{"id":8689,"date":"2019-02-28T13:29:00","date_gmt":"2019-02-28T13:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/piano.io\/?post_type=content_page&p=8606"},"modified":"2019-09-10T17:03:45","modified_gmt":"2019-09-10T17:03:45","slug":"making-every-offer-count","status":"publish","type":"content_page","link":"https:\/\/resources.piano.io\/fr\/content\/making-every-offer-count\/","title":{"rendered":"Making every offer count"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Introduction<\/h1>\n

In today\u2019s competitive media environment, content providers and publishers need to use all of the tools in their toolbox to meet their audience and revenue goals. But many are still not sure how to get it right.<\/p>\n

Realizing that digital advertising is no longer enough to fuel business growth, and accumulating clicks isn\u2019t going to increase future chances of success, some choose to panic. Others try to ignore their decreasing revenue numbers and double down on an outdated model instead. But a growing number of media companies recognize an opportunity to accomplish something else \u2014 building their business through direct relationships with their users.<\/p>\n

Subscribers can play a critical role in accomplishing that. Demonstrably connected to the brand, they help media companies achieve their business goals. And content providers are shifting their priorities in accordance. After surveying 200 media executives, senior editors and digital leaders, the Reuters Institute\u2019s 2019 Journalism, Media and Technology Trends and Predictions report<\/a> found that 52 percent saw subscription and membership as their main revenue focus for 2019, compared to only 27 percent concentrating on display advertising.<\/p>\n

But converting users into subscribers isn\u2019t always easy. It means fostering engagement and building a user experience that connects. It also requires the right offer to inspire conversion. All of which are tasks many media providers struggle with.<\/p>\n

To help navigate those changes and find answers that work, Piano has analyzed user habits and business tactics across our network of over 1,000 media brands. Companies large and small, they range from traditional publications putting online first, to digital startups searching out the best solutions to foster growth. As they strive to gain loyalty and encourage engagement, in order to carve out a subscription base, they have one thing in common: an interest in learning the new strategies and insights that guide the media world today.<\/p>\n

\"Piano:<\/p>\n

<\/a>I. The Making of an Engaged User<\/h1>\n

The path to subscription begins with engagement.<\/p>\n

Long before they\u2019ve seen an offer to convert, most subscribers start as engaged users. Piano data overwhelmingly supports this \u2014 for example, in the 60 days prior to subscribing, 55 percent of converters log a minimum of one direct visit, and 57 percent visit the homepage at least once. What\u2019s more, the more engaged a user is at the time that they subscribe, the more likely they are to stay engaged after \u2014 and the higher the chance they\u2019ll remain subscribed.<\/p>\n

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55%<\/div>\n
Of converters log a minimum of one direct visit<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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57%<\/div>\n
Visit the homepage at least once<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

But engagement takes forms beyond views, and even the simplest of user interactions \u2014 navigating through a site to read a second page, for instance, or turning off an ad blocker \u2014 can also be a sign of burgeoning loyalty.<\/p>\n

That loyalty shouldn\u2019t be taken for granted, though. Engagement takes nurturing, and conversion the right incentives to succeed.<\/p>\n

The Value of Recirculation<\/h2>\n

Just as every journey begins with a first step, every engaged user starts with a second view. About 60 to 80 percent of visitors are likely to bounce on their first visit, making those who stick around of critical importance. Those are the visitors who recirculate, navigating through to find something else to read \u2014 and by engaging with another article, video or audio clip, they bond deeper with the brand. In that critical 60 days prior to subscription, 78 percent of visitors will recirculate. For those who generate at least five pageviews within a month, over 40 percent come from recirculation on average \u2014 more than four times higher than the median visitor. These high-frequency visitors explore the website the way it was designed to be used, with visits to the homepage and content throughout.<\/p>\n

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78%<\/div>\n
Percentage of visitors who will recirculate in the critical 60 days prior to subscription<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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40%<\/div>\n
Percentage that comes from recirculation for those who generate at least five pageviews within a month<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A user experience that fosters return visits, then, is the first step to conversion. By feeding recirculation through the use of content recommendations, welcome messages for first-time visitors, or special offers based on content viewed, media providers can encourage users to continue to explore. A free e-book or benefit presented on exit can do the same, while providing visitors with an incentive to leave their email address behind \u2014 an action that will assist media providers as they build their engagement efforts, and make users more likely to come again.<\/p>\n

Building Advertising Engagement<\/h2>\n

Recirculation may be the first sign of future conversion, but even the smallest actions after can help lead users there as well \u2014 and perhaps counter-intuitively to some, asking visitors to turn off ad blockers can be one of them. Piano customers report an average 89 percent increase in desktop pageviews from ad blocking visitors in the 30 days following ad blocker disablement.<\/p>\n

Those users who comply, and continue to visit anyway, are taking another step toward brand loyalty. And since ad blocker customers tend to be heavier internet users overall, this simple move will often reclaim outsized ad impressions and increase revenue too.<\/p>\n

\"Piano<\/p>\n

Making Registration Matter<\/h2>\n

Registration is a significant stop on the way to conversion and represents a strong signal for media providers that a user is engaged. Since registered users convert at 10 times the rate as anonymous visitors, it may also be a predictor of who will one day subscribe. But conversion, even for registered users, isn\u2019t guaranteed. In fact, Piano data demonstrates that the value of a registered user depends on how effectively media providers can nurture that engagement. Through targeted email campaigns and newsletters, registration allows media providers the chance to put premium content in front of users before asking them to pay \u2014 demonstrating increased value and making them more likely to convert on higher-priced offers.<\/p>\n

Of course, since the lifetime value of a subscription is so much higher than that of other possible consumer actions, it\u2019s important to understand user behavior well enough to know when to present a subscription offer over a registration prompt. The right data helps determine that.<\/p>\n

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How Piano Can Help<\/h2>\n