5 Lessons in Membership Engagement from Daily Maverick's Julia Harris
How a mission-driven newsroom is building community, boosting retention, and turning readers into contributors.
What does it take to build not just a membership base, but a true community around a news brand? For Julia Harris, Head of Reader Revenue at South Africa's Daily Maverick, the answer lies in emotional connection, active involvement, and giving members a meaningful role in the journalism itself. In this episode of Redefining Engagement, Julia shares how the Maverick Insider program, community platform Daily Maverick Connect, and a thoughtful onboarding journey are turning casual readers into loyal supporters.
Here are 5 key lessons from our conversation:
1. Membership is Emotional, Not Just Transactional
"The top reason why people become members is they want to support Daily Maverick. They think that it's important that they do so."
Unlike subscriptions, which are often seen as paywalls for access, membership thrives on emotional alignment. Members of Maverick Insider aren’t just buying journalism, they’re believing in its mission. That emotional connection is what fuels higher retention rates, deeper engagement, and long-term loyalty.
2. Engagement is the First Step in Retention
"If you’ve got a leaky bucket where everyone you bring in is quickly falling out, you're not going to be successful long term. Engagement creates a real community."
Retention isn’t just about payment flows, it starts much earlier. By investing in engagement through newsletters, events, and community platforms, Daily Maverick sees a direct correlation between feeling involved and staying subscribed. That engagement buffer keeps the bucket full.
3. Let Your Members Contribute to the Journalism
"We use our expert database to involve members in our journalism. Some have been quoted in stories, providing critical context and expertise."
Daily Maverick doesn't just report at its audience, it brings them into the process. From an expert database that informs reporting, to tip-offs on local issues via the Daily Maverick Connect platform, this is user-initiated journalism in action.
4. Safe Spaces Outperform Social Media
"One of the biggest shifts we’ve seen is people wanting alternatives to toxic comment sections or platforms like X."
Their new platform, Daily Maverick Connect, offers members a moderated, mission-aligned community. AI-assisted moderation tools help manage scale, but the real magic is in the culture: respectful discussion, journalist involvement, and peer moderation. Engagement quality goes up, abuse goes down.
5. Build the Relationship from Day One
"We have a nine-step onboarding journey for new members, with emails from real team members including the CEO and editor-in-chief."
New members don’t just receive a generic thank you. They go on a guided experience that introduces the people, products, and values of Daily Maverick over time. It's scalable relationship-building that personalises the membership experience and increases lifetime value.
Final Thoughts:
As Julia puts it, "A community is a group of engaged people who are invested in your mission." Whether it’s through safe spaces, onboarding journeys, or simply asking good questions, Daily Maverick is showing what modern membership can look like.
🎧 Listen to the full episode of Redefining Engagement to hear:
How Daily Maverick Connect works behind the scenes
What they learned from sending their rugby editor to the World Cup
Why retention is more powerful than acquisition
