How Magazines “Propose” Greater Involvement With Their Readers

Customer EngagementFalling in Love with Magazine Brands

MMPA Summit 4-17-2014Aileen Hough & Rebecca Sterner

TERMS?

Typical Publisher Offerings • Robust Websites• E-newsletters• Digital Editions• Events• Ancillary Products• Social Media

Powder and Bulk Engineering

We appreciate the many opportunities offered by the suite of PBE products. Your products offer great exposure for us while delivering great content for your readers. It’s why you stay in a leadership position. Terry Shaw, Dir Mkt, Acrison

From HGTV Magazine

“I am a big fan of Vern Yip’s style, so when I saw the striped walls in his son’s room in your May issue, I knew I had to try that look in my 3-year-old’s room. I used two shades of paint from Behr … I love the way it came

out!”[with photo]

Customer Engagement• Subscriptions purchased or requested• Number of renewals or re-qualifications• E-newsletter sign-ups• Website visits• Products purchased• Events attended (live, webinar, podcasts,

etc.)• Surveys & demographic info• Etc.

Measuring Engagement—Print Magazines

• More than 80% of our readers discuss articles in Air Pollution Control with others at their company.

• More than half our readers save their magazine for future reference.

• Almost 70% of APC readers sought more information about an article from the author or participating company.

Source: Readex Research Study

Website engagement

Length of time on site (duration)Pages viewed per visitReturn visits Sharing of content

Registered content

Web Engagement Example• Top 10 Landing Pages• How are internal programs being

perceived?• Value of partner programs

Revenue vs. Engagement— PAID Model

Buying your magazine means I like (or need) your

magazine!

Increased engagement = > $

• Higher renewal rates• More responses to ads• More word of mouth, gift subscriptions,

etc.• Can mean higher circulation or lower need

to invest in new subscription promotions• New products to sell• Higher prices• Others?

Increased Engagement—Controlled Model

Engagement means I buy the products that are advertised

in your magazine.

Revenue vs. engagement

Controlled publications rely on advertiser, sponsor and reader investments. It’s just a different way of looking at the bottom line.

Content is key- how can I benefit?

Partners add value to the relationship.

Readers often bring new ideas to the table, sometimes from problems they face.

Successful engagement has to invite everyone to the party.

Strength brand between issuesAdded sponsor/sales opportunity

More editorial coverage for partners

More subscriber benefits to offerCut costs on partner commitments

Conference Cross-over

Powder Coating

• Build on your strengths

Q&A column• Support natural

interest and engagement

Pretreatment• Encourage two-way

dialogue and it may take you to places you never planned on

Q&AQuestions and answers about any phase of your powder coating operation.

Powder Coatings ClinicGot a question about the physical properties or performance characteristics of a powder coating?

Pretreatment Problem SolverIf you have a problem with cleaning, rinsing, conversion coating, or drying parts before powder

application, our Pretreatment Problem Solver columnist can help you solve it.

Tip Us Off!Tip us off about how you or coworkers improved your powder coating operation or solved a

recurrent problem.

Coater’s CornerAre you a seasoned powder coater who would like to share information with our readers?

UV Powder Coating RoundupDoes ultraviolet (UV) powder coating intrigue you, but you don’t know where to go to get answers

to your questions about the technology? 

IR Curing Shoptalk Questions and answers about any phase of infrared (IR) curing.

Powder Coating website: Problem-Solving

Tablets & Capsules• Added, focused

advertising opportunity.

• Editors have room for more in-depth content.

• CAD has another benefit for subscribers.

• Revenue from after-issue sales in bookstore with long shelf life info.

Esquire Magazine

Customer Engagement Tactics

Examples from smaller titles

Birdwatcher’s Digest

Don’t Lose Focus

• It's too easy to get caught up in all the cool things you can do creatively, and loose track of brand image. So, it gets down to fundamentals. We provide step-by-step information in a friendly manner. So whether it's a magazine article, a TV program, an email tip, a blog, a video, or a retail sales experience, it has to do that. 

Don Peschke, August Home

Woodsmith – August Home• Magazine• Woodsmith.com• Shopnotes Magazine• Woodsmith Shop TV• Woodsmith Books• Woodsmith E-Tips

We’re a small company but we try to think big.

• Media companies need to think in terms of three major platforms: print (magazines, SIP's, books), digital (websites, email, social) and TV (both broadcast and webcast). 

We have seen the most success with one of our brands, Woodsmith, that has all three platforms. It started as a magazine (albeit with no advertising). Next, it added SIP's and books.

Then it transitioned to email and the web selling "disaggregated" content. And finally, it expanded even more through a national TV.

It works because we've maintained the brand image across all three platforms. So, we're able to attract new customers in one area (TV, for example) and convert them to web (email) and print (magazine) very quickly. 

Case Study: Art Museums• Minneapolis Institute of Arts: Bike

Night, “Artisanal” Coffee Shop, Kids’ Café, concerts

• Portland Art Museum: Wedding Receptions

• Walker Art Center: Cat Videos, Rock the Garden, Sculpture Garden Mini-Golf

• Free outdoor films, date nights, family art-creation events

“The end game is to develop a public that says. ‘Oh, I’ve never heard of Artist X, but I don’t care because everything the MIA does is spectacular.”

Matthew Welch, MIA

“It’s important that people experience the museum as they want, not as we see them.”

Kristin Prestegaard MIA Chief Engagement Officer

Guaranteed Engagement

CC + CF = Engagement

CC = COMPELLING CONTENT

CF =Delivered in a convenient,

usable format

Break out of the Periodical Mentality

• Think content, not “issues”• Reorganize, re-purpose• What do people need while mobile?• Problem-solving edit, not “reading”

“Dis-aggregated content”

Publishers product content that is ideal for apps

Compelling content?

Find it & BLOW IT UP!

Fantasy Sports Fanatics

National Geographic photos

Questions?

Your SpeakersAileen HoughVP Audience DevelopmentCSC Publishing Inc.1155 Northland Dr.St Paul, MN 55120651-287-5617 direct651-287-5666 faxahough@cscpub.com

Rebecca SternerMagazinePublishing Consultant11560 195th St. W.Lakeville, MN 55044952-469-3450RebeccaSterner.comR@RebeccaSterner.com