In this episode, Tyler Channell reveals how his company Paywall Project helps small town news sites build subscription funnels that convert readers into paying subscribers. With real examples and data, he provides an actionable blueprint to implement key strategies like metered paywalls, free to paid content upgrades, and sponsorships.

Key timestamps

1:41 - The problem small local news publishers come to Tyler to solve

2:10 - Publishers moving from platforms like Pico/Hype which lack flexibility

5:00 - Migrating off limiting SaaS platforms like Substack

7:18 -  Services that Paywall Project offers

9:04 - Example of a client earning $5k/month in a small town of 5,000 people

10:46 - Public notice revenue at risk, need for a subscription model

17:45 - Focusing on free signups over paid at first

21:01 - Typical subscription conversion rates Tyler sees

22:27 - Intermission questions

23:00 - Pricing strategy and how to determine subscription cost

31:45 - Newsletter sponsorships as an additional revenue source

33:43 - Range of rates that publishers charge for their ads

39:15 - How much should a publisher charge for a subscription?

44:50 - Tyler's recommendations for email service providers

Show notes

Paywall Project

Hype

Substack

Newsletter Glue

WordPress

Stripe

San Francisco Chronicle

Sendy

Amazon SES

Slack

Mailchimp

ChatGPT

Guest

Tyler Channell Twitter/@TylerChannell

Paywall Project Twitter/@paywallproject

Paywall Project

Host

Lesley Sim Twitter

Lesley Sim Website

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