Proven Discount Strategies for Publishers

Discounts and special offers are powerful marketing tools that can boost conversion rates by leveraging urgency and pricing psychology. However, when these tactics are exploited, they can drive customers away and cheapen your brand in the process. Therefore, setting up the right timing for your offers is as critical as finding the right amount. In this blog post, we will explore some proven discount strategies for publishers to help them strike a balance between conversion and retention1.

Begin with the End in Mind

It's best to begin with the end in mind. Start by asking yourself, what do I want to accomplish by offering a discount? Do you want to give non-subscribers a reason to buy? Increase the number of new monthly or annual subscribers? Keep already paying subscribers around for longer? Typically, discounting strategies are about striking a balance between two key metrics: conversion and retention1.

Lead with Great Content

Lead with great content and only rely on discounts as the final nudge. Value should be the driving force of growth, not just a low price. Discounts and special offers are powerful, but they are not magic. They should be used to complement your content, not replace it1.

Creating Discount and Trial Offers in Ghost

Ghost offers a powerful and flexible system for creating discount and trial offers to convert more paid customers and grow your audience. The offers system in Ghost allows you to offer shareable discounts to your audience, as well as offering free trials to your premium tiers. The offers page appears in Ghost Admin when you have an active Stripe connection in place. To create a discount offer, you can follow the steps outlined in the Ghost Help Center2.

How to Price Your Offers: Conversion versus Retention

In subscription-based businesses, conversion offers spur growth while retention ones increase staying power. Here's how to use both successfully3.

Additional Resources

Ghost offers a variety of resources to help publishers build a business in the creator economy. The Ghost resources page includes articles about building a publishing business with memberships and subscriptions, tips about marketing, growth, finance, and more5.In conclusion, discounts and special offers can be powerful marketing tools when used correctly. By following the proven discount strategies for publishers outlined in this blog post, you can strike a balance between conversion and retention, lead with great content, and use Ghost's powerful system for creating discount and trial offers to convert more paid customers and grow your audience12.