Discounted subscription trials and promo offers are here to stay

The vast majority of publishers now use discounted trials and promotional offers as cornerstones of their subscriber acquisition strategies, and that’s unlikely to change any time soon for one key reason: They continue to prove an effective growth driver for sustainable subscription businesses. As their subscription efforts mature, it’s become clear that some publishers have leaned too heavily on discounting and other aggressive promotional tactics to offset weaknesses in their underlying content and product offerings, and that their subscription businesses might be living on borrowed time as a result. But while some publishers have relied on trials and discounts as a crutch, others are using them responsibly and effectively to power sustainable subscriber a