Keeping customers for life: A new guide from Zephr shows publishers how to reduce subscriber churn in uncertain economic times

The cost of living crisis has made consumers take a very careful look at their finances, including just how many subscriptions they can afford per household. With this in mind, subscription management platform Zephr has produced a practical digital publisher’s handbook that explores the reasons readers cancel, and shares tips on how to reduce churn. 

“Fortunately, the reasons people unsubscribe from digital publications have stayed relatively consistent throughout the years,” the guide points out, adding that the strategies covered in the handbook “are well established and used by leading publishers to minimise risk”. 

Identifying the reasons why readers don’t pay for news, the guide unpacks pitfalls like daunting content format, subscription saturation and a lack of transparency in pricing, billing and packages.  

Stressing that “knowing the reasons why a user might churn is only half the journey”, the handbook delves into steps publishers can take to retain readers, including an effective onboarding strategy and finding ways to really connect with users. 

“In a saturated subscription economy, publishers need to establish more meaningful ways to understand and engage their user base,” says Kyle Whitworth, Senior Customer Success Manager at Zephr. “Active engagement and retention strategies are underpinned by a simple goal – consistently finding ways to increase the value that your subscriber base experiences from your product.” 

Download the guide in full here.