Subscriber management

Q: What is best practice now?

A: Having worked in publishing for over twenty years, I can confidently say that subscriber management has evolved more in the last few years than ever before. What used to be a fairly straightforward (though of course hugely important) operational / fulfilment function operating in the background has become much more strategic.

Data

First things first… clean data.

A clear, single source of truth has to be the first stepping stone.

Over the years, we’ve seen some sights (!), where data from multiple sources come together, and not in a good way. When data comes from customer web forms and show order forms, without appropriate structure enforcement or automated integrity checks, the result can be incomplete demographics, inconsistent structures and duplications that cause an involuntary face palm.

But throwing more tech at bad data won’t solve the problem. Start with consistent, clear structure and information you can trust. Then get clear on your data strategy.

I love brainstorming with publishers on creative ways to acquire, retain and engage customers, but first we need to understand who we’re talking to, whether that’s an individual or corporate subscriber, or an institutional customer, what permissions we have and how that relationship actually works.

For example, if we want to incorporate WhatsApp into the comms, we need to map out the permissions, process flow and customer experience for each recipient type and scenario. Not every method is appropriate for every demographic.

If you communicate with customers like you don’t know them, they won’t connect with you.

People aren’t subscribing to a magazine, they’re subscribing to your brand.

Customer experience

Subscriber expectations have changed. We all expect immediate, frictionless and personalised experiences in almost every area of our lives, from retail and entertainment to banking and social media. Publishing can’t afford to be the exception.

Best practice today is about creating a consistent, relevant customer experience that reinforces trust in the brand. Whether that’s an individual subscriber renewing online, a corporate customer managing multiple users, or an institution accessing content via IP authentication, the expectation is the same: simple, reliable and frictionless.

But quality customer service still matters enormously. In an ideal world, subscribers should be able to find the information they need quickly and easily… and sometimes, only a human will do.

I think we’re all suffering with information overload and in a world of automation and AI generated information, speaking to a trusted human is more valuable than ever. Sometimes people simply want to talk to somebody who will take their problem away.

But that comes at a cost… right?

Simplify

Publishing has become commercially harder. Things that have worked previously just don’t deliver the same value, so publishers are trying to evolve quickly. But in doing so, many are adding operational complexity, and creativity and complexity are not the same thing.

Poor communication, delayed fulfilment, inaccurate data and disjointed customer journeys all damage the subscriber experience and erode trust.

Though simplification isn’t just about customer experience. It’s about operational efficiency too. Clean data, accurate bank reconciliation and trusted reporting all reduce cost, improve visibility and free up teams to focus on growth rather than administration.

So, subscriber management works best when it is treated as a strategic function supporting the wider relationship between publisher and audience.

1. Get the data right and get your view clear
2. Ensure your customers are treated impeccably
3. Simplify the way you do that to manage expectations and maintain trust
4. Focus on operational efficiency

Q: How do you see it changing in the future?

A: I’m going to be incredibly honest, perhaps more than I should. The need for a bureau in its traditional sense is diminishing. Looking ahead, most subscriptions will be managed in the same way we manage our Netflix, Spotify and Disney Plus subscriptions. Even subscribers of those lovely, heritage brands who currently prefer sending a cheque and chatting to the customer service team about the latest issue… those future 65-70 year old subscribers are the 45-50 year olds of today, already self-serving most areas of their lives online, via an app. Honestly, if I have to manage something away from my phone, I’m not interested.

But this is exactly why any “bureau” that truly understands publishing needs to evolve.

The future shouldn’t be about removing that trusted human interaction entirely but balancing it alongside the right tools and automation to give customers more control and better self-service. The strong self-service is what makes excellent customer care more affordable and more effective. Offset the costs of trusted humans with the efficiency of technology and everybody wins.

And it’s the relationship part that matters more than ever.

Publishers aren’t just competing with other publishers (they haven’t been for years). They are competing against anything that occupies the attention of the reader. Audiences live in a world of information bombardment, constant choice and distraction. If a brand is not consistently relevant, visible and valuable, it will quickly get lost in the noise.

That means subscriber management increasingly becomes audience engagement management.

A monthly magazine alone is unlikely to be enough to maintain long term engagement, even for loyal readers who still genuinely love print.

But print remains incredibly valuable because it allows people to switch off from the constant noise and pace of digital life. Between issues, however, attention and disposable income are quickly drawn elsewhere.

So, how do you stay relevant, and seen?

Newsletter marketing is not it. My inbox is quite frankly a bin.

