Introducg GAYTIMES+: A new membership platform

Contents:

• INTRODUCG GAYTIMES+: A NEW MEMBERSHIP PLATFORM THAT GIV ACCS TO QUEER-FIRST STORYTELLG AND UNIQUE BENEFS
• GAY TIMES CEO TAG WARNER ON BG PRT SUBSCRIPTNS & ONLE MEMBERSHIPSTHE MAGAZE’S MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMME AIMS TO DRAW S GLOBAL DIENCE CLOSER, WHILE VELOPG A NEW REVENUE STREAM DITED TO FUNDG MORE ORIGAL NTENTTEAM STEADY·FOLLOWPUBLISHED STEADY·6 M READ·JAN 18, 2021--LISTENSHAREA RECENT SELECTN OF GAY TIMES MAGAZE VERS.VETERAN LGBTQ+ MAGAZE GAY TIMES SAW THE CRISIS AS THE PERFECT TIME TO STRENGTHEN S RELATNSHIPS WH S REARS, WHILE VELOPG A NEW REVENUE STREAM. MEMBERSHIPS HAVE ALLOWED THE MAGAZE TO DO BOTH, RULTG GAYTIMES+, THE MAGAZE’S NEW MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMME WH A HOST OF NEW, SERLY TEMPTG MEMBERSHIP BENEFS DRIVEN BY REARS’ REQUTS.GAY TIM CEO TAG WARNER.HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT PREPARG YOUR MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMME, GAYTIMES+? WHAT WERE THE KEY NSIRATNS?THE MA REASON WE WANTED TO OFFER MEMBERSHIPS WAS TO HAVE A CLOSER NNECTN WH OUR DIENCE. WE ALSO WANTED TO VT MORE TO NTENT. THE REASON WE THOUGHT A MEMBERSHIP SCHEME WOULD BE GOOD FOR THAT WAS BEE WE ULD HAVE A FORMALISED RELATNSHIP WH THE KEY SET OF DIENCE MEMBERS THAT WANTED TO FEEL CLOSER TO GAY TIMES. BEE WE LERALLY HAVE A RELATNSHIP WH THEM THROUGH STEADY, WE GET TO SPEAK TO THEM, WE GET TO ASK THEM THEIR OPN AND THEY GET TO TELL WHAT THEY’RE ENJOYG AND WHAT THEY’RE NOT.THE SEND THG WAS, WE WANTED TO TRY AND FD A WAY TO FUND NTENT THE WAY WE WANTED TO CREATE . LIKE MOST MEDIA PANI 2020, FANCG MEDIA IS CREDIBLY CHALLENGG. BUT SUBSCRIPTNS, AND MEMBERSHIPS PARTICULAR, WERE A KEY ROUTE FOR TO CREATE REVENUE THAT WOULD ALL BE REVTED NTENT, WHOUT A BRAND PARTNER. THERE’S NOTHG WRONG WH BRAND PARTNER WORK. SOME OF OUR BT WORK IS WH OUR BRAND PARTNERS, BUT OBVLY YOU’RE ALG WH ANOTHER STAKEHOLR.OUR MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMME WAS KICKED OFF BY CORONAVIS, TO BE TOTALLY HONT. AS SOON AS CORONAVIS’S IMPACT STARTED TO H, AND WE REALIZED THIS WASN’T JT GOG TO BE A FEW WEEKS, WE WANTED TO HAVE A CLOSER DIGAL RELATNSHIP WH OUR MEMBERS ON A GLOBAL PLATFORM. WE HAD BEEN RELYG ON LEGACY SYSTEMS AROUND THE UK AND THE US, BUT WE WANT TO OPEN THAT UP TO WHAT IS OUR VERY GLOBAL DIENCE.AS A PRT AND DIGAL MAGAZE, YOU’VE HAD TO NAVIGATE NNG BOTH SUBSCRIPTNS AND MEMBERSHIPS. COULD YOU TALK THROUGH THE STRATEGY HERE — HOW DO WORK AND HOW HAVE YOU MUNITED THIS TO YOUR MUNY?WE FELT LIKE HAVG A SUBSCRIPTN-BASED PRODUCT AND A MEMBERSHIP-BASED PRODUCT WAS GOG TO BE TOO NFG, BEE ONE OF OUR MEMBERSHIP PLANS DO CLU THE PRT PRODUCT.WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO NSOLIDATE ALL OF OUR EXISTG SUBSCRIBERS TO GAYTIMES+. THAT WAS A HUGE MUNITNS TASK AND WAS A HUGE IT ASTCTURE CHANGE. WE WERE CREDIBLY SUCCSFUL THAT WE MOVED ABOUT 98% OF OUR SUBSCRIBERS SUCCSFULLY ONTO A GAYTIMES+ MEMBERSHIP.MY ADVICE FOR ANYBODY DOG THIS WOULD BE TO KEEP SIMPLE FOR THE CTOMER. THE MUTE YOU ALIENATE YOUR CTOMER OR MEMBERSHIP BASE ’S QUE DIFFICULT TO GET THEM BACK, PECIALLY IF THEY’VE BEEN LOYAL TO YOU OVER THE YEARS.A SELECTN OF NTENT ON WHAT BENEFS DO YOU OFFER YOUR PAYG MEMBERS?OUR BENEFS ARE GROUPED TO THREE DISTCT AREAS. THE FIRST IS THE BT OF GAY TIMES. WH THAT YOU N GET THE