How to use your site to grow sales of your magazine

If you can provide your target audience with a reason to visit your site regularly, you have the opportunity to remind them to buy your magazine as well.  Here are some ideas that will send them off to Smiths (or maybe buy a sub)….

1. Trail the next issue

Sounds obvious, but don’t just hide this away under a low-level tab called “magazine”.  Make it a news item, use your spare inventory, post in the forums, add it to your e-newsletter.  Use scarcity as a tactic – if there are giveaways with a time limit or some other reason for people to want to be first to get the print edition.

2. For the full story….

Tease with your online articles – and let the user know that they will see more pics, reviews, case histories and detail in the offline version.

3. See your name in print

Strangely, appearing in print still has a cachet – so use it!  This is particularly effective in photo competitions – people are happy to enter online, but having your photo – and your name and mugshot – in print is so much more exciting than just being feted online.  Readers also like to linger over the winners and dream.

4. Your questions published

Gather questions online, but put them to the celebrity or expert and publish in print.  People will be keen to see whether their question was asked.

5. Cut out and keep

Work out what content works best in a quality print format – rather than a nasty home-printed ink-jet version, and promote this online as a reason to buy the magazine.  For example, maps or route cards, or how-tos or recipes that need to be in a more resilient format.

Let me know what has worked for you – just click the comment button,

Carolyn Morgan’s consultancy, Penmaen Media, advises media businesses on how to grow revenues in a digital world.  Visit www.penmaen.media to find out more


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