Subscription commerce is a beautiful thing when everything is working smoothly, but success requires subscribers, and acquiring new subscribers can be a tough nut to crack. Picking the right marketing plan can make or break a subscription business. You need to find that perfect balance between representing your company’s values and attracting the right audience.

In this post, we will guide you through some proven subscription marketing techniques to help you get those numbers up.

7 Subscription marketing strategies you should try

Here are some of the best subscription marketing strategies you can use to showcase your subscription business.

Create high-quality content

It should go without saying that your marketing materials need to look good, offer concise information, and engage your target audience. Content is one of the most essential tools to help you display your brand to potential subscribers and continue to instil confidence in existing subscribers.

Effective content you should create includes videos, social media posts, SEO-focused blog posts, email newsletters, or even a podcast. The more you can get your brand out there with engaging content, the better placed you will be to grab those new subscribers.

You’ll want to post new content regularly but try not to over-do it. Flooding your social media and blogs can actually detract from your efforts. Instead, try to schedule content to release across your marketing channels in a steady stream to maximise your results.

Offer free trials or incentives

Nearly all subscription commerce businesses offer a free trial of some kind, and for good reason.

A free trial period lets potential subscribers experience what your product offers without making a financial commitment. It’s a highly effective subscription marketing strategy with an up to 51% conversion rate.

There is also the freemium option, which works similarly. Subscribers can access a free tier with limited functionality for an unlimited time period or it can be time-bound to 7 or 14 days. If they like your product and feel the extra features are worthwhile, they’ll upgrade to a paid tier to enhance their experience.

The best part? You get to know who is interested in your products, and you can now upsell them the paid plan.

Use auto-renewal

Subscription customers expect to see auto-renewal as standard when they sign up for a new service. Not only does it make life easier for them, it ensures you’re not missing out on revenue if they forget to renew.

You can streamline your renewal process further by customising subscription lengths and offering monthly and annual options with auto-renewal options when that time period ends.

It’s worth noting that legislation regarding auto-renewal and subscription commerce is currently under scrutiny worldwide. If you choose to use auto-renewal for your subscription business, be mindful and be prepared to react quickly to any regulation changes.

As a general rule, you should be transparent about the renewal process and keep subscribers informed about when their plan is about to renew. These measures will also ensure your customers remain satisfied with their experience and avoid frustration from those who are charged for a subscription they forgot about.

Let your customers speak for you

Word of mouth is one of the most powerful subscription marketing tools there is. You can sink thousands into an advertising campaign and not have the same impact a friend’s recommendation can bring.

While word of mouth is tough to create, you can still use it to your advantage in your subscription marketing. Showcasing your customer reviews and testimonials is a great way to create confidence and convince new subscribers to sign up. Rather than only relying on your marketing copy to sell the product, you can use real user experiences. This offers an unmatched level of sincerity to your subscription marketing strategies that will impress potential subscribers.

Give incentives

Incentives don’t have to stop at the free trial stage. A successful subscription commerce business needs recurring subscribers to stay engaged, and one of the best ways to keep subscribers coming back is by offering incentives.

You can offer rewards for various actions, from renewals to leaving honest reviews. It’s also common to see discounts for choosing an annual over monthly renewal, which ensures the subscriber will stick around for longer.

Personalise the marketing

Personalisation is a huge factor in convincing potential subscribers to part with their hard-earned money. In fact, 71% of customers expect to see some level of personalisation when interacting with businesses.

When creating content, consider your target audience carefully and ensure it reflects their unique preferences and needs. Maintaining personalisation throughout their subscription will also build a strong connection between you and your subscribers, increasing loyalty and the chance of word-of-mouth marketing.

Identifying unique aspects of your subscription product can also influence your marketing efforts. As you research your target audience, you should see what parts of your product appeal most to them. Use this knowledge to build highly effective subscription marketing strategies and secure new signups.

Make your platform intuitive

While not specifically a marketing activity, a lot can be said for making an attractive, easy-to-use platform. If potential subscribers struggle to use your product from the get-go, marketing probably won’t convince them to stay.

Make sure to design a simple yet functional UX and integrate an e-commerce platform offering a trustworthy payment gateway.

Limio makes it easy to implement your subscription marketing

Using these tips will help you build highly effective subscription marketing strategies and grow your business, but there’s still more to do.

Limio makes it easy to manage your subscription business by giving you control over the whole purchasing experience, including pricing, messaging, promotions, checkouts and anything else you need to create personalised commerce experiences. We are the subscription commerce experts who can help you secure new subscribers, increase revenue, and boost conversions

Whether you’re trying to get a new subscription product off the ground or want to replatform to boost your conversion rate, Limio is here to help.