NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Subtext, a platform that connects publishers and creators with their audiences through text messaging, today announced it is joining BlueLena’s tech-stack to evolve their reader engagement and subscriber retention strategies through text-messaging.
To successfully maneuver the evolving media landscape, publishers are faced with the daunting challenge of investing in technology, talent and expertise to successfully implement consumer revenue strategies that are critical to long-term viability. BlueLena’s goal is to support independent local media by deploying world-class technology and delivering expertise and professional services to build and support subscription, membership and donation models for long-term success for local media.
Through this partnership, BlueLena's portfolio of over 100 publishers will have access to a high-touch channel to engage audiences and increase revenue through subscriber retention. With Subtext, BlueLena's customers can meet readers' evolving communication preferences by creating unique one-on-one connections with their audiences free from the clutter of email and noise of social media. Publishers leveraging Subtext have historically found up to a 60% reduction in subscriber churn by adding texting to their subscription experience, increasing revenue and reader retention.
“The appetites of readers are continuing to change with the times and publishers are realizing the need for a solid-tech stack to help them be authentic and creative to win them over,” said Mike Donoghue, CEO and co-founder of Subtext. “The organizations that will succeed long term are investing in the strategies and technologies that allow them to capitalize on the relationship with their audiences. Subtext is pleased to partner with BlueLena to help local media organizations do just that.”
“Everyone knows the email playbook for reader revenue,” said Ned Berke, VP of Audience Strategy at BlueLena. “Adding Subtext’s engaging SMS-based journalism platform to BlueLena’s stack delivers publishers another channel to meet their readers. Given BlueLena’s track record of successfully managing reader experiences that drive sustainable revenue for news publishers, this partnership is a big step to pioneering an SMS playbook for reader revenue and supporting the news ecosystem more broadly.”
A number of BlueLena’s customers, including Lookout Santa Cruz, Long Beach Post, Wausau Pilot & Review, and Check Out DFW have already begun their texting journey. For more information, contact solutions@bluelena.io.
About Subtext
Subtext is a conversation platform that connects diverse content hosts and subscribers for one-on-one communication through text messaging. By creating a text chat experience, Subtext hosts have the ability to communicate with their subscribed audiences one on one or at scale through a medium that feels like an unfiltered conversation with a friend, independent of the noise of social media. Subtext customers include INFLCR, Studio71, USA Today Network, BuzzFeed News, Hearst, and McClatchy. Subtext is the fourth product spinout from Alpha Group, a successful incubator for new technology and media properties inside Advance Local. Advance Local is a unit of Advance Publications, whose portfolio of exceptional companies includes Condé Nast, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Stage Entertainment, Turnitin, 1010data, and POP. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Discovery and Reddit. For more information, visit joinsubtext.com.
Subtext Media Contact
Lauren Burge | Karbo Communications
(747) 232-3581
lauren@karbocom.com
About BlueLena
BlueLena is a founder-funded, member-supported, full-service marketing solutions agency that delivers end-to-end professional managed services, enabled by world-class technology, to build and support revenue growth through subscription, membership and donation models for newsmedia.
BlueLena has introduced a Shared Resource Management (SRM) model that allows even the smallest publishers to benefit from the same technologies deployed at some of the largest global media brands, and provides the assurance of continuous support and resourcing.
BlueLena’s one-hundred plus member consortium represents a diverse mix of non-profit and for profit newsrooms, digital native and print plus digital publications, as well as established and new media brands. Its clients represent membership with the Local Media Association (LMA), LION Publishers, the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), the National Association of Hispanic Press (NAHP), the Black Press Association (NNPA) and the Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAN).
BlueLena Media Contact
Daniel Williams | BlueLena
(919) 473-3224
daniel@bluelena.io