PRT PUBLITN SENT TO YOUR DOOR ANYWHERE THE WORLD WH POSTAGE CLUD, WHICH WAS SOMETHG OUR MEMBERS SAID THEY REALLY WANTED. YOU N ALSO READ THE DIGAL EDN VIA OUR OWN APP. AND WE’VE ALSO GOT A REALLY EXCG BENEF G SOON, WHERE YOU N READ GAY TIMES MAGAZE APPLE NEWS+ AS PART OF YOUR GAYTIMES+ MEMBERSHIP, FOR NO EXTRA ST. WE ALSO SEND OUT CURATED NEWSLETTERS OF ALL OF OUR ONLE DIGAL NTENT AND THEY’RE ALL PRECED BY AN EDOR’S NOTE. AGA, JT TO TRY AND HELP THE MEMBERS FEEL A B CLOSER TO THE TEAM.THE SEND ROUND OF BENEFS ARE EVENTS AND THAT’S ALL ABOUT MEETG THE REAL PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKG CHANGE OUR MUNY A LIVE ENVIRONMENT. THE ARE FORTNIGHTLY LIVE STREAMS, BUT OF URSE YOU N ALSO WATCH THEM LATER. THE RECEPTN HAS BEEN BRILLIANT SO FAR. POST-COVID WE FELY SEE THOSE EVENTS BEG REAL-LIFE EVENTS, BUT THEY’RE ALWAYS FILMED SO ANYONE THE WORLD N ENJOY THEM.THE THIRD SET OF BENEFS IS THE SPACE WE’RE MOST EXCED ABOUT FOR GAYTIMES+, AND THAT’S ALL ORIGAL NTENT THAT YOU WON’T FD ANYWHERE ELSE. WE’RE KICKG OFF WH PODSTS AND STEAD OF HAVG BON NTENT, ALL OF OUR PODSTS ARE GOG TO BE ORIGAL FORMATS WH SOME FAIAR FAC THAT OUR MUNY WILL PROBABLY KNOW, ALL OM WH THE GAYTIMES+ UNIVERSE. WE’RE REALLY CENTIVISG PEOPLE TO E AND BEE A MEMBER AND START ENJOYG THAT. FOR THE FUTURE, WE’D LOVE TO SEE THAT VELOP OVER TIME TO OTHER NTENT PLATFORMS.THE TWO MEMBERSHIP PLANS ON GAYTIMES+.WHAT HAS YOUR MUNY’S FEEDBACK ON GAYTIMES+ BEEN LIKE SO FAR?THE FEEDBACK HAS BEEN REALLY POSIVE. THE FIRST UPLE OF MONTHS, WE DID HAVE SOME BUMPS, BEE WE WERE ALG WH MULTIPLE LEGACY SUBSCRIPTN SYSTEMS, WHICH ME OM THREE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS AND WE WANTED TO NSOLIDATE ALL OF THOSE. THAT WAS A HUGE TASK. FEEDBACK, TO BEG WH, WAS REALLY AROUND PEOPLE UNRSTANDG HOW THEY ULD E TO GAYTIMES+ AND WHAT THEIR OPTNS WERE.SCE THEN, WE’VE HAD NSISTENT FEEDBACK OM THE MEMBERS, WHICH HAS BEEN BRILLIANT. THAT’S ALLOWED TO NSOLIDATE OUR EFFORTS AND FOC ON WHAT THEY WANT. WE’RE REALLY ANSWERABLE TO MEMBERS AS OUR BIGGT STAKEHOLR GAYTIMES+, AND WHAT THEY’D LIKE TO SEE. ONE THG THAT THEY’VE TOLD IS THEY WANT TO HAVE MORE ORIGAL NTENT THAT FEELS TAILOR-MA FOR THEM, SO THAT’S WHERE WE’RE MAKG OUR BIGGT VTMENT.HOW ARE YOU FDG G STEADY SO FAR?I THK STEADY IS A REALLY GOOD PLATFORM, IF YOU ARE LOOKG FOR A REALLY WELL-BUILT, PROFSNAL, ONE-STOP SHOP FOR A MEMBERSHIP EXPERIENCE.I ULDN’T REMEND ENOUGH, IF YOU’RE ONE OF THE SMALLER PUBLISHERS WHO DON’T HAVE A BIG TEAM, OR PEOPLE THAT ARE NNG MEMBERSHIPS AS THEIR FULL-TIME JOB. WHAT WE’RE DOG IS G THE BT OF THE STEADY PLATFORM — THE PAYMENTS AND THE ACTUAL MEMBERSHIP ACUNT SYSTEM — AND THEN BUILDG ON TOP OF THAT.AS A PUBLITN THAT WORKS TO FILL A REPRENTATN GAP, WHAT DO BEG REAR-FUND MEAN TO YOU?I PERSONALLY THK THIS IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR THE MEDIA. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LANDSPE OF DIGAL ADVERTISG REVENU, ONCE SEEN AS A SORT OF GOLN GOOSE OF MEDIA, AND SEE THAT THEY ARE DISTEGRATG BENEATH , WHEN WE’RE LOOKG AT A WORLD WHERE PRT ADVERTISG HAS NEARLY PLETELY STOPPED, THEN WE’RE LOOKG AT A WORLD WHERE BRAND NTENT IS ALSO BEG SQUEEZED BY VAR DIFFERENT MEANS THROUGH AGENCY STCTUR. THE REAL ROUTE FORWARD FOR IS A REAR-FUND MOL, AND WE’RE EXCED TO VELOP THAT.BEE A MEMBER OF GAYTIMES+ ON STEADY:MORE SUCCS STORI OM STEADY PUBLISHERS
• GAY TIM

