How our 2024 member survey is informing programming and benefits

News entrepreneurs who join LION Publishers have a vision for their business.

To achieve those goals, they must make countless decisions, from how to define their work in a mission statement to which payment platform to use for donations or subscriptions. 

It’s hard work and often lonely, but LION aims to help our members navigate those choices and learn from other business owners on a similar path. 

For the first time this year, we asked our full membership what they’re looking for from LION, what they value about their membership, and how we can better serve them. And the survey responses are informing how we are developing new programs and resources for members (and potential new members) across the U.S. and Canada.

What we learned from the survey

The current benefits LION members value

Nearly 20 percent of LION members filled out the survey in June 2024. We heard from publishers that they highly valued member benefits (75 percent) and connecting with other news entrepreneurs through LION (66 percent). Those members also told us they value training and coaching on topics relevant to their business. 

LION currently offers several member benefits, including discounted media liability insurance through Acrisure, cybersecurity protection through Cloudflare’s Project Galileo, free design tools through Canva for Micro-tier publishers and non-profit members, discounted membership in the Local Media Consortium, and aggregation and revenue support through SmartNews. 

This year’s survey told our team that we can do more to help LIONs understand what’s available to them through their membership. More than half of respondents said they were not aware of many of our current benefits. That’s why we’re already adding more regular updates about these benefits to our emails and newsletters, and members can now access information about benefits and special discount codes in our new member portal, which we launched this September. (If you’re a member and need assistance signing in to the portal, please email [email protected])

Other benefits LIONs want — and what we’ve done so far

When asked about additional benefits that would be useful for them, members reported in the survey a high interest in discounts for tools to do better journalism and tools to help manage business operations. We compiled a list of discount requests, from newsletter production tools to financial planning products, and will seek out additional benefits that are aligned with the top needs of our members.

We already knew that many members joined LION to meet other entrepreneurs, which members have shared with us in feedback on past events. In the survey, we asked: How important is it for you to connect with other news entrepreneurs as a LION member? More than 70 percent of the members who filled out the survey ranked this as a four or five on a scale of 1-5. That was not surprising, and the membership team is looking for ways to create even more networking opportunities for members. 

When I joined LION earlier this year as the director of membership, I started hearing from new members that they were looking for ways to connect with the LION community and make the most of their membership. In August, we started a new member call, which is now scheduled every other month. In those calls, we provide details about member benefits and give members a chance to meet each other in small group discussions. 

Our membership team also piloted a reimagined Community Ambassadors program this summer. These peer learning groups met monthly to build community and share knowledge. The community ambassadors are compiling their top learnings from the groups, and we are looking for more ways to engage members and create opportunities for networking, both virtually and in person, at events like our annual Independent News Sustainability Summit. Another way members can connect with their peers is through our News Entrepreneur Community Slack group. Members can request an invitation by filling out this form. 

Many publishers come to LION because they are looking for resources to help them navigate the transition from journalism to the business side. Our News Entrepreneur Academy was developed to support news startup boot camps in previous years, but we’re looking to grow and expand our online resources and trainings in ways that are accessible and responsive to emerging member needs.

Member survey respondents expressed strong interest in topics related to growing revenue: 

• Generating revenue (ads, membership, etc.) at 81 percent 
• Growing audience at 81 percent 
• Fundraising and applying for grants at 71 percent

Some members also shared that they want more support not just in training but also in executing that knowledge. That’s exactly why LION launched a new Expert Network this fall,  which will help members connect with experienced consultants who can help them move from understanding a challenge to implementing solutions for their business. Some experts are offering special rates to active LION members. (Members can access the Expert Network by logging into the new member portal)

While conducting this research, I also wanted to hear if our members felt like they could get in touch with us when they needed assistance. We asked: When you have questions or need support related to managing your LION membership (i.e., paying for membership dues, requesting refunds, accessing your account, etc.), how accessible is LION staff when you reach out? Nearly 80 percent of members chose four or five on a scale of 1-5. That’s positive feedback, but it’s a high priority for me to ensure we continue to be responsive to members when they have questions or concerns. Our aim with the new member portal is to make it easier for members to manage their account, ask questions, and find the resources they need. There’s more to be done, but we’re actively listening to feedback and refining our processes based on what we hear from members.

What’s next

Just as there are growth opportunities for our members, there are opportunities for LION to continue to grow. The vision that is guiding our work now is outlined in the Five-Year Strategic Growth Plan. 

LION’s pillars of sustainability (operational resilience, financial health, and journalistic impact) offer a highly customizable framework for our members of all sizes, from solopreneurs running a newsletter or website to large organizations with multiple reporters on different beats. Sustainability Audits will remain an important tool for our members, with a self-service option for Audits expected to become available in 2025 (read more about the future of our Audits in this post). 

The membership team has used insights from the Audits and member feedback, including how they’ve used coaches and other resources, to inform our current offerings. For example, the Sustainability 360 program will launch as an eight-month pilot next month with six members working on an ambitious goal for their business. The program will offer coaching, time with specialized experts, new member benefits, and additional support from our team. Our goal is to grow the program into a regular offering in the coming years. 

We also plan to add more resources, training, benefits, and opportunities that align with the needs of all members. There’s incredible potential for LION to develop more strategic partnerships that align new resources and opportunities with ongoing member feedback. And we will continue to survey members every year. My goal is for member feedback to become an additional data point that can help both our team and members understand which resources, tools, and programs are helping members make the most progress in their journey toward sustainability. 

LION is honored to work on behalf of independent news publishers every day. We appreciate it when members share their wins and when they tell us we missed the mark and could do better. 

Current, past, and potential members who want to get in touch with our team can email [email protected].