© Illustration by Aurélie Garnier
During an election, audiences surge and reading intent is at its peak. People who rarely visit come looking for results, explanations and somewhere to follow the night as it unfolds. For a subscription business, that’s a rare opportunity.
We looked at 21 initiatives from 12 publishers in France, the UK, the US, Spain and Germany, across elections and other big moments like Euro 2024 and the Paris Olympics, which raise the same questions. The publishers getting the most out of these moments work towards four goals, in order:
- Attract: make your site the place to follow the election, with hubs, live coverage, data and service tools
- Engage: get readers taking part, with votes, predictions and contributions
- Recruit: capture an email address or another owned channel in exchange for a service
- Convert: time-limited offers and a value message that follow the electoral calendar
Here’s what each one looks like in practice, and how to adapt it for your next election.
