Ad Sales Blog

The Winding Road to Digital Magazine's next phase

Remember your magazine's first website?

For most publications it was a simple copy and paste job. We copied content from the magazine and pasted it right onto the the new website. The big question of the day was, "Should we hold off posting the web content, as it might hurt readership of the identical print content. Then something unexpected happened that changed everything:

Nothing.

That's right, nothing happened. Because we discovered that no new web content meant no new web visitors, and as result, no new ad dollars. The dialog abruptly shifted to how we could develop fresh content for the magazine's website and how to monetize it.

That was ten years ago. OK, so why are so many publishers having the same discussion, right now, about digital magazines?   

I've heard it all over the magazine industry, "We tried publishing a digital magazine, but nothing happened." How soon we forget...no new content equals incremental new readership and incremental new revenue.

But what if you put new content into digital magazines? What if they were not just a duplication of your magazine but an extension into niche areas unprofitable to service with print? What if they were utilized as a new content platform, not just a means of digital distribution? What if they were created to function as graphical, upscale newsletters in industries or categories where graphical appeal counts?

The trend has already started. The people at "Winding Road" is a digital only car magazine that gets over 180,000 unique readers viewing an average of 22 pages every month. Click on the link below and take a look. It could be your future.   

View Winding Road

Article on the launch of Winding Road

PS: Why no industry association has not taken the time to research the basics of how digital magazines work as an advertising platform is a mystery to me. I'd like to help start that discussion with anyone willing.

When selling ads in digital magazines think "Website"

Digital magazines have all of the advantages of print magazines except they are online. Right?

In addition, readers have instant random access to content. Everyone wins. Right?

Wrong. Advertisers can lose. If a reader takes a random access skip  over their ad, that ad is not seen.

Although digital magazines may look more like a print magazine than a website, the random access feature asks us to sell ads more like those on a website.

You will do better to sell positions in a digital magazine that offer adjacency to content that a reader may take a "random access" skip to visit. It is helpful to offer stats on which pages or sections get the most traffic. In short, use some of the same approaches you would use to sell fixed position ads on a website. 

Above, a slide from a Penwell survey documenting the challenge

Download the entire Penwell survey

Are digital magazines "fish with feet?"

In 2005 "search" guru, John Battelle, was credited with sound bite critique of digital magazines describing them as "fish with feet", merely a transitional product for the digitally challenged who need extra help migrating from paper to the Web.

If Battelle is right digital magazines will fade away and be gone in a few years. Also, his concern about the long term could become an objection raised by clients blocking your next digital magazine media sale.

On a call.

While digital magazines have detractors they are now enjoying huge growth:

At the start of this year digital publisher NXTbook Media reported a 254 percent increase in sales and a 359 percent rise in traffic to its digital magazines over the year before.

This August digital magazine publisher Zinio announced the launch of 65 new digital releases.

Sorry Mr. Battelle, but growth is robust.

In addition, almost all current media could be viewed as "fish with feet." In fact, going through some kind of tech transition focusing on delivery is typical these days:

• In two years, the current analogue standard of television is mandated to shut down and be replaced with a digital system as per order of the US Federal Communications Commission.

• Five years from now radio may morph into a medium with as many time shifted listeners as live.

• Just now, there is  technology fight in cable TV where IPTV technology (like FiOS from Verizon) is being deployed to compete with the current generation of cable delivery.

• The current Internet you are reading this blog on will one day be replaced with Internet2 technology now in beta at Universities.

If digital magazines are evolutionary products they are in very good company.

Today, Digital Magazines are robust and growing. To those detractors that suggest that they are irrelevant because they may yet evolve, remind them in today's media world evolution is a sign of viability, not weakness.   

Selling digital editions of print magazines

Digital Magazines, or E-zines have the look, layout, and the feel of print magazines, but are distributed digitally. Selling advertising on them can be tricky if advertisers see your digital distribution as eroding your base of print readers.

A terrific study from Texterity Inc., certified by BPA Worldwide, can help you (1) sell the value of digital magazines and (2) overcome the "print erosion" objection.

First off, the survey has a bias; the 11,642 responses were taken from readers of digital magazines with no print magazine respondents included. That's OK. Accept the bias, you can still make both points.

1. Sell the value of digital magazines

A lot of media buyers are suspicious of digital versions of print magazines. They ask, "Are they just a cheap way to boost circulation?"

I find you can win over skeptical buyers by showing how digital magazines make sense in a personal way to readers. Show them  how and why readers like them by using the the first two slides posted here from the study. Using the slides, you can show the increased functionality of digital magazines you can make a case for usage on a personal level. Say, "Some of our readers like digital magazines because of the added functionality. Functionally leads to reader acceptance and our content leads them to be enthusiastic." By selling the readers point of view you sell the value of this new media as an advertising vehicle. 

2. Overcome the "print erosion" objection

The last two slides I have posted show digital magazine readers have little and declining use for print publications. Show this to a media buyer? Have I gone nuts!? No. There is a way to present them as a plus. To do it you have to take a step back. Here's how:

1. Take a step back and acknowledgment that print and online media are or should be a reality in every marketing program.

Come on, no one can ignore this. Need back up or convincing? Some recent posts:

Your online wake up call to the "inevitable correction"

Magazine advertising: Is On line hurting B-to-B more than Consumer? Yes.

Pessimistic media forecast for "traditional media"

2. Tell your client you have proof of the viability of both print and digital magazines existing together and attracting unique audiences. Instead of sugar coating the results by saying "it's not so bad for print," I say, go negative, and point out to what degree these readers prefer the digital editions. Here is the payoff: If you can make the point that each medium attracts a "unique audience," they should not compete but complement one another.

3. Before you preset these last two slides you MUST point out the bias of the survey I mentioned earlier. Again, this is not general survey of readers, it is a survey of ONLY readers of digital magazines. No print readers.

4. Now present the last two slides. OK, readers of digital magazines have little and declining interest in print publications. By doing this, you will prove that  digital magazines are the perfect print extender, increasing the coverage of the overall publication brand. If questions arise about the viability of your print edition show them your latest circulation audit as proof of continued viability. If your print circulation numbers are stable and digital magazine numbers are up that is a big plus for the overall publication brand.

5. Close with the idea that your digital edition makes your overall publication brand stronger by extending it to  individuals who might not participate in it (remember those last two slides). It is  an extension, not a replacement. In light of the advancement of digital, introducing a digital edition is a progressive step, not a negative.

6. Time to sell up. If digital magazines really do create unique audiences that extend a print brand, then it's time to consider buying both for total market coverage.

Download the complete study

Read a news release on the BPA site

View Texterity content on the Folio site

View Josh Gordon's two BPA webinars for free