INTRODUCG GAYTIMES+: A NEW MEMBERSHIP PLATFORM THAT GIV ACCS TO QUEER-FIRST STORYTELLG AND UNIQUE BENEFS

Today, GAYTIMES Group are proud to announce the lnch of GAYTIMES+, a new membership platform that giv members plete accs to GAY TIMES’ queer-first storytellg and unique benefs. Digned to empower the bt origal LGBTQ+ ntent, GAYTIMES+ will allow the brand to lve eper to the stori that matter most om all around the globe. GAY TIMES has, and will ntue to be, at the foreont of queer culture sce s lnch 1984, servg as a bean of light to LGBTQ+ people lookg for visibily, reprentatn and a muny to nnect wh.

As part of a tiered membership mol, GAYTIMES+ members will be the first to receive:.

Handpicked stori and curated ntent by and for the muny to their boxA newly re-imaged and extend GAY TIMES Magaze, shipped worldwiThe abily to choose vers of multi-edn issu – somethg current subscribers have often asked for Immediate accs to the repli edn of GAY TIMES Magaze via a new appPrry accs to GAY TIMES events throughout the yearExclive accs to digal events and talksBpoke membership merchandiseMembership benefs om GAY TIMES’ expandg number of leadg partners. Later the year, GAY TIMES will also be openg their archiv to members so they n explore over 40 years of fascatg queer journalism – the first time they have ma their historil edns easily accsible to the public digal format.

