<aside> 📌 For journalists and press collectives who are reader funded: a growing collection of levers to turn more readers becoming paying subscribers.

Pro tip: duplicate this document into your own Notion by clicking the copy icon top right. Helpful for using the checklist. The rest is a work in progress and it’s evolving every week so check back for updates or get on the newsletter!

Page maintained by Lex Roman @lexjustliving Follow along when you get my newsletter Want to test one of these together? Email me! [email protected]

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🎯 Level 1: Foundations

1️⃣ Choose your tools

• [ ] Pick your newsletter and website tool (recommend Ghost for newsrooms and Beehiiv for solo newsletter writers)
• [ ] Set up your payment processor (recommend Stripe which is preferred by Ghost and Beehiiv)
• [ ] Buy your domain (recommend Hover. You can hook up a custom domain in Ghost or Beehiiv)
• [ ] Set up your domain email address (optional but creates a separate inbox for you “[email protected]”) and allows you to set a sender photo—recommend Google Workspace Starter or Proton Mail)

2️⃣ Create your tiers

• [ ] Start with two tiers unless you have a reason to add a third (most worker-owned outlets are doing 2-3 tiers)
• [ ] Set your pricing with the JPT Mutual Pricing Framework
• [ ] Define your perks (Keep these simple and don’t overcommit to work you don’t want to do. Check out these examples.)
• [ ] Create your tiers in Ghost or Beehiiv. This should also create them in Stripe.

3️⃣ Cover your bases

• [ ] Check your homepage and article pages are driving people to subscribe and pay:
  • [ ] A newsletter subscribe call to action on every page
  • [ ] An upgrade to paid path on every page
  • [ ] If not, add this CTA in—see below for ideas!
• [ ] Add a welcome email for free subs
  • [ ] Include the why behind your work
  • [ ] Include a subscribe now button and sales pitch for your paid subscriptions
• [ ] Add a welcome email for paid subs
  • [ ] Include their perks
  • [ ] Include an ask to review or shout out why they subscribed on a specific social media platform (one you use)
• [ ] Set up domain verification with your newsletter tool to avoid spam reports and blocks
  • [ ] Check our newsletter docs for “domain verification.” Typically will involve adding SPF, DKIM and DMARC records

🎚️Level 2: Add Automated Levers

The more automated levers you can build into your systems, the less work it becomes to convert free readers into paying subscribers. The levers here are fairly common and while you should still test them, they’re likely wins.

Plays to run

📣 Level 3: Run Manual Promotions

Coming soon!

✏️ Lever 4: Write Really Good Marketing Messaging

Marketing messaging should motivate your readers to subscribe, promote and pay. Some good rules of marketing copy include:

• Meet the reader where they are with your opener. Marketing should grab them just as much as the news.
• Subject lines and first lines are most important (Hooks are most relevant in your marketing messages)
• Reduce friction in your copy: don’t make them think too hard. Use known references and phrasing.
• Using short words at 6th grade level or below (Try Hemingway Editor to check)
• Chunk out your writing more than you would in an article (think lines not paragraphs, bullets or emojis if that’s your style)
• Money and metrics should ideally be “quick read sale format” like 15% off rather than 15 percent off

Recommend creating your own style guide or adding to your editorial style guide some parameters for marketing speak.

Messaging