Publication Priority #1: Content is King

Magazines of all shapes and sizes are going broke. They are losing advertisers left and right and there is a simple explanation. They aren’t listening to their readers.

A publisher’s first and main priority needs to be putting together a great product. You need a publication that piques a reader’s interest, shares valuable knowledge and, most important of all, encourages the reader to read more and look forward to that quarterly newsletter, weekly magazine or daily newspaper. If a publisher puts the reader first and makes every decision with the mindset of “What would a reader think of this?”, that publisher will have a successful publication.

In publishing (as in all business), the priority should not be the advertiser, even though they are ones footing the bill. The priority should not be your company. The priority is the reader. if you do not have content that second-to-none, your readership will dwindle and slowly but surely you will lose those precious advertisers. And when you lose advertisers, you lose your publication. Don’t believe me? Just read this story from the New York Times in October 2009, by clicking on the link below, about the fate of Gourmet magazine and several other Conde Nast publications. http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/conde-nast-to-close-gourmet-magazine/

In addition to upside-down priorities, most companies go for tradition over innovation. However, the traditional business model of print publications is slowing going the way of the Dodo. In order to compete in this mass media market, your publication needs to stand out. This means not just using traditional means of printing your publication. You can still print, but ask your readers if he/she would like the magazine or newsletter in electronic form. It cuts down on costs and allows your company to use more and more advertisers as space is not limited.

Keeping the reader informed on a regular basis is important. If you have a website and have a new story that you would like to share immediately, post a message on Twitter or Facebook.

The important lesson to take from this blog is if you focus your efforts on your readership, everything else will fall into place.