GAY TIMES CEO TAG WARNER ON BG PRT SUBSCRIPTNS & ONLE MEMBERSHIPSTHE MAGAZE’S MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMME AIMS TO DRAW S GLOBAL DIENCE CLOSER, WHILE VELOPG A NEW REVENUE STREAM DITED TO FUNDG MORE ORIGAL NTENTTEAM STEADY·FOLLOWPUBLISHED STEADY·6 M READ·JAN 18, 2021--LISTENSHAREA RECENT SELECTN OF GAY TIMES MAGAZE VERS.VETERAN LGBTQ+ MAGAZE GAY TIMES SAW THE CRISIS AS THE PERFECT TIME TO STRENGTHEN S RELATNSHIPS WH S REARS, WHILE VELOPG A NEW REVENUE STREAM. MEMBERSHIPS HAVE ALLOWED THE MAGAZE TO DO BOTH, RULTG GAYTIMES+, THE MAGAZE’S NEW MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMME WH A HOST OF NEW, SERLY TEMPTG MEMBERSHIP BENEFS DRIVEN BY REARS’ REQUTS.GAY TIM CEO TAG WARNER.HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT PREPARG YOUR MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMME, GAYTIMES+? WHAT WERE THE KEY NSIRATNS?THE MA REASON WE WANTED TO OFFER MEMBERSHIPS WAS TO HAVE A CLOSER NNECTN WH OUR DIENCE. WE ALSO WANTED TO VT MORE TO NTENT. THE REASON WE THOUGHT A MEMBERSHIP SCHEME WOULD BE GOOD FOR THAT WAS BEE WE ULD HAVE A FORMALISED RELATNSHIP WH THE KEY SET OF DIENCE MEMBERS THAT WANTED TO FEEL CLOSER TO GAY TIMES. BEE WE LERALLY HAVE A RELATNSHIP WH THEM THROUGH STEADY, WE GET TO SPEAK TO THEM, WE GET TO ASK THEM THEIR OPN AND THEY GET TO TELL WHAT THEY’RE ENJOYG AND WHAT THEY’RE NOT.THE SEND THG WAS, WE WANTED TO TRY AND FD A WAY TO FUND NTENT THE WAY WE WANTED TO CREATE . LIKE MOST MEDIA PANI 2020, FANCG MEDIA IS CREDIBLY CHALLENGG. BUT SUBSCRIPTNS, AND MEMBERSHIPS PARTICULAR, WERE A KEY ROUTE FOR TO CREATE REVENUE THAT WOULD ALL BE REVTED NTENT, WHOUT A BRAND PARTNER. THERE’S NOTHG WRONG WH BRAND PARTNER WORK. SOME OF OUR BT WORK IS WH OUR BRAND PARTNERS, BUT OBVLY YOU’RE ALG WH ANOTHER STAKEHOLR.OUR MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMME WAS KICKED OFF BY CORONAVIS, TO BE TOTALLY HONT. AS SOON AS CORONAVIS’S IMPACT STARTED TO H, AND WE REALIZED THIS WASN’T JT GOG TO BE A FEW WEEKS, WE WANTED TO HAVE A CLOSER DIGAL RELATNSHIP WH OUR MEMBERS ON A GLOBAL PLATFORM. WE HAD BEEN RELYG ON LEGACY SYSTEMS AROUND THE UK AND THE US, BUT WE WANT TO OPEN THAT UP TO WHAT IS OUR VERY GLOBAL DIENCE.AS A PRT AND DIGAL MAGAZE, YOU’VE HAD TO NAVIGATE NNG BOTH SUBSCRIPTNS AND MEMBERSHIPS. COULD YOU TALK THROUGH THE STRATEGY HERE — HOW DO WORK AND HOW HAVE YOU MUNITED THIS TO YOUR MUNY?WE FELT LIKE HAVG A SUBSCRIPTN-BASED PRODUCT AND A MEMBERSHIP-BASED PRODUCT WAS GOG TO BE TOO NFG, BEE ONE OF OUR MEMBERSHIP PLANS DO CLU THE PRT PRODUCT.WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO NSOLIDATE