EXCLUSIVE: News Limited’s digital media arm plans to counteract a less than impressive take-up rate on its iPad app with a free three month trial, starting today.
New subscribers can download the app free while exisiting users will receive an additional three months at no extra cost, as part of News Limited’s plan to get more people to pay for online content.
While News Limited has declined to publish its figures, group marketing director Ed Smith has told AdNews the trial is in direct reponse to less a than stellar start to the iPad app, which was released more than a year ago.
Apart from The Australian, which is not among the five mastheads included in the deal, News Limited publications - including The Daily Telegraph, Courier Mail, Adelaide Advertiser, Herald Sun and Perth Now - have all suffered less than impressive digital take-up rates.
Each of the five mastheads in the deal will offer a range of content options – based on what’s most popular in its print versions – from local news, sport and celebrity gossip.
Smith told AdNews: “We launched the free trial in Perth first, and the rate of people moving from trial to purchase has been positive.”
“We’ve not been satisfied previously with the number of people taking up the app … The Australian, which has its own app, has done exceptionally better, but then again, that’s a different market and their reader base is obviously less inclined to shy away from paying for online content.”
The trial to purchase phase is crucial for News Limited who concedes the numbers will become vital to next year’s ABC results, where online content subscribers will be part of the revised circulation figures.
“It’s extremely expensive and time consuming to develop and publish content for each of the metros to the app, therefore it’s important for us to get it right,” Smith said.
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