From casual to loyal: rethinking media engagement in the omnichannel era

From casual to loyal: rethinking media engagement in the omnichannel era

The media sector is going through a pivotal period. After the 2020 digital subscription boom that saw five French publications exceed 200,000 pure digital subscribers, the post-pandemic reality has proven more complex. Conversion rates have dropped by 45%, and publishers face a major challenge: how to sustainably transform their casual readers into loyal subscribers? The answer lies in a reimagined approach to media engagement, where registration becomes the bridge between anonymity and loyalty, where dynamic personalization replaces static paywalls, and where retention takes priority over acquisition. Through insights from the Actito Boostcamp 2025, led by Marion Wyss (Co-creator of Poool & The Audiencers, 19 years of experience in online press and creator of the "La Tech Stack des éditeurs de presse" study), discover how marketing activation and customer retention strategies are transforming the media ecosystem in the omnichannel era.

Registration: transforming the anonymous into engaged members

The facts are clear: after the euphoria of 2020, the media sector faces a more complex reality. Digital subscription growth has dropped by 45% and readers have become harder to win over. Faced with this challenge, one strategy emerges as essential: registration, that crucial step that transforms an anonymous visitor into an identified member.

Why registration has become indispensable

The numbers speak for themselves. As Emmanuel Alix, Digital Director of L'Équipe, points out: "Registered users have a subscription conversion rate 13 times better than anonymous users!" This statistic perfectly illustrates the importance of marketing segmentation in the media ecosystem.

The difference in engagement is just as striking. Jo Holdaway, Marketing Director of The Independent, observes that "anonymous users consume 3 articles per month, registered users 33, and subscribers 185". This geometric progression demonstrates the importance of creating a progressive relationship with your readers.

• 13x multiplication of conversion rate for registered users
• 11x higher content consumption by members vs. anonymous users
• Collection of first-party data essential for personalization
• Significant improvement in advertising CPMs (+30% to +300% depending on formats)

The concrete benefits of registration

Beyond conversion rates, registration generates tangible benefits for the media ecosystem. Data from The Trade Desk reveals spectacular CPM increases after registration: +48% on mobile display, +56% on mobile apps, and up to +300% on native video.

This improvement is explained by the richness of first-party data collected, which allows advertisers to better target their campaigns. As an anonymous ad sales director explains: "It's true that with half the traffic not cookied, and the other half ad-blocked, I admit that if I have 3 data points to give my advertisers I'd be happy."

Registration also addresses customer retention challenges by creating a qualified base of potential subscribers. It allows you to:

• Reduce advertising saturation by offering personalized experiences
• Build a progressive relationship before paid subscription
• Diversify revenue sources beyond traditional advertising
• Improve user experience through personalization

How to build an attractive membership offer

The effectiveness of registration relies on a clear and attractive value proposition. Data from the Boostcamp reveals that the most valued benefits by users are:

• Reading premium articles (28% of respondents) • Saving articles (23%)
• Topic tracking with notifications (19%)
• Reading and writing comments (8%)

This hierarchy guides the construction of an effective personalized marketing strategy. The example of Blick.ch is particularly instructive: the Swiss publisher acquired 647,000 free members even before launching its premium offer, relying on a diversified acquisition strategy.

The most effective acquisition levers for Blick include:

• Contests and sweepstakes (33.1% of registrations)
• Comments (15.9%)
• Overlays and pop-ups (9.9%)
• Organic search (7.9%)

The social proof approach also proves formidable: by displaying "More than 500,000 Blick readers already have an account," the publisher generated an 800% increase in conversions compared to the control group.

Want to discover how Actito can support you in your registration strategy? Our customer engagement platform allows you to orchestrate multichannel marketing campaigns to transform your casual visitors into engaged members.

Dynamic personalization: customizing the experience based on user profile

The era of static paywalls is coming to an end. Today, the most successful publishers adopt a dynamic approach that adapts in real-time to each user's behavior, profile, and context. This intelligent personalization radically transforms conversion rates and user experience.

Adapting paywalls based on user behavior

Behavioral segmentation becomes the secret weapon of modern publishers. The principle is simple: rather than applying the same rule to everyone, it's about identifying where each visitor is in their conversion journey and adapting the approach accordingly.

Data from the Boostcamp reveals variable conversion rates depending on engagement level:

• Volatile visitors: 1.9% conversion
• Occasional readers: 2.2% conversion
• Regular readers: 2.4% conversion
• Fans: 11% conversion
• Registered members: 20% conversion

This progression demonstrates the importance of a customer activation strategy tailored to each segment. The goal is no longer to convert immediately, but to move each user to the next segment.

Successful personalization case studies

Jeune Afrique perfectly illustrates this approach with its paywall adapted to the reader's country. By personalizing the message based on geolocation, the publisher achieved a 135% increase in click-through rate on its paywall. This multichannel marketing strategy demonstrates the impact of contextualization.

ELLE takes personalization even further by adapting its paywall to traffic source:

• For readers coming from the "Fashion" newsletter: highlighting expert fashion advice
• For those coming from "Sex & relationships": focus on testimonials and intimate confessions

This targeted approach creates thematic continuity between the entry point and the value proposition, significantly increasing conversion chances.

