In June, we organized a subscription speed-dating workshop in London. Speed-dating you said? Yes: a new kind of workshop aimed at facilitating knowledge-sharing among participants while... having fun.
The workshop took place in the impressive In Digital offices in Covent Garden with 20 publishing professionals specialized in digital subscription. The atmosphere at the event was absolutely amazing: the sun shining, a beautiful terrace, everyone open to sharing their challenges, wins and failures, plus expertise from the Poool, In Digital and Aptitude teams who helped run the day.
The plan was to split into 4 groups, consisting of 5 participants and 1 facilitator, with each group focusing on one stage of the subscription funnel:
- Soft conversion steps
- Dynamic user journeys
- Onboarding of new members/subscribers
- Long-term retention
During each 15-minute session, the group moderators prompted participants to discuss this stage in the funnel, their ongoing projects, any obstacles they were facing, and what strategies were proving successful (or not).
When the time was over, we blew the whistle to change tables, and each group had to move on to the next stage.
Today, let’s dive into step 3: Onboarding new members and subscribers
Good marketers let things develop. They build relationships, one step at a time, and then ask themselves, ‘Is this going anywhere?’ Their data tells them the answer, and they act on it”.
This sentence, taken from Neil Hoyne’s book Converted, couldn’t be more true about onboarding tips and tactics.
A properly onboarded subscriber has:
- Gained short-term value from the converting article, feature, or benefit
- Understood what value the ongoing subscription will provide
Consideration for your definition
- What are the key value milestones for subscribers?
- What data do we have or need to identify these milestones?
The Audiencers’ strategies to ace onboarding
Step 0: Define the actions you want your new client to achieve
Of course, you’re not doing this just for fun. We know that members/subscribers with the highest equipment rate are the most loyal.
