In partnership with a group of small publishers, Facebook is testing support around new subscription models for Instant Articles.

Efficient access to news

As a result of Facebook’s achievement through the Facebook Journalism Project, the company is working with publishers around the globe to better comprehend the necessities in collaborating to develop new products.

Publishers have made it known that subscriptions are the top priority for sustainability, maintaining a consistent control over pricing, offers, and their relationship with subscribers.

So far, Facebook’s list of colaborators includes Bild, The Boston Globe, The Economists, Le Parisien, Spiegel, The Telegraph, and the Washington Post.

How the test functions

Facebook is beta testing support for paywalls of both metered models (allowing access for up to 10 articles) and fremium models (the publisher controls which articles remain locked).

Subscriptions would include full access to a publisher’s site and apps as well as through Facebook. Users already subscribing to news agencies can authenticate and continue their access now through Instant Articles.

A Subscription button is also being tested in place of the traditional Like button within posts. Currently, Facebook is generating an increase in per page revenue of 50% and paying out as much as $1 million per day to publishers.

Even though the process of refining marketing tools and recruiting subscribers is still being finessed, it's clear that users are ready and willing to consume their news content via Facebook.

Are you a current subscriber to Instant Articles? How much news do you consume through Facebook? Let us know in our comment section.