Editor: Becky Atkinson
Sept. 30, 2009
Magazine Readership
Magazines use online and social networks to stay up with fast moving trends in today’s culture.
Judy Johnson, a managing editor for Southern Distinction, said, “We’re jumping on the band wagon with Twitter, facebook, and blogs. We don’t want to fall behind”
Johnson said on Sept. 24, 2009, that they were currently working on making sure they were set up with accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and blogs.
The Athens Blur Magazine’s executive editor, Alec Wooden, said that new media has helped his physical publication, even though it is free. He thinks that online and social networks help the smaller magazines.
“Big ones do it so they don’t fall behind,” said Wooden.
Maintaining readership has been good for Blur. “We’re in a fortunate situation because we print a low number,” said Wooden. They do not have millions of subscribers, but they are able to get rid of their copies, because they are free.
Blur produces 4,000 copies every six weeks, a total of eight issues per year. They do not have a fixed cost; therefore, it is not a struggle to distribute their magazine.
Online presence helps Blur, because it keeps them in the audience’s mind when they are between publications.
Johnson admits that Southern Distinction’s biggest demographic is the Athens community, but they are developing a following. They have subscribers in 27 states across the country.
Southern Distinction is mostly sold by subscription, Johnson said. Copies of the magazine are also found in places such as: Publix, Barnes and Noble, stores in Atlanta, and hotels in Athens, Ga.
A bookseller at Barnes and Noble from Athens, Ga., Elise Stangle, who deals mostly with magazines said it is hard to say which type of magazine is the most popular.
Magazines are generally placed on the shelves of Barnes and Noble by corporate decisions, but Stangle can make requests based on customer suggestions.
At a bookstore the cover of a magazine is significant. Costumers will pick up a magazine and flip through it if the cover is striking.
Along those lines, Wooden said Blur’s process is simple. “Has to be something that appeals to people and looks good, Wooden said. “We try to make each issue look a little better and read better than the last.”
Blur uses a blogazine and receives about 4,000 views to their online publications. The largest viewing was around 10,000.
Wooden said they “constantly use all the social networks.” Promotion for their physical publication is found online.
Blur’s Twitter account is mainly used to direct people to their blog. They daily receive around 400 hits a day to the blog. Facebook friends for the magazine’s account have now reached 1,470.
Wooden spoke highly of new technology, calling it hugely beneficial to the industry. “People fear that people will go online only, but if anything it makes people crave the physical issue,” he said.
A year ago social networks were not prevalent in the industry; now they are, “necessary for survival,” Johnson said.
Mary Catherine Kinney, 21, from Albany, Ga., checks her Twitter account from her Blackberry phone.
Miriam did a great job staying focused on the topic. Her article flowed nicely and was interesting to read. The only things I would correct are a few comma errors. Also, towards the end, Miriam has a few partial quotes so I recommended she make them complete sentences.
ReplyDeleteWe decided a good fourth source would be another magazine editor in Athens. Athens Magazine might be good magazine to look at. We also thought it would be good if it was an editor for a publication that was not free.
Here's the lede I came up with: @Magazines Extra! Extra! The Internet and social networking sites will help you stay afloat.
This is advice for the magazine industry in the form of a Twitter tweet - a strategy magazines are starting to use to stay ahead and interest readers.
Mimi--make your lead more "sexy." I like Becky's suggestion. Also, no need to put dates with when you talked with the source.
ReplyDeleteSome grammar/spelling errors ("costumers"?) that I hoped Becky caught.
Although the article has a lot of good information and good sources, I'm not quite sure what is the main idea in the article. I think it's about using the Internet ... but then you have a section that talks about the importance of covers on bookshelves. This can be fixed by being a little clearer before you talk about that. Say something like though magazines are looking to extend their reach online, they still are looking to attract readers by traditional means.
Or something.