HED Above The Rest: The One Thing Paywall Articles Should Have To Attract Subscribers

If you’re reading this in a newsletter and then ultimately on the Magazine Manager blog, it’s because of my choice to create content that you can click on and consume without the hurdle of a paywall. It’s a choice afforded by the nature of what and why I publish, and a choice that I understand not all publishers have the luxury of making. 

If paywalls weren’t effective in keeping content exclusive to an intended audience — while also, one hopes, helping build that audience-base — then no one would construct them.

Which makes the recent study about paywall effectiveness all the more fascinating.

 

New York Times Goes All-In On Internal AI Tools

The New York Times is greenlighting the use of AI for its product and editorial staff, saying that internal tools could eventually write social copy, SEO headlines, and some code. In messages to newsroom staff, the company announced that it’s opening up AI training to the newsroom, and debuting a new internal AI tool called Echo to staff, Semafor has learned.

 

The AI State Of Mind: Brands Are Reasonably Sure They Are Good At It

Brands are warming up to AI and are steadily gaining expertise — especially in the email area, judging by The Evolution Of AI in Marketing 2025, a study by Ascend2. Of the firms polled, 60% are somewhat successful at using AI to achieve their marketing objectives. And 25% say they are very successful, or best in class. Only 14% are unsuccessful. But they are not using AI as widely as they might. 

 

B2B Marketers Double Down On AI And Social Media In 2025

60% of US B2B marketers plan to boost spending on AI tools and on social media advertising in 2025, per November 2024 data from Madison Logic and The Harris Poll.