Smart segmentation in action

Le Télégramme developed a particularly sophisticated approach by segmenting its users according to their engagement level:

• Low-engagement users: "Soft-conversion" paywall with free account creation
• Highly engaged users: Personalized paywall direct to subscription

This strategy generated impressive results:

• +84% subscribers
• +75% free members in one year

The JDD example also shows how to adapt the message based on visitor status. Former subscribers receive a specific win-back offer ("We would be delighted to count you among our subscribers again!"), while those who abandon the subscription process see an urgency message ("Complete your subscription in one click").

The importance of continuous testing

Dynamic personalization doesn't happen by chance. It relies on a culture of constant testing, as illustrated by Blick.ch's approach with its three message variants tested simultaneously:

• Control group: Standard message (+160% vs. baseline)
• Social proof: "More than 500,000 readers already have an account" (+440% vs. baseline)
• Personalized appreciation: "You're among the 10% most loyal users" (+800% vs. baseline)

These results demonstrate the considerable impact of message personalization on conversion rates. The systematic A/B testing approach, facilitated by platforms like Actito, allows for continuous performance optimization.

Toward a coherent omnichannel experience

Dynamic personalization isn't limited to the paywall. It extends to the entire digital customer journey, including:

• Personalized newsletters based on stated interests
• Article recommendations based on reading history
• Optimized sending times based on each user's habits
• Communication channels adapted to preferences (email, SMS, push)

This holistic approach to personalization transforms casual engagement into a lasting relationship, creating the conditions for successful customer retention.

Increasing lifetime value: from conversion to retention

The traditional marketing paradigm is reversing. While the industry has long focused on acquisition (Awareness → Interest → Conversion → Retention), the most successful publishers now adopt a "retention-first" approach where loyalty becomes the main growth driver.

The new paradigm: retention above all

This revolution is based on an implacable economic reality: retaining an existing customer costs 5 to 7 times less than acquiring a new one. For media companies, this equation is even more critical given the continuous rise in acquisition costs and the decline in post-COVID conversion rates.

Data from El País reveals the direct impact of engagement on retention:

• Editorial readers (58% of subscribers): -24% churn
• App users (65% of subscribers): -15% churn
• Premium newsletter subscribers (39% of subscribers): -29% churn
• Loyalty program members (15% of subscribers): -30% churn

These statistics demonstrate the importance of a multi-touchpoint customer retention strategy that engages subscribers across multiple channels simultaneously.

Identifying and replicating the perfect subscriber profile

Daily Mail+ conducted an in-depth analysis to define the characteristics of the ideal subscriber. Their findings are enlightening:

The perfect subscriber profile:

• Reads more than 5 articles per month
• Had first created a free account before subscribing
• Subscribed to regular newsletters
• Activated push notifications
• Regularly comments on articles
• Downloaded the mobile app

This behavioral analysis reveals that the more platforms a subscriber uses, the less they churn. Going from one to three platforms used generates a 56% reduction in churn. Similarly, increasing reading from one article per week to one article per day improves retention by 61%.

Reactivation strategies and churn prevention

Libération developed a sophisticated approach to fighting churn based on automated triggers:

For cancellation risks:

• 1st web push reminder: "Don't leave me..." with promotional offer
• Win-back email: 3 months for only €5
• Result: 10% of "lost" subscribers ultimately decide to stay

For payment issues:

• Proactive notification: "Avoid an interruption. Your last payment failed"
• SEPA incentive: "Get one month free by switching to direct debit"
• Simplified update: "Remember to update your credit card"

This preventive approach, orchestrated through marketing activation scenarios, transforms a friction point into an opportunity to strengthen the customer relationship.

Onboarding as the key to lasting engagement

Daily Mail+ redesigned its onboarding process by focusing on elements that generate long-term engagement. Their 3-step approach perfectly illustrates marketing automation best practices:

Step 1 - Guided discovery:

• Selecting favorite newsletters
• Choosing topics of interest
• Configuring notifications

Step 2 - Multi-platform activation:

• Downloading the mobile app
• Activating offline reading
• Discovering the personalized feed

Step 3 - Community engagement:

• Participating in discussions
• Sharing content
• Accessing exclusive events

This onboarding sequence, deployed on days 0 and 1 of the subscription (when engagement is at its peak), creates the conditions for multi-channel usage that drastically reduces churn risk.

Measuring and optimizing lifetime value

The "retention-first" approach requires rigorous tracking of retention KPIs:

• Monthly retention rate: > 95% for a high-performing media outlet
• Multi-platform engagement: average number of channels used per subscriber
• Reading frequency: evolution of the number of articles read per month
• Community participation: rate of comments and shares
• NPS (Net Promoter Score): recommendation indicator

These metrics, centralized in a customer engagement platform like Actito, allow for early identification of disengagement signals and activation of targeted win-back campaigns.

The example of The New York Times, with its 10 million subscribers but especially its 100 million members, perfectly illustrates this strategy: first build an engaged community, then progressively monetize it. This approach generates more sustainable growth and a significantly higher lifetime value.

Key takeaways

The transformation of the media landscape is accelerating, and the insights from the Actito Boostcamp 2025 outline a clear roadmap: registration, dynamic personalization, and retention now form the essential triptych of a successful engagement strategy.

The results speak for themselves: from Blick.ch with its 647,000 free members to Daily Mail+ with its 56% reduction in churn, to Libération and its 10% of subscribers saved through win-back campaigns, publishers adopting a "retention-first" approach are transforming their performance.

The future belongs to publishers who can intelligently orchestrate their first-party data to create personalized experiences at scale. In a context where more than 80% of consumers use multiple touchpoints before committing, mastering omnichannel becomes a decisive competitive advantage.

Want to transform your media engagement strategy?