Why you should make a custom magazine part of your marketing
What’s the one piece of content you look forward to the most?
Think about it…
We’ll bet it’s not a Facebook post.
It’s not a YouTube video.
It’s probably not yet another blog.
Our guess – it’s part of a series. That's what got you hooked.
In reality what we find however is that the sensory experience of print cannot be matched by much. Many people still care about print and a fantastic magazine can still make their subscribers excited when it drops onto the mat. Particularly beautifully designed magazines with high quality editorial and stunning visual imagery.
More and more businesses are starting to see the audience-building value of the custom magazine. How else can you voluntarily get someone’s undivided attention for a decent chunk of time?
In print, it's the physical representation of your brand that is otherwise lacking. It's your way into the living rooms and offices of your customers. It's a cost-effective tool that can develop genuine relationships…and it’s not a new idea.
In 1895 a tractor company set out to get the attention of farmers. They didn’t buy advertising or hire salesman to go door-to-door, the John Deere Company created a custom print magazine called The Furrow designed to educate farmers on developing technology and trends in agriculture. Now there are over 1.5 million copies, and distribution reaches over 40 countries. In 2018, it was listed as 102nd in the Fortune 500 America's ranking and was ranked 394th in the global ranking
In 1900, Michelin developed the Michelin Guide, then a free 400-page document that helped drivers maintain their cars and find travel accommodations. By encouraging travel, tires wore out and Michelin made more sales. Now the acquisition or loss of a star in the Michelin Red guide can have dramatic effects on the success of a restaurant.
Smart businesses have always known that great content marketing can improve the customer experience and add real value. Regular subscription-based content allows you to develop an ongoing relationship with your audience allowing you to turn customers into loyal brand ambassadors.
People now have the ability to find super specific content related to their individual interests. Increasingly, readers, viewers and listeners don't have to endure unrelated advertising if they don't want to.
As marketers mature in their understanding of a target audience and their preferences for content discovery and consumption, the role of custom print and digital magazines provide the story formats for topics that are important to customers.
However, a valuable piece of brand content doesn’t exist in a vacuum. In fact, custom content is such an effective medium for brands because it maps back to a broader narrative—the story a brand is telling about itself.
Essentially, content exists to tell a story, which is why, for the right business or brand, developing a custom magazine as a component of their content marketing strategy offers a unique way to solidify its relationship with its audience while building brand equity.
Recently, a spate of forward-thinking businesses is turning to custom magazines to reach their own niche audience. The world of custom publishing and branded magazines encompasses every niche, from members only to mainstream retailers to agriculture to luxury hotels. There are currently over 85,000 custom titles in print across a variety of industries.
So why should you think about creating a magazine to delight your audience?
You can collaborate with thought leaders who often find time to be interviewed if they are going to appear in print.
You can possibly generate advertising revenue
If you add value for these subscribers with your print magazine, you’ll earn repeat customers.
A beautiful print magazine will bring your online store offline. If it’s coffee-table worthy, it becomes a part of your customer’s life in a way no shop, catalog or billboard ever can.
You have the opportunity to create something that is uncommon in today’s digital world and stand out in an overcrowded market of branded content
You can create a subscription based connection to consumers about topics that educate, retain and increase brand loyalty
Brands don’t have to look too far to find quality content producers in their fields as appearing in print still holds a certain level of attraction
For the cost of a full page ad in a national magazine, an entire branded magazine can be produced
Print content can be repurposed online to work in concert with online editorial calendars
We've created a recent custom magazine with the Royal Naval Club and Royal Albert Yacht Club in Portsmouth. Feedback has been fantastic and uptake on Club events has improved considerably. It now appeals to members old and young alike and people have commented on the well-researched articles, and bitesized chunks of wit & wisdom that appear in it as well as the general improvements in look and feel.
The cost for all the content to be researched and created, the magazine to be graphically designed and printed averaged less than £2 per copy so custom magazines can be more cost-effective than you think!
Want to learn more, let’s get started