Bloomberg experiments with subscriber-only content to boost retention

Mark Stenberg of Adweek reports that Bloomberg Media is experimenting with subscriber-only content as as way to boost retention.

Stenberg writes, “Bloomberg Media has begun experimenting with offering subscriber-only content related to its free, talent-driven products, such as its newsletter and podcast Odd Lots.

“While claims about retention rates require time to validate, early engagement metrics from the trial suggest long-term success. Within two months of offering subscriber-only content, the Odd Lots newsletter has seen a 100% increase in its clickthrough rate and a 50% increase in its open rate, compared to the publisher’s overall average, suggesting a heightened appetite for the exclusive material. Bloomberg Media declined to offer specific figures regarding the number of new subscribers it has generated.

“Using this tactic, Bloomberg Media treats its freely accessible newsletters and podcasts as its top-of-funnel offering, then uses exclusive content centered on its talent to drive subscriptions.”

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Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.