HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT SUBSCRIPTION MODEL

Anne Janzer’s book Subscription Marketing at its core can give any reader, from in-the-trenches marketer to the growing business owner, the subscription chops to launch their very own subscription model.

Subscription Marketing is for the advantageous marketer/entrepreneur poised strategically to lead change and define themselves as early adopters upon the adoption bell curve. Conversely, this book is not for those seeking to answer the question “tell me how to market (insert your product here).” Rather, Anne takes the reader to another land where brands, products, and services put their customers first.

The book’s first sections start off onboarding the masses to the idea of Subscription Marketing. What stands out to me is that the concepts covered are intrinsically tied to a subscription business model. And to buy into the concept of subscription marketing one would first need to buy into the idea of the subscription business model. This can easily be done by picking up the book and diving in.

The meat of the book offers 15 different subscription marketing concepts, in a simple concise way. But that is not without an overview of the changing landscape of business models themselves. Anne’s marketing repertoire, built from working with over a hundred technology companies, allows her to offer idea after idea, after idea, after idea (you get the point) to execute a subscription model. Not only does she show how to execute the model, but she also shows how to reinforce the model with subscription based marketing. One idea or chapter could serve as something put into place tomorrow, while others could fundamentally change the way a business operates.

The end truly does become the most fun part, giving readers what they crave; a “putting it into action” section. Perhaps the best part of the book is how Anne inspires others to become agents of change. Knowing that subscription marketing is not a commonplace model, she knows that change must first start with you, the reader. Anne does not disappoint as she encourages and mentors her readers through the books closing chapters.

As an email marketer, I am happy to read and recommend this book. Subscription models and email marketing automation go hand in hand. At its core, subscription marketing helps change how marketers use email. That perspective changes from sending a few batch and blasts emails to everyone, to sending the right email at the right time.

Holistically batch and blast and customer-centric email marketing are in stark contrast to each other. Batch and blast emails help marketers blitz new opportunities. Customer centric marketing means that the person receives only what’s relevant in his or her journey with the business at that time. Subscription Marketing along with email automation allows marketers to identify key points in the customer journey that give optimal engagement. The main difference takes into the account where the customer is first before sending a seemingly unrelated marketing email and asking one’s self “what is the best way to communicate with this person at this point in his or her customer journey.”

The theme central to all of this subscription business, the one idea you need to walk away with is this: “We have to get over our obsession with the funnel if we’re going to change the way we think about customers after the sale…The customer’s journey doesn’t end with the purchase.” – Anne Janzer

If by the end of the book you are still not sure what advantage could be had by offering a subscription model for your products or services just, run down the local Blockbuster…

Check out Anne’s book here.

Header photo by Tim Graf