The Weekly Bulletin | May 13, 2025

Hi SODP community,

Let’s recap on what’s been happening, the new content, industry updates, tips, and more.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Chasing broad audiences in digital publishing? You might as well shout into a crowded room. While generic content attracts clicks, it rarely builds loyalty or revenue. Niche audiences, however, like urban gardeners, retro gaming enthusiasts, or indie filmmakers, crave tailored expertise. By focusing on specificity, you turn casual readers into invested communities ready to engage, subscribe, and pay.

A food blog targeting gluten-free vegan bakers might have a smaller audience than a general recipe site, but its readers are 3x more likely to buy recommended products. Why?

• Distinct needs: They seek solutions that generic content can’t provide (e.g., “How to make vegan croissants without gluten”).

• Trust: Specialised content positions you as the go-to expert (e.g., a newsletter for indie filmmakers reviewing budget 4K cameras).

• Monetisation leverage: Advertisers and sponsors pay premiums to reach hyper-engaged audiences.

Monetising Specificity: Real-world tactics

1. Subscription models: An example is a newsletter for urban gardeners offering seasonal planting guides and exclusive seed discounts, which saw a 200% YoY subscriber increase.

2. Affiliate marketing: Partner with brands your niche already loves (e.g., eco-friendly potting soil for organic gardeners).

3. Sponsored content: A podcast for remote workers secured sponsorships from ergonomic chair brands and local coffee roasters.

How to build a Niche-first strategy

✅ Identify the niche: Uncover gaps using surveys or social listening tools. For example, a travel publisher discovered demand for “solo female travel in Southeast Asia” via Reddit forums.

✅ Develop specialised content: Solve one problem exceptionally. For example, a YouTube channel for indie filmmakers creates budget lighting tutorials with under-$100 gear.

✅ Engage the community: Host live Q&As or members-only forums. For example, a sustainability blog built a 5,000-member Discord group for sharing zero-waste hacks.

✅ Test monetisation channels: Offer a paid webinar or niche affiliate guide before launching subscriptions.

Here are the key takeaways for publishers

• Specialised content builds loyalty: Readers return because they can’t find your depth elsewhere.

• Diversified revenue follows engagement: Micro-audiences support subscriptions, affiliates, and ads.

• Competitive edge: Generic publishers can’t replicate your authority in a focused niche.

Specificity isn’t a limitation; it’s your monetisation superpower.

SODP POSTS

11 Best Subscription Management Software in 2025

The subscription economy has experienced significant growth in recent years. As of 2024, premium U.S. streaming platforms (SVOD) grew 10.4% year-over-year, reaching over 260 million subscriptions . Subscription businesses have outpaced S&P 500 revenues nearly sixfold, marking a pivotal turning point across industries . The subscription market is projected to continue growing, with forecasts estimating it will reach $1.5 billion by 2025.

However, challenges persist for digital publishers. Signs indicate growing consumer concern about spending. A Deloitte survey found that 40% of U.S. consumers cancelled an SVOD service in the past six months, a slight improvement from 44% the previous year, suggesting churn rates are moderating. Despite this, the average monthly churn rate for 2024 netted just under 3% when accounting for resubscriptions .

To navigate these challenges, digital publishers can leverage subscription management platforms. These tools can help businesses manage subscriptions effectively, reduce churn, and enhance customer retention..

READ MORE

9 Best Paywall Services for Publishers in 2025

Paywalls have become a critical tool for digital publishers seeking to monetize content amid fluctuating ad markets. Between 2017 and 2020, the number of news outlets implementing paywalls nearly doubled each year, with adoption accelerating further in 2021 as subscriptions surged globally (Reuters Institute Digital News Report, 2022). Ad revenue plummeted by 10–15% in 2020 due to pandemic-driven cuts but rebounded sharply in 2021–2022, growing 20% year-over-year. However, economic uncertainty in 2023 led to renewed volatility, with ad spending growth slowing to 5%. This unpredictability has solidified paywalls as a stable revenue alternative, with 69% of publishers now prioritizing subscription models over ad-dependent strategies.

For those who lack the time or resources for internal development, paywall services offer a convenient way to integrate this feature with minimal effort. While paywall services are simple to implement, many factors must be considered before selecting one, such as whether the service has a sound paywall SEO strategy. Let’s take a closer look at what publishers need to consider before choosing a service.

READ MORE

JOB BOARD

➡️ Nine is looking for an audience engagement editor who will be at the forefront of connecting audiences with their content, journalists, and core values across all mastheads, while collaborating with editorial teams. (Australia). SEE MORE

➡️Brave Bison is seeking for a Technical SEO Consultant, who will work closely with the Head of SEO and their Senior Consultants to deliver best-in-class technical consulting with the opportunity to lead the SEO strategy for some of the brilliant brands they work with on a retained basis. (London). SEE MORE

COMMUNITY BUZZ

Industry News

➡️Users who arrive on websites from LLMs are generally less likely to engage than those from traditional organic search. That’s according to a new study published today by Dan Taylor of SALT.agency. This new data seems to challenge claims by Google and Microsoft Bing that citations from AI search results result in higher-quality clicks. Why we care. It’s good to know that SEO remains a valuable channel. READ MORE 

➡️On Monday, Google announced the launch of its AI Futures Fund, a new initiative that seeks to invest in startups that are building with the latest AI tools from Google DeepMind, the company’s AI R&D lab. The fund will back startups from seed to late stage and will offer varying degrees of support, including allowing founders to have early access to Google AI models from DeepMind, the ability to work with Google experts from DeepMind and Google Labs, and Google Cloud credits. Some startups will also have the opportunity to receive direct investment from Google. READ MORE 

➡️The Athletic has just surpassed 5 million newsletter subscribers—a 67 percent increase from 3 million just one year ago—underscoring the growing power of its daily dispatch. In a new deep-dive, expert Chris Sprow explains how concise, bullet-pointed updates have allowed “busy” readers to stay fully informed even when they can’t dive into the full site. As Sprow puts it, many subscribers “don’t have the time today to read The Athletic…but they would like a few bullet points about what’s really going on,” illustrating how newsletters expand The Athletic’s reach across a truly diverse audience. READ MORE 

Social Media Discussions

➡️ Eoin Clancy on LinkedIn:

The best companies are building their leads in AEO + SEO today

🔍 A case study on how to unlock your biggest growth lever

Blueprint were told building organic authority in health tech was a multi-year game.

Well they proved everyone wrong.

Chris Cutter and Kim Sheffield-Chang, challenged the hypothesis with a strategy like no other, and the proof is in the pudding.

SERP 📈 AEO ↗️

I've been analyzing their growth data, and what this team has accomplished in the healthcare space is incredible.

𝟯𝟭.𝟮𝗞 monthly visitors. 𝟲.𝟳𝗞 backlinks. Domain authority of 𝟯𝟱.

That's all from essentially a base of near zero 6 months ago

All in a highly regulated industry where trust is everything.

CONTINUE READING

These are the highlights for the last week.

Until next!

Vahe Arabian and the editorial team at SODP