I think the tricky part about the Leaderboard is that the reason I pay for a subscription is because I value the content and want to support it -- so complementary access isn't much of an incentive from my perspective. Your comment about how paid subscribers "are thrilled with the content [but] they can’t share it with others in a meaningful way" resonated with me. One idea could be to try a "community unlock" approach, where the more paid subscribers you have, the more content gets released from behind the paywall, so the paid subscriptions have the effect of making more of the content sharable.
Your comment about the Leaderboard seems absolutely relevant to me. For publications like mine (and like Melissa Bowman, who comments below), the kinds of readers who find our content valuable are not the kind of people who value 'getting a deal on a subscription.' They tend to value the subscription for one or both of two reasons, both of which you've alluded to: a) They value the content itself and b) They value and want to support the creator.
I'm going to think about the Community Unlock idea. Substack also allows creators to paywall a piece and then take it out from behind the paywall at a pre-determined time. While this takes away from the value of immediacy, it could serve as an incentive to bring people on as subscribers in order to get the content two weeks earlier, or something like that.
I am grateful for your support and for sharing my posts when you are able. Your support doesn't go unnoticed. <3
Let me know what you decide to do! In my case, I want to support more creators with my dollars, but I just don't have any dollars to spend. There are a good 10 Substack's, yours included, that I would be thrilled to pay for!
I'm trying to hear (and learn) from other writers on the platform about what works best. At my core, I really want to keep my posts available to all but that's partly because I feel like what I am writing about (municipal politics/issues) is important for people to have access to, not just those who can pay for it. But, you're right, it then doesn't 'motivate' folks to switch to paid subscriptions because there is no 'exclusive content'. It's tough to decide the best way forward. I am appreciative of any support people offer, including likes and shares because that also helps folks become aware of the newsletter.
I think the tricky part about the Leaderboard is that the reason I pay for a subscription is because I value the content and want to support it -- so complementary access isn't much of an incentive from my perspective. Your comment about how paid subscribers "are thrilled with the content [but] they can’t share it with others in a meaningful way" resonated with me. One idea could be to try a "community unlock" approach, where the more paid subscribers you have, the more content gets released from behind the paywall, so the paid subscriptions have the effect of making more of the content sharable.
Your comment about the Leaderboard seems absolutely relevant to me. For publications like mine (and like Melissa Bowman, who comments below), the kinds of readers who find our content valuable are not the kind of people who value 'getting a deal on a subscription.' They tend to value the subscription for one or both of two reasons, both of which you've alluded to: a) They value the content itself and b) They value and want to support the creator.
I'm going to think about the Community Unlock idea. Substack also allows creators to paywall a piece and then take it out from behind the paywall at a pre-determined time. While this takes away from the value of immediacy, it could serve as an incentive to bring people on as subscribers in order to get the content two weeks earlier, or something like that.
I am grateful for your support and for sharing my posts when you are able. Your support doesn't go unnoticed. <3
You summed up much of what I have been thinking around 'to paywall or not to paywall'!
Let me know what you decide to do! In my case, I want to support more creators with my dollars, but I just don't have any dollars to spend. There are a good 10 Substack's, yours included, that I would be thrilled to pay for!
I'm trying to hear (and learn) from other writers on the platform about what works best. At my core, I really want to keep my posts available to all but that's partly because I feel like what I am writing about (municipal politics/issues) is important for people to have access to, not just those who can pay for it. But, you're right, it then doesn't 'motivate' folks to switch to paid subscriptions because there is no 'exclusive content'. It's tough to decide the best way forward. I am appreciative of any support people offer, including likes and shares because that also helps folks become aware of the newsletter.
I just read this one this morning - you may find it interesting as well. https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/how-to-write-a-successful-substack