant of $5,000 has been set aside to award The Lansing Journal $100 for each new Monthly Supporter (up to 50) who signs up before the end of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next day, they sent an email appeal to subscribers who had never given before: \u201cIf you\u2019ve been enjoying The Lansing Journal, you\u2019ve been benefiting from other people\u2019s support. We need your support too, and now is the perfect time because of this matching gift.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Journal published a video on Facebook<\/a> about the importance of the work, with an appeal for people to sign up as monthly supporters. Melanie and the managing editor popped up on Facebook Live throughout the campaign and asked people to give.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melanie also used the campaign to deepen relationships with advertisers. She called local business owners to see if they would enroll as monthly givers in exchange for advertising, resulting in three ongoing advertising clients. Charging the advertising rate to their credit card as a recurring gift not only fulfilled the match requirement, but also freed Melanie up from having to sell and invoice advertisers each month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last few days of the year included a final flurry of email appeals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n