Three smart strategies in the worlds of podcasts, newsletters and news apps

Credit: Amy Cooke Photography

At the Publisher Summit last month (10 and 11 June), publishers shared brilliant ideas for using podcasts, newsletters and apps to find new audiences and make money. Here are Journalism.co.uk's top picks.

Building community through Discord

The Women's Running podcast launched during the pandemic when people desperately needed "a sense of belonging." Now it pulls in 44,000 monthly downloads and keeps around 800 paying subscribers happy across two membership tiers.

Co-founder Esther Newman cracked the code on sustaining that belonging through smart tiered support. She ties Patreon membership to Discord access - think old-school forums but with shiny new features.

The Pod Squad tier costs £2 monthly. Subscribers get exclusive content, ad-free episodes, workout guides, Discord access, and monthly live podcasts. The premium Inner Circle tier at £6 monthly lets members directly influence podcast content through an exclusive chat forum with hosts.

Discord isn't just for engagement. It's a distribution platform, feedback tool and revenue stream all rolled into one.

Not every subscriber joins Discord, but Newman calls it a "tiny but mighty" space. It creates genuine community connection - that original pandemic goal that still drives subscriber loyalty.

One brilliant idea: Turn off comment moderation. "You've made it when people argue amongst themselves," says Newman.

The commuter's winning app

"We were late to the party," admits Rupert Hargreaves, managing director of City A.M. The UK financial news outlet targets young entrepreneurs on their morning commutes. He's talking about their app relaunch in 2024 - now hitting 200,000 daily users. Not bad for a second attempt, 13 years after their first one flopped.

This year, they removed the option to download the newspaper online. The app became the default digital product for commuters. App usage doubled. They kept 96 per cent of users after 30 days, with similar rates stretching out to six months.

"We're never going to compete with the BBC or Guardian," he admits. While those legacy titles win on speed, City A.M goes deeper on taxes, economy, and investment.

One smart move: Push notifications surface in-depth analysis. They average 6-7 per cent click rates. One top-performing article hit 36 per cent.

Food for thought

The Spectator and food content? Their Take Away newsletter cleverly cross-promotes existing content - magazine columns, recipes, wine recommendations, and culinary events. Advertisers love it too.

US production editor, Hannah Tomes found their biggest wins came from advertising newsletters inside other publications, especially their large politics newsletters. QR codes in print magazines work better for general awareness than direct signups, particularly with their older readers.

One clever trick: Subscribers who read four or more food and drink articles weekly automatically get the newsletter but they can easily opt out.

Check out Media Voices' Inside The Print Revival report for more on the print resurgence and the opportunities for growth

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