Publishers need to put themselves in front of their audience, not create a place for their audience to come to them. We need the audience to subscribe to the brand, not the magazine.

And that brand needs to take up more space in the life of their customer. Habits are built through consistency, repetition and relevance over time. It takes 66 days to build a habit*, so you need to bleed into their every day. That could mean apps delivering relevant, personalised information, podcasts, influencers attached to the brand, online communities or partnerships that help audiences feel connected to something bigger.

There are already strong examples of this happening within the sector. emap’s Ask Nursing Times is a great example of creating practical ongoing engagement around a brand, that delivers tangible day-to-day value.

Community also has a huge role to play. The best engagement ideas don’t have to be expensive curated events. Sometimes they are smaller, simpler and more authentic. There is opportunity for brands to build habit and loyalty through communities, partnerships and shared interests… perhaps a running club connected to a wellness brand or collaborations with trusted influencers who help audiences feel part of something bigger. My personal view is that social media is one of the biggest disruptors and distractors, so ensure you have a relatable presence there, look to trusted influencers who align with your brand.

If publishers can create this type of strong partnership with relevant influencers and brands, everybody wins.

People buy people and emotionally connected customers are just more valuable**, especially in a world of AI and information overload.

Technology and AI will clearly influence this space significantly, particularly around personalisation. But I think the real opportunity is in selecting the right tools and using technology intelligently to make the subscriber experience feel more relevant, more useful and more meaningful to the individual, using all of the data publishers are, and should be, collecting on an ongoing basis.

I believe successful subscriber management lies in utilising AI, technology and audience insight to enhance the relationship with your reader, build and affirm trust to make a better connection and channel their interests and habits.

Putting words into action might look like:

• Collect meaningful audience data (not just transactional)
• Use AI and data intelligently to deliver more personalised subscriber experiences
• Build engagement & communities around lifestyle, habits and interests
• Become part of the subscriber’s regular routine
• Create connected experiences across print, digital and communities
• Invest in strong self-service and quality human customer service
• Simplify systems and processes to reduce friction and improve trust
• Focus on long term audience relationships and emotional connection

* Source: Lally, P. et al. (2010), How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world, European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), pp. 998–1009. Based on research conducted at University College London.

** Source: Harvard Business Review, The New Science of Customer Emotions, Scott Magids, Alan Zorfas & Daniel Leemon, November 2015. Research found emotionally connected customers are, on average, 52% more valuable than highly satisfied customers.

Q: What are your three top tips?

1. Prioritise relevance and frequency: Audiences are overwhelmed with information and choice, so don’t just add to the noise. Deliver content, communication and experiences that genuinely matter to the individual subscriber. Relevance builds engagement. Engagement builds habit. Habit builds retention.

2. Invest in trust: Let’s be honest, we’d all rather avoid contacting any customer service team, (who has the time?), so strong self-service is the dream, but when we need support, we appreciate immediate, informed and human interaction. Strong customer service builds reassurance, confidence and loyalty, particularly in a world where audiences are often overwhelmed by information and automation. Trust remains one of the most valuable assets any brand can build.

3. Shared values deliver better outcomes: You can have the best technology and systems in the world, but if the people involved are not aligned, everything becomes harder, slower and more frustrating than it needs to be.

To me, genuine partnership matters far more than black and white service lines. The real value comes from working alongside publishers to solve problems, identify opportunities and achieve shared outcomes, even if some conversations sit outside of the core service offering.

It means finding a partner aligned with your values, strategy and ways of working. The people element matters. Have you ever managed a disjointed, fractious team?

A disjointed partnership never delivers the best outcomes.

As a “partner”, we have occasionally walked away from pitches where we knew the partnership model simply would not work long term. Not because either side was necessarily wrong, but because if values, expectations and ways of working are not aligned, it becomes incredibly difficult to achieve the best possible outcome.

Choosing the right partner is pretty mission critical, for all of us! A true partner adapts with you and supports your growth, goals and outcomes, not just the services they’ve been contracted to provide. The right relationship is key across all areas of subscriptions management, whether that’s SaaS, service delivery or product. People buy people.

Technology will evolve. Processes can change. But trust, alignment and relationships are much harder to build if they are not there from the start.

About ESco

We provide high-quality solutions to publishers, membership organisations, charities, and businesses with a recurring customer base. That includes top-notch customer service, building and maintaining clever single customer view platforms, seamless payment handling, smart data management, and crafting personalised, multi-channel comms that keep your customers engaged and coming back for more. We’re a team that cares about what we do - and the people we do it for.

Email: louise.mchale@esco.co.uk

Web: www.esco.co.uk