The pandemic has proved to be challenging for a lot of businesses. The environment we operate in is very different from before, such as being asked to work from home. Now, more than ever, companies need to seek ways to accelerate back to better health. If so, have you sought help from magazine publishers? Can they be your affordable marketing service?

With a renewed appreciation for magazines, we are now at the start of another golden era of publishing with pricing levels to advertise now more affordable, even allowing the smallest of home-grown businesses to get involved and start advertising. And here’s why.

Magazine publishers only publish qualified material expertly curated by professional journalists and skilled writers or specialist contributors who possess a wealth of knowledge. The aim is to publish broadcast-quality content that achieves reader respect.

Instead of offering just ‘ad space’, publishers today are trying to find flexible marketing solutions for their advertisers, such as a subscription-style service to provide all-year-round marketing. Publishers are now working as hard as ever to convey messages using a variety of methods across social media, digital exposure, and of course, in print to paint an overall campaign to visually represent your company by means of an ‘advert’ or ‘sponsored banners’ across its channels but there’s far more to consider…

View magazine publishers as your affordable marketing team

Publishing companies are ultimately service providers to their readers and advertisers. With a direct route to its established audience for advertisers, the publisher can:

• provide access to an untapped market
• provide marketing assistance
• create and provide well-written content to serve your needs better
• provide ongoing advertising support throughout the year and beyond
• offer its audience any exclusive offers you may have
• inspire readers to choose your products/services
• be heard with clarity in the sea of digital noise
• signpost the audience to your website
• include your video to support their content
• arrange topical webinars (how-to guides)
• include attention-grabbing updates via eNewsletters
• organise and promote podcasts which you could participate
• organise, host and promote video-based training sessions
• promote live events and product launches
• republish your written material, such as blogs through its channels
• provide the magazine’s brand association and reputation
• create posts with your product/service, in turn, share across your social media. Ooh, the kudos.
• help you to appear more robust than your competitors
• access designers to create great-looking adverts for print and social media 
• access quality images and photography
• access writers to copywrite sales content for your advert
• work to an affordable monthly fee

It’s all about working together to expand your team, technically by outsourcing vital services to reach an existing audience to help make your business a success.

Magazine publishers already possess all the necessary tools and invested years of time and money evolving their platforms and exposure. They have a team of skilled and knowledgeable personnel willing to assist any company in how to best market your company in print, on their website and across social media. Never before has this marketing opportunity been so affordable. When times are tough, it could well be the best money you can spend to help accelerate your business back to good health. 

“When times are good, you should advertise; when times are bad, you MUST advertise.”
Bruce Barton

If the above isn’t enough to whet one’s appetite, let’s look at the following.

Affordability: Even for a one-person specialist business, once you have identified your market, contact a magazine publisher (aka media outlet) specialising in that field/industry to assist with your marketing objective. The publisher can provide you with advice and guidance on how best to deliver your message to their audience to an affordable budget, in turn, allowing you to focus on what you do best.

Reaching new customers: Yes, while evident, the magazine provides you with access to its audience that you would not have otherwise previously reached.

Advertising promotes repeat business: The publication’s audience often follows the same media brand in which repeat business could arise. 

Product/service announcements: Supplying the publisher with new product/service news/press releases can inspire and encourage buyers.

Influence: Crafted content published in the magazine and across social media can influence buyers to hone in on your products and services ahead of your competition.

Going direct: Are you selling products cheaper than eBay and Amazon if customers buy direct? Advertise it. 

Promotional schemes: Can you offer exclusive discounts and competitions? While the audience benefits value for money from the magazine’s cover price, you can measure results directly if new customers apply discount codes when buying.

Let the publisher be your best friend: The more you can support the publication, the more they will support you; in turn, you gain value for money.

Ask the publisher for marketing ideas: They are a font of knowledge, and they could work to your available budget too.

Share the publisher's content: Sharing social media posts it publishes on your platforms can encourage your customers to share too. In addition, the association that your business also appears in the magazine will aid creditability.

Eat, sleep and repeat: Continued advertising will increase your brand awareness, but also, the audience today could be your customers tomorrow.

Commitment: No one ever said success comes overnight. Often years of hard work are applied to achieve the ultimate results. The same applies to marketing. Keep committed and it should accelerate results.

Popularity: Promoting your product or service within publications and across its social media platforms can increase your popularity and reputation to its audience.

Inspire readers: Offering the publication ideas on how readers can use your products can invite features that can be broadcasted on platforms and inspire readers to purchase your product. Never be afraid to turn your hand to writing and allow the editor to apply their expertise to make your product look fantastic.

Provide products for review: This is a good one! For the cost of the product, they will offer an impartial user review which can provide you with direct results. Use the reviews to promote across your social media. Constructive feedback could also find ways to improve your product further.

Searchable content: Some publishers generate a digital issue or duplicate content for their website. Often its content, especially if you’ve supplied products for reviews, can be accessed by search engines which will help to attract customers searching for specific information. The publisher will also apply keywords to help gain additional search engine traction.

Creditability: Content published in a magazine under its brand online is more likely to be trusted by the reader. This association can assist purchase decisions.

Advertising in a downturn/recession: This is good news for the bold. Now is a prime time to advertise enabling your business accessible to future customers whose suppliers may have ceased trading. It also positions yourself for better growth when things do bounce back.

Keepsake titles: Specialist titles carry a long shelflife as often referred back to over future years. Your ad could be a prompt if someone is looking for something particular.

Keep in regular contact with the publisher: A quick chat on the phone can prompt ideas for future content but also keeps a finger on the pulse of what is happening in the industry. Use this to your advantage.

Invest time: Periodically allow time to assess your marketing strategies.

Create a marketing budget – no matter how small

All successful businesses will have a marketing budget. No matter how small your budget, a good magazine publisher will always be willing to help. If they can deliver results, it should help to increase your marketing budget for even greater exposure. You’ve got to start somewhere.

While the future can be challenging, if you are inclined to assess your marketing and put something into practice, then, as history suggests, you’ll be much fitter for the long-term than those who have turned off their taps to let the water evaporate.