Making Subscriptions Worth It To Your Users

[3z3k3l]

Hello Everyone,
I have a fairly active board with about 40K members. The whole premise of our site is a Free Information resource.

Well we do have subscriptions people can sign up for to help with alleviating the costs associated with hosting...well I am trying to make a push for new subscriptions and I was wondering what I should allow "Subscribers" to have that makes it worth their while to subscribe??

I know a little tag next to their name always helps (People like recognition) but I really want to encourage all "NEW" Users to sign up for a subscription.. like its almost mandatory..you know make it kind of a pain or make them feel really guilty if they don't... lol... how can I do that?

I am just wondering what you guys are using to encourage subscriptions, what kind of advertising methods...what kind of gimmics etc.. what works and what doesn't?

I have found the most effective is to just state it as a fact and appeal to people's heart rather then intellect... but I want to help their decisions along..as effectively as possible.

So any suggestions, ideas on making subscribers a more valuable option?

Thanks!

Since I don't want to limit content and the majority of the users come there to visit the forums I have set up:
1. Award Icon next to name for being a subscriber
2. Access to VBPlaza to buy and sell items etc..
3. Access to specialized elite forums.
4. I give all subscribers access to new features first on the site.
.... any other ideas???

[Faol]

I am interested in this also. I just started my forum, which is the first US specific bushcraft forum, and would like help in alleviating the fairly substantial monthly hosting fee. I expect a good quantity of of members, but certainly nothing like 40K. It would be nice though.

I am planning on the classifieds mod, when membership numbers warrant that purchase. I also plan on giving album access to paying members as well. I thought about giving domain specific email addresses also, but if I get a huge paying member base that could become problematic for maintenance of accounts.

[Hex_legend]

I have set it on mine so that they can't PM or do any of the advanced features including looking at a profile until they upgrade.

www.alwaysalternative.com/member.php?u=1 - Try clicking that as a guest

This entices users to sign up as a FREE member.. But then what they are then forced with, is they have to upgrade to a PAID member in order to send PM's to users.

[wmlvb]

Any other ideas? Any good award systems?

[IvyKeepMommy]

I had mysmilies installed and allow my subscribers to upload personal smilies. I also have a larger PM mailbox and different levels of subscription. I also have as Donator's forum, where they get news and announcements (and a chance to offer feedback) before the rest of the site.

[SamirDarji]

Here's a few things that we plan to add on 3 different levels of subscriptions:
1. Avatars - everyone
2. Signatures - pay and Steve designs for free
3. Off topic - higher level pay
4. Arcade - not pay--play games no save scores, pay--play and save scores
5. Classifieds - pay, 3 months, 30 posts
6. PM system - pay, and more for higher level pay.
7. Attachments - pay, and more for higher level pay
8. Different level titles for pay
9. Stickers
10. Picture Album

Generally, things that allow people to make the forum experience uniquely theirs seems to grab most people. Post more ideas on this too. I'd love to see some more ideas. I like the idea of a donators forum. :)