Glass half full or half empty? This is how the blog subscription works!
The changeover to the began a good 3 months ago Blog subscription model. Not for fun, but out of necessity. To ensure the medium-term survival of the project and as a test. A test of whether a Saab project is marketable online or not? The final résumé will take place after six months. Today there is an interim report.
Glass half full or half empty?
Because things take their time, and they also need the payment barrier to be established. The current question arises as to whether the glass is half full or half empty. A question of how you look at it. At the moment just over 250 subscriptions are booked. Not bad to start with, but not good either. If you look at the fundraising campaigns in recent years, the turnout is even lower. So how do you interpret that?
Perhaps the time has run out, the Saab story is told and the time is ripe to say goodbye? To put the last, almost daily publishing Saab project offline and do something new? Maybe yes, because one could conclude from these numbers that interest in Saab is waning.
The development of the newsletter, however, speaks a completely different language. For every reader who cancels the newsletter, an average of 2,4 new readers will register this year. Who are obviously interested in the Saab brand and accept it if they cannot read every post in full. Because the number of newsletter subscribers is many times higher than those who have taken out a paid subscription.
Interested in Saab, yes? But in such a way that it is as free as possible? One could believe this. In addition, the number of readers has not dropped dramatically as expected, but is only slightly reduced compared to the previous year.
Too little or good?
Ultimately, the crucial question is whether the current number of subscribers would be sufficient. It is surely enough to secure the economic existence of the blog and gives the freedom to get smaller projects like the Saab espresso cups off the ground. It's not enough to tackle bigger things and bring the blog to life as it and the brand deserve. In fact, and I have to admit this to myself, it is too little of everything and just a compromise.
But I would only like to draw the final summary and the corresponding conclusions from it after six months. Until then, I consider the glass half full, not half empty.
Changes
There will be a short break over Easter and some changes in the background. The subscriptions will be named differently, it will be possible to upgrade online, and for the first time there will be a subscription for only one month. The experiences and wishes expressed in letters flow into it, there may be short-term problems with accessibility and login during the changeover.
All changes in detail go online on the Tuesday after Easter. For this reason, the current week is shorter than usual, the last post will appear on Thursday.
There can be only one *
Tom has to find out for himself. Anything that is fun for (him) is allowed.
Maybe Alfa is a dying brand? Maybe that's what makes you so interesting, personable? Perhaps it is tempting to support her and her friends? Maybe not?
If I were Tom, I would look for a topic that interests me and a brand / car that I can and want to test drive myself.
One Swede is too exclusive for that and the other (Volvo) has become too boring for me personally. Cars are there to be driven. I would only briefly report on cars that I either couldn't or didn't want to drive myself.
But as I said, there can be only one.
* Highlander
Supplementing a faded brand with a dying one, does that make any sense?
Moin
I chose the Turbo subscription to give Tom a little more support. I hope the glass is half full and the whole thing is still growing. It might also be possible to buy individual items. Many newspapers do this too. And / or a SparTicket for ZB. ten items ... a ten card, so to speak.
...
Other brands ... I think Volvo is one of them. It's just a Swedish blog.
Reports about Königsegg might also be interesting.
Greeting André
Join me @Stefan H and his petition. Alfa would be emotional and a great topic for the blog. Better than Volvo, by the way. I am in!
Perhaps, as Tom mentioned a few times, it would actually be interesting for the blog to focus on Italian classics from Alfa, Lancia and Co. in the future. These vehicles appeal to a very similar clientele and have a large fan base! What do you all mean?
I would find it very enriching!
@Stefan H. Thanks for the suggestion, which already came from some sides. I'm happy to record them and I think we'll have to make some decisions after Easter.
Added value (subscription)
The subscription is well done. Nobody can expect to participate free of charge in Lizzi's ingenious garage, to entertain themselves with elaborately researched articles, digitized films and insider knowledge and to lose themselves with very, very noble and monochrome espresso cups.
The added value of a subscription is quite obvious.
And anyway, and unconditionally, it would be advisable to show your appreciation for the articles in front of the barrier. Or the service, like the newsletter ...
Appreciation (donation)
It is noticeable when there are more newsletter than blog subscriptions. What about blog donation? Are they still possible and welcome in parallel to the subscriptions?
Wouldn't it be possible that a number of readers would like to express their appreciation for everything in front of the barrier self-determined and without commitment from symbolic (but at least) to more or less generously at any point in time ...
If this option is open and public all year round and as a matter of course, could it be a second pillar of funding after all?
Some might donate at the end of the year, others might prefer to donate countercyclically to the then very numerous calls and prefer when the tax is through and ideally a refund is on the account?
Who knows, but is there an appeal for donations at the bottom of every newsletter all year round? If not, I might think that's a good idea.
