Okay folks, who wants a free 1-year subscription to AFR.COM the iPad app and website for The Australian Financial Review. Thanks to the generosity of Fairfax, I have two free one-year subs to give away – along with 19 other bloggers in Australia. Each subscription is valued at $680.
To enter, please comment on this post and tell me in 25 words or less a positive story about your newsagency business. It could be something you have done, a customer experience or a community experience … it must connect back to your newsagency. The competition will be open for a week, to June 1.
Fairfax gave me a free one-year subscription to AFR.COM and I am enjoying it. I get the approach Fairfax is taking is seeking out digital subscribers rather than sitting back and reacting. Their proactive approach to change is what we need to do in our own businesses.
Before – large bin for $700 annually
Now – paper and plastic recycled for free and rubbish goes in home bin
Savings – $700 and slightly greener planet
I take a photo of every competition winner in my store. I then send a copy of the photo in a “press release” to the local newspaper. The story gets a run about 50% of the time. Be the (good) news story, don’t just sell the news!
I am surprised at the lack of entries Mark. Maybe Newsagents dont own i-pads.
I own an ipad but have no interest in the FR ,actually the first time i have even picked it up was to have a look at the ipad offer . Other than that i am looking forward to reading what others have to say .
Same same, don’t own an I-pad and don’t have the time or desire to read the AFR.
Here is a positive story anyway.
While promoting the newsXpress Magazine Card to a customer recently he asked me who funded the promotion. I proudly explained that the actual free mag is self funded and that we were happy to provide a free mag to reward loyal customers.
To my surprise he declined saying that he came to us for the excellent service and would do so with or without special offers that impacted our bottom line. While we ARE happy to offer the promotion and it is helping drive excellent growth in magazines, this goes to show that customers shop where they are well serviced and feel welcome. It was so good to have a customer compliment us in ths way.
Sorry Mark, far more than 25 words but like my customer I am not looking for the freebies.
IMHO the AFR is the best newspaper in Australia in terms of delivering to its market. Have said that here in the past over the years a few times.
In summer I offer a bowl of water for dogs and filtered water free for owners. They love it.
we opened the day after cyclone Yasi, our town was devestated, no power for a week, managed to get some papers thru, but people came every morning to tell their stories, and to get in touch with friends and loved ones. We became the meeting place for the first week after Yasi
What an experience for them and us.
Sorry could not fit taht into 25 words
This weekend we had the Targa Southwest Rally in town and we offered our front verandah to the race commentator to set up on. He loved it; the verandah is about a meter above street level and only 30m past the start line. We provided a table and chair and the use of our power and he gave us a couple of free mentions in the commentary.
Great fun and a great community event.
Customers love that I know their name and show a real, not fake, interest in their lives.
We have a “just a thought” board which we change once a week. Customers like it and we always get a laugh.
“Cannibals dont eat comedians cos they say they taste funny”
I also dont have or wish to have an IPAD.
Cheers
Mark, did we have a winner here? (Declaration of interest – I have recently acquired an iPad and enjoy reading the AFR). Cheers.
Rick and Dean are the winners. Your free AFR.COM subscriptions are on the way to you.
cheers mark, much appreciated, and I do have a new ipad thanks to my connection points
Thanks Mark, it was tough to keep to 25 words