To jump-start its hunt for digital subscribers, the Minneapolis Star Tribune is focusing on the middle of its marketing funnel. That 55,000 total is far from the 100,000 digital subscribers targeted by Star Tribune publisher Mike Klingensmith. "Historically, we've been very good at top-of-the-funnel tactics. And historically we've been very good at bottom-of-funnel tactics. We have decades of expertise in direct-response marketing," Star Tribune CMO Steve Yaeger said. Over the past year, the Star Tribune has made product improvements to grow subscriptions. Louis Deering, the Star Tribune's senior digital subscription marketing manager, said the Star Tribune used to concentrate its Facebook ad spending on people deemed most likely to subscribe. As the effectiveness of that approach wore off, the Star Tribune started promoting other kinds of stories. "I'd say we're near the end of the beginning," Yaeger said of the Star Tribune's efforts to drive digital subscribers. Read more