Publishers need to broaden their concept of payment. There are far more options than simply money for access.
Jim McKelvey’s Invisibly app allows readers to pay for content in one of three ways. They can let Invisibly sell their data, they can voluntarily submit data (like survey answers), or they can pay money. It’s all managed through a points system. E.g., if you answer a question you win points, which allows you to buy access to premium content.
A similar model could be used with any number of monetization models. E.g.,
- Affiliate sales
- Sign-ups for e-newsletters
- Referring friends
- Reading sponsored content or attending sponsored events, etc.
There’s room for lots of experimentation to get the mix just right.
Get beyond advertising and subscriptions and think creatively.
If you haven’t yet, watch the interview with Jim at the recent MACMA Industry Days event in NYC.