Fatigue (subscriptions & Corona)
Among the Saab drivers who are traditionally self-determined and professionally often independent, I could well imagine the coincidence of two effects. For many there is a financial uncertainty in the wake of the pandemic and for even more an increased aversion to contracts and subscriptions. These are often improper ...
This has nothing to do with the Saabblog, but the sting is deep and someone sprinkles salt into the wound every day. It doesn't matter who. The fitness studio has more contributors than training places and the attractive courses at the end of work have all been deleted from the program shortly after a temptation offer is automatically extended and the chain doubles or even doubles it
automatically debited three times the annual fee.
The DB also automatically extends the Bahn-Card in Corona times and for no consideration and for electricity, gas, telephone & Internet, an existing customer is happy to pay twice as much for half the service compared to a new customer. Factor four - an interesting interpretation of the book of the same name by authors of the Club of Rome.
To cut a long story short, we have all been brought up for many years to be skeptical and reluctant to accept contracts and subscriptions. It certainly hits the wrong person here, but it will always hit and I would be very surprised if I were more than 50% wrong about the causes described above.
Anyway, Saab & this blog will hopefully find a way to go. I can hardly imagine one without the other. I feel the same way as it seems to many here.
Long live (the) Saab (blog)! ! ! That, that's exactly what I wish for ...
The Corona crisis certainly ensures that no more subscriptions have been taken out. There are certainly Saab drivers who have to do short-time work and thus have less money available. The day before yesterday there was the article about the Saab workshops ... if you have no money for repairs, you certainly don't have it for a subscription!
Unfortunately, the time is bad at the moment ... and it would be a shame if the blog no longer existed. I will drive Saab as long as there are spare parts and workshops!
However, I also think that there are still too many free articles, here I would like more articles to pass the payment barrier.
Only patience. Advertise for the subscription every 2 to 3 weeks, then it will. The way is right, and the Saab community does not want to lose these pages. I have full confidence in the Saab drivers and the future. Continue to drive Saab without reading Saab, that would not work at all.
Glass half full. Hope that it can be completely filled in the coming months.
Hope it can go on. Many comments go in the same direction. I stand completely behind and cross my thumb.
First of all, I'm a Saabblog fanboy and I'm happy about the new articles and reports and I find what Tom makes world class!
But how often have we now (understandably) read that it is about the sustainability of the blog ?! I think there are a lot of things coming together at the moment that make the number of people smaller and smaller. I could well imagine that a fundraising campaign like back then would not bring these results anymore. There are many reasons for this, interest, money, time etc. which are becoming less and less. And also the question, can I still drive my Saab the day after tomorrow when all the other cars are only buzzing? Is it still worth buying a Saab? Perhaps it is good advice to start from the lowest and plan activities accordingly. If more subscriptions come about, you can react. The question is, is that still fun for the blogger !? I think it would be good if the blog continued, otherwise I would not have taken out a subscription, but if it makes no sense or no longer makes fun, then close the blog. Dying in installments doesn't have to be. But please after the subscription ends 😉
The glass is half full ... 🙂 !!!
So, first of all, no reason to complain. There is always room for improvement / opportunities upwards ;-).
@ Joachim Benke: I too think the SAAB topic is not over yet ... Last example: Eva from Sweden. Great stories about the likeable brand from Trollhättan with committed people. Also an example of extensive research. Movies every now and then, wonderful! Thank you. So the variety around SAAB is impressive and I am still curious.
I still think positively in the SAAB future of the blog :-).
I read every post with great interest! I find that the topic is not "sucked out" at all! And I'm happy to be one of the subscription customers and hope that more people will decide to subscribe! There really is something for everyone!
Then so be it! Tom, you tried it for years with a lot of patience. If there is no support, you are very lonely. Shut that thing down at the end of the year, save yourself the hassle of pointless comments and right-wingers in the future, and enjoy life!
I then part with my Saab, no fun without a blog. But that's another thing.
My Saab blog share is rushing into the basement.
I hope for all of us that the number of subscriptions will continue to grow! I myself cannot imagine operating my Saab without a blog and I am not sure whether I would then stick to the vehicles permanently. The blog is the icing on the cake for me,
to continue to drive the old cars with pride and a lot of background.
It would be such a shame….
My fingers crossed!
I would even consider upgrading to the turbo version, but before I do that, I want to be sure that it will continue.
When I think about how much money one or the other throws into the cart when shopping in fly-by mode and then only read one article, then I wonder why so few of the regular readers here consider it necessary to make their contribution in the form of one To make subscriptions. That costs less than 5 or 6 glossy magazines 😉
Good entertainment, never boring and not expensive either. Even so, it obviously doesn't work. Well, I admit, 10 years after the end of Saab, it's a mega feat to keep the blog alive at all. But the interest is just too little. A test that has not yet worked.
And now?
The day could have been so beautiful - a shame and sad at the same time, but somehow also almost predictable….