Starting from 1 July 2021, Vulcan Post will begin charging for access to selected articles on its website as part of its efforts to capture a slice of the digital subscription business.
It is adopting a ‘freemium’ model, in which visitors can still read some articles for free but premium content is hidden behind a paywall.
For S$9.90 a month or S$99.90 a year, subscribers can gain access to all premium content. This whittles down to only S$0.33 or S$0.27 a day respectively.
There’s also a one-week package option for S$4.90. Alternatively, readers can unlock a single article for S$7.90.
To drive subscriptions, Vulcan Post is focused on pushing out quality content that’s worth paying for.
Subscribers will be able to enjoy exclusive articles with a deeper level of coverage and insight on verticals that include government technology, electric vehicles, cryptocurrency and e-commerce.
Vulcan Post has identified these verticals as part of its ambition to shape itself as the knowledge hub of Singapore and Malaysia.
Why charge for content?
With a vision to inform and educate its readers, it aims to churn out content that’s insightful and informative.
Beyond news reporting, Vulcan Post is dedicated to producing long-form features, opinion and analytical pieces, data-driven articles, investigative journalism, exclusive interviews, and startup scoops.
“Avid Vulcan Post readers would have noticed that we have been pushing out more graphics and explainers as of late. This is one of our ways to level up our content game,” said Zafirah Salim, brand lead of Vulcan Post.
Some examples of its premium articles include how Grab’s S$54 billion SPAC deal is lighting up the IPO path for Southeast Asian startups, an overview of the car-sharing industry and why it’s driving up demand in Singapore, as well as the key blindspots in Singapore’s roadmap to full electrification by 2040.
By subscribing to Vulcan Post’s premium content, it would also help the online publication shape journalism, in a way that it helps them learn more about what its readers would like to see more (and less) of.
Since its inception in 2015, Vulcan Post has provided all of its editorial content for free but going forward, it believes that the way for it to truly thrive is by continuing to diversify its revenue — by asking readers to show its support more directly and safeguard journalism.
In recent months, Vulcan Post has increased its investment to beef up its editorial team in order to expand and enrich its coverage.
“Launching a paywall helps to ensure that we keep publishing great journalism well into the future,” said Jacky Yap, managing director of GRVTY Media, the parent company of Vulcan Post.
“We used to focus on driving traffic but as we pivot to a subscription model, our core focus now is to push out better and deeper content. We believe this is what will help sustain us in the long run.”
Check out the rest of Vulcan Post’s premium articles here and subscribe to Vulcan Post here.
Featured Image Credit: Vulcan Post