ALL OF OUR EXISTG SUBSCRIBERS TO GAYTIMES+. THAT WAS A HUGE MUNITNS TASK AND WAS A HUGE IT ASTCTURE CHANGE. WE WERE CREDIBLY SUCCSFUL THAT WE MOVED ABOUT 98% OF OUR SUBSCRIBERS SUCCSFULLY ONTO A GAYTIMES+ MEMBERSHIP.MY ADVICE FOR ANYBODY DOG THIS WOULD BE TO KEEP SIMPLE FOR THE CTOMER. THE MUTE YOU ALIENATE YOUR CTOMER OR MEMBERSHIP BASE ’S QUE DIFFICULT TO GET THEM BACK, PECIALLY IF THEY’VE BEEN LOYAL TO YOU OVER THE YEARS.A SELECTN OF NTENT ON WHAT BENEFS DO YOU OFFER YOUR PAYG MEMBERS?OUR BENEFS ARE GROUPED TO THREE DISTCT AREAS. THE FIRST IS THE BT OF GAY TIMES. WH THAT YOU N GET THE PRT PUBLITN SENT TO YOUR DOOR ANYWHERE THE WORLD WH POSTAGE CLUD, WHICH WAS SOMETHG OUR MEMBERS SAID THEY REALLY WANTED. YOU N ALSO READ THE DIGAL EDN VIA OUR OWN APP. AND WE’VE ALSO GOT A REALLY EXCG BENEF G SOON, WHERE YOU N READ GAY TIMES MAGAZE APPLE NEWS+ AS PART OF YOUR GAYTIMES+ MEMBERSHIP, FOR NO EXTRA ST. WE ALSO SEND OUT CURATED NEWSLETTERS OF ALL OF OUR ONLE DIGAL NTENT AND THEY’RE ALL PRECED BY AN EDOR’S NOTE. AGA, JT TO TRY AND HELP THE MEMBERS FEEL A B CLOSER TO THE TEAM.THE SEND ROUND OF BENEFS ARE EVENTS AND THAT’S ALL ABOUT MEETG THE REAL PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKG CHANGE OUR MUNY A LIVE ENVIRONMENT. THE ARE FORTNIGHTLY LIVE STREAMS, BUT OF URSE YOU N ALSO WATCH THEM LATER. THE RECEPTN HAS BEEN BRILLIANT SO FAR. POST-COVID WE FELY SEE THOSE EVENTS BEG REAL-LIFE EVENTS, BUT THEY’RE ALWAYS FILMED SO ANYONE THE WORLD N ENJOY THEM.THE THIRD SET OF BENEFS IS THE SPACE WE’RE MOST EXCED ABOUT FOR GAYTIMES+, AND THAT’S ALL ORIGAL NTENT THAT YOU WON’T FD ANYWHERE ELSE. WE’RE KICKG OFF WH PODSTS AND STEAD OF HAVG BON NTENT, ALL OF OUR PODSTS ARE GOG TO BE ORIGAL FORMATS WH SOME FAIAR FAC THAT OUR MUNY WILL PROBABLY KNOW, ALL OM WH THE GAYTIMES+ UNIVERSE. WE’RE REALLY CENTIVISG PEOPLE TO E AND BEE A MEMBER AND START ENJOYG THAT. FOR THE FUTURE, WE’D LOVE TO SEE THAT VELOP OVER TIME TO OTHER NTENT PLATFORMS.THE TWO MEMBERSHIP PLANS ON GAYTIMES+.WHAT HAS YOUR MUNY’S FEEDBACK ON GAYTIMES+ BEEN LIKE SO FAR?THE FEEDBACK HAS BEEN REALLY POSIVE. THE FIRST UPLE OF MONTHS, WE DID HAVE SOME BUMPS, BEE WE WERE ALG WH MULTIPLE LEGACY SUBSCRIPTN SYSTEMS, WHICH ME OM THREE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS AND WE WANTED TO NSOLIDATE ALL OF THOSE. THAT WAS A HUGE TASK. FEEDBACK, TO BEG WH, WAS REALLY AROUND PEOPLE UNRSTANDG HOW THEY ULD E TO GAYTIMES+ AND WHAT THEIR OPTNS WERE.SCE THEN, WE’VE HAD NSISTENT FEEDBACK OM THE MEMBERS, WHICH HAS BEEN BRILLIANT. THAT’S ALLOWED TO NSOLIDATE OUR EFFORTS AND FOC ON WHAT THEY WANT. WE’RE REALLY ANSWERABLE