Your subscription page says “unlimited access” and “archive access.” Cool. But why should anyone care? Here’s how to sell benefits instead of features.
I’ve been looking at publisher subscription pages lately, and they’re all making the same mistake.
They list features: “Get full access!” “24/7 access to our content!” “Premium archive access!”
Okay, but… so what?
Features don’t sell subscriptions. Benefits do. And most publishers aren’t communicating their actual value.
The Claremont School District Example
Let me show you what I mean with a real story.
A couple months ago, news broke about the Claremont, New Hampshire school district. They’d been running a $5 million deficit for three years. Nobody knew about it. Possible corruption. The district got so desperate they set up a GoFundMe to keep schools open.
Here’s the thing: Claremont’s local newspaper, the Eagle Times, had shut down.
Without local reporters attending school board meetings and digging into budgets, this went unnoticed for three years until it became a crisis.
That’s the benefit of local news. Not “access to articles.” The benefit is: corruption gets caught before it costs taxpayers millions. Property taxes don’t skyrocket because someone was paying attention.
Your local news subscription isn’t just information—it’s a tax reduction tool.
But I bet your subscription page doesn’t say that.
Features vs. Benefits: What’s the Difference?
A feature is what you’re selling. A benefit is what it does for the subscriber.
Look at a typical subscription page. I’m looking at one right now:
- Unlimited articles
- Archive access
- Multiple devices
- Limited ads
- Cancel anytime
These are all features. They describe what the subscription includes, but they don’t tell me why I should care.
Now look at benefit-focused copy:
“Never miss Key Biscayne news that affects your property values. Get award-winning investigative reporting that exposes corruption before it costs you money. Know about zoning changes and village council decisions before they impact your home.”
See the difference? One lists what I get. The other tells me how my life improves.
Why This Matters for Pricing
Here’s something interesting: when you can clearly articulate your benefits, you gain confidence in your pricing.
I do this exercise whenever I’m pricing something. I sit down and list out everything we’re actually delivering. Not the features—the actual value.
What happens? I almost always realize I should be charging more than I initially thought. Because when you see all the value you’re providing, it becomes defensible. You’re not guessing at pricing—you’re justifying it based on real benefits.
Same thing happens with subscriptions. If you think of your content as “access to articles,” you’ll charge $5/month. If you think of it as “protecting residents’ property values and holding local officials accountable,” you’ll charge $15/month. And you’ll feel confident about it.
Real Examples of Benefits (Not Features)
Let’s look at different types of publishers:
Local news:
- Feature: “Daily coverage of city council meetings”
- Benefit: “Know what local officials are deciding about your taxes before decisions are final”
Niche news (financial):
- Feature: “Market analysis and reports”
- Benefit: “Make investment decisions with confidence backed by expert analysis”
Magazine (fishing):
- Feature: “Unlimited access to fishing content archive”
- Benefit: “Find the best fishing spots across the New England coastline—skip the research, go straight to the hotspots”
Notice how benefits focus on outcomes, not inputs?
How to Write Your Own Benefits
Here’s the process:
Take an hour. Seriously, block out the time.
Write down everything your publication does. Every article type, every beat you cover, every source you talk to, all the work that goes into your journalism.
Now for each thing, ask: “So what? Why does this matter to my reader?”
Keep asking “so what?” until you get to the real impact:
- “We cover school board meetings” → So what? → “So parents know about decisions affecting their kids’ education”
- “We have 50 years of archives” → So what? → “So you can research property history, understand neighborhood changes, and make informed decisions about where to live”
- “We publish daily” → So what? → “So you never fall behind on news that could affect your property values or quality of life”
That last answer is your benefit. Use it.
The Copy Lab Tool
I built a tool to make this easier. It’s called the Leaky Paywall Copy Lab.
How it works:
- Enter your subscription page URL
- Enter your “About Us” page URL
- Add any context about what makes your subscription valuable
- Click generate
The tool analyzes your current copy and rewrites it with benefit-focused messaging. You get:
- Benefit-focused upgrade messaging for your paywall prompts
- Subscription page copy that focuses on reader outcomes
- Ready-to-use HTML you can paste directly into your site
Here’s what it generated for Key Biscayne Independent:
“Stay Island Smart. Never miss Key Biscayne news again. Get award-winning investigative reporting exposing corruption, environmental coverage protecting your property values, and real-time village council meeting updates.”
That’s way better than “unlimited access to premium content.”
I ran it for a fishing magazine yesterday. Instead of “access to our fishing content,” it came up with “Find the best fishing spots across the New England coastline.” Which is what readers actually want.
You can use the tool at leakypaywall.com/copy-lab.
Why Publishers Resist This
I get it. You’re busy. Deadlines, content production, trying to keep the lights on.
Sitting down to rethink your messaging feels like a luxury you don’t have time for.
But here’s the thing: this directly impacts revenue. Better messaging means better conversion rates. Better conversion rates mean more subscribers. More subscribers mean sustainable business.
You’re already doing the hard work—the reporting, the investigation, the community service. You’re just not communicating the value clearly.
Test This on Your Site
Go to your subscription page right now. Read the copy. Ask yourself:
Does this tell readers what they GET (features) or how their LIFE IMPROVES (benefits)?
If it’s mostly features, you’re leaving money on the table.
Because “unlimited access” doesn’t make me want to subscribe. But “protect your property values and stay ahead of decisions that affect your family”? That’s worth $15 a month.
Your journalism matters. Make sure your subscription page explains why.
Want help rewriting your subscription page with benefit-focused copy? Try the Leaky Paywall Copy Lab at leakypaywall.com/copy-lab. Based on the Paywall Podcast discussion on features vs. benefits.
