The Local Switzerland launches Membership: Don't miss out on limited offer
On Tuesday we launched Membership for The Local Switzerland. We are now asking readers to pay a small contribution to get full access to the latest news and essential features. Here's what being a Member will get you and how you can still take advantage of a limited discount offer to join.
What's happening?
On Tuesday March 5th The Local Switzerland followed in the footsteps of our sister sites around Europe by asking regular readers to become paying Members.
What does that mean?
It means that we are now asking readers to pay a small contribution either each month or annually to become a member.
What does that get me?
In short membership gets you this:
-
Access to an unlimited number of articles on the site
-
Exclusive features just for members on all kinds of subjects to help explain Switzerland and life in the country
-
Improved coverage - with a freelance budget we aim to improve our coverage and get more voices on the site
-
As a member you'll be able to comment on all articles from now on
-
Fewer adverts - as a member you'll see less advertising on our articles
-
Unlimited access to all our other news sites around Europe
-
Special newsletters just for members
READ ENOUGH? Join now for special discount price
What else will my money go towards?
Our primary aim is to continue to grow in an increasingly tough media landscape and your contribution will help us not have to rely on advertising revenue in future. That will help us improve what we write about and will make us more accountable to readers rather than advertisers.
As members, we will be asking for your views and seeking your contributions on a regular basis. In short, we want you to get involved.
How much does it cost?
From today, you can join The Local Switzerland by taking advantage of our "Early Bird" offer before it runs out.
The offer, which gives you 30 percent off the price of annual membership, means loyal readers have the chance to join at a cheaper rate before we introduce the paywall on Tuesday March 5th. The special offer is time limited.
With the offer, if you are in Switzerland you can sign up today for CHF34.99, rather than the normal annual price of CHF49.99.
If you are are outside Switzerland you can pay €34.99 for the first year of annual Membership instead of €49.99. Please note, if you are in the US or the UK the money will be paid in your local currency.
You can also join and pay a monthly rate and effectively get the first month free.
If you've read enough you can join now by CLICKING HERE to view the options.
Your support is much appreciated.
Please explain why you are introducing a paywall again?
If you want to know about why are taking this step then you can read this article. An important factor is that advertising alone is no longer enough to survive in the ruthless modern media industry.
We are working in an environment in which big global companies like Facebook and Google have snapped up a huge proportion of global advertising. We highly value the relationships we have with our advertisers, but like most other media we also need other, more stable forms of income.
The reality is that a click or a unique visitor doesn't on its own pay the bills, especially when so many people use ad blockers.
If we want to continue to grow, as we have done since The Local Switzerland was launched in 2011, and offer more to readers, then we need to ask them to contribute directly.
But our Membership scheme is not just about having to balance the books amid stiff competition for ad revenues.
We want to be in a position to offer more insight into this wonderful country and to cover the news our readers need in more detail. We want to explain how the country works and give people the advice they need to navigate their life in Switzerland.
And we'll be redoubling our efforts to speak up for the international residents of Switzerland when they need our help.
Membership is also motivated by our desire for our readers to become more involved in what we do and how we do it. We want to tell your stories and write about your experiences living in the country. In other words, don't think of your monthly or yearly payment as a fee, but as an investment.
We look forward to having you on board.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email our team at [email protected].
Thank you for reading.
George Mills
Editor, The Local Switzerland
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See Also
What's happening?
On Tuesday March 5th The Local Switzerland followed in the footsteps of our sister sites around Europe by asking regular readers to become paying Members.
What does that mean?
It means that we are now asking readers to pay a small contribution either each month or annually to become a member.
What does that get me?
In short membership gets you this:
- Access to an unlimited number of articles on the site
- Exclusive features just for members on all kinds of subjects to help explain Switzerland and life in the country
- Improved coverage - with a freelance budget we aim to improve our coverage and get more voices on the site
- As a member you'll be able to comment on all articles from now on
- Fewer adverts - as a member you'll see less advertising on our articles
- Unlimited access to all our other news sites around Europe
- Special newsletters just for members
READ ENOUGH? Join now for special discount price
What else will my money go towards?
Our primary aim is to continue to grow in an increasingly tough media landscape and your contribution will help us not have to rely on advertising revenue in future. That will help us improve what we write about and will make us more accountable to readers rather than advertisers.
As members, we will be asking for your views and seeking your contributions on a regular basis. In short, we want you to get involved.
How much does it cost?
From today, you can join The Local Switzerland by taking advantage of our "Early Bird" offer before it runs out.
The offer, which gives you 30 percent off the price of annual membership, means loyal readers have the chance to join at a cheaper rate before we introduce the paywall on Tuesday March 5th. The special offer is time limited.
With the offer, if you are in Switzerland you can sign up today for CHF34.99, rather than the normal annual price of CHF49.99.
If you are are outside Switzerland you can pay €34.99 for the first year of annual Membership instead of €49.99. Please note, if you are in the US or the UK the money will be paid in your local currency.
You can also join and pay a monthly rate and effectively get the first month free.
If you've read enough you can join now by CLICKING HERE to view the options.
Your support is much appreciated.
Please explain why you are introducing a paywall again?
If you want to know about why are taking this step then you can read this article. An important factor is that advertising alone is no longer enough to survive in the ruthless modern media industry.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
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