TO MEMBERS AS OUR BIGGT STAKEHOLR GAYTIMES+, AND WHAT THEY’D LIKE TO SEE. ONE THG THAT THEY’VE TOLD IS THEY WANT TO HAVE MORE ORIGAL NTENT THAT FEELS TAILOR-MA FOR THEM, SO THAT’S WHERE WE’RE MAKG OUR BIGGT VTMENT.HOW ARE YOU FDG G STEADY SO FAR?I THK STEADY IS A REALLY GOOD PLATFORM, IF YOU ARE LOOKG FOR A REALLY WELL-BUILT, PROFSNAL, ONE-STOP SHOP FOR A MEMBERSHIP EXPERIENCE.I ULDN’T REMEND ENOUGH, IF YOU’RE ONE OF THE SMALLER PUBLISHERS WHO DON’T HAVE A BIG TEAM, OR PEOPLE THAT ARE NNG MEMBERSHIPS AS THEIR FULL-TIME JOB. WHAT WE’RE DOG IS G THE BT OF THE STEADY PLATFORM — THE PAYMENTS AND THE ACTUAL MEMBERSHIP ACUNT SYSTEM — AND THEN BUILDG ON TOP OF THAT.AS A PUBLITN THAT WORKS TO FILL A REPRENTATN GAP, WHAT DO BEG REAR-FUND MEAN TO YOU?I PERSONALLY THK THIS IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR THE MEDIA. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LANDSPE OF DIGAL ADVERTISG REVENU, ONCE SEEN AS A SORT OF GOLN GOOSE OF MEDIA, AND SEE THAT THEY ARE DISTEGRATG BENEATH , WHEN WE’RE LOOKG AT A WORLD WHERE PRT ADVERTISG HAS NEARLY PLETELY STOPPED, THEN WE’RE LOOKG AT A WORLD WHERE BRAND NTENT IS ALSO BEG SQUEEZED BY VAR DIFFERENT MEANS THROUGH AGENCY STCTUR. THE REAL ROUTE FORWARD FOR IS A REAR-FUND MOL, AND WE’RE EXCED TO VELOP THAT.BEE A MEMBER OF GAYTIMES+ ON STEADY:MORE SUCCS STORI OM STEADY PUBLISHERS

“As the media landspe ntu to change at a rapid pace – not least exagerated by the COVID-19 panmic – we are exced to be leadg the next evolutn of GAY TIMES. GAYTIMES+ is that offerg and we’re exced to wele our next novative era for the brand.

GAY TIMES Magaze will ntue to play an important role wh GAYTIMES+. Issue 507 of Gay Tim Magaze will lnch at a slightly later date of 21 May 2020 due to the Covid-19 panmic.

GAY TIM

The new-look GAY TIMES Magaze will lnch on 28 Augt 2020.

The magaze will be clud wh specific GAYTIMES+ membership tiers and is signed to reflect and enhance current subscriptn mols. “GAY TIMES Magaze is an tegral part of our edorial esystem, and will rema so for years to e, ” explas Lewis Corner, Edorial Director. As part of the lnch of GAYTIMES+, the webse will be resigned wh a brand new athetic and terface that brgs ee daily updat and timely queer ntent om across the globe.

GAYTIMES+ will help to ntue the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and regnn, be a world lear LGBTQ+ visibily, and nnect the muny far and wi.

Through special live events, digal spac, and a global work of LGBTQ+ advot and alli, GAY TIMES extend their missn to nnect queer experienc like never before. GAYTIMES+ lnch on 1 June 2020.