Inc. has a few different pricing options. The newsstand price of a single issue costs the reader $4.99. They have created their own online archival system. They offer issues as far back as January 2001. Each archived print edition has a price tag of $4.99. I thought maybe the older issues would be available at a discount but, that is not the case. Inc. offers a one-year subscription, which includes 10 printed issues for $12.97. When readers subscribe their credit card is held on file. The annual subscription is renewed automatically by the Circulation Department, unless otherwise notified. I assume this practice has a positive affect on renewal rates.
Recently, Inc. partnered with Amazon to sell subscriptions. For Cyber Monday I found Inc.’s listing on the Amazon site promoting their 2012 subscription for $12.00. A presence on Amazon increases their visibility and it gives word-of-mouth recommendations an opportunity to work their magic. Forty-six people reviewed the publication and its average rating was 4 out of 5 stars. Inc. is also offering a holiday subscription deal for the month of December. It’s an enticing promotion and a smart way to increase readership; keeps the advertising dollars flowing. The promo headline is, “Give a Gift that Gives Back”. Entrepreneurs who subscribe in December will receive a one-year subscription along with a free gift subscription for just $10.00. The magazine’s subscription card directs you to Inc.com. There you can register and take advantage of the special.
After perusing all the subscription options, I realized I hadn’t come across any online subscriptions offers. I thought, maybe the fee is bundled with the print editions. As I canvassed their website it became apparent that almost all their online content is free, not a single pay wall to speak of. Today they are even giving away the top three stories in the November print issue. This magazine is still on the newsstands. This site is loaded with free articles, blogs, tips, advise, slide shows, podcasts and e-newsletters on topics such as leadership and marketing. Free is fabulous but the big question is…how does this affect the circulation of the print editions?
According to Wikipedia Inc. Magazine’s 2007 circulation was, 690,000 with 20,000 single copies purchased off newsstands per month. The Audit Bureau of Circulation reported that Inc. had approx 682,000 subscribers with 27,000 single copy sales in 2011. Its circulation was 73% men with an average household income of $160,000. Looking at these numbers I think it’s safe to conclude, over the past four years, gobs of free online content has not slowed or stunted Inc.’s subscriber base. Customers still find value in the physical editions. In fact, it just dawned on me that Inc. Magazine is not an e-publication. It’s a paper magazine sold from the Inc.com website. Inc. does not currently offer an e-version to its subscribers. Therefore, if entrepreneurs want the full edition they have no choice but to subscribe to the physical magazine.
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