Refreshed Seasonal Pubs Create Revenue and Readership
Turn The Page Toward Revenue and Readership with Refreshed Seasonal Publications
Consumers love to look first and buy later. But websites are still challenging to browse. On the other hand, they are perfect for e-commerce and up-to-the-minute announcements.
That’s why printed catalogs, magazines, guides, and lookbooks continue to drive awareness and sales when seamlessly integrated with a digital publication and friction-free e-commerce site.
In fact, 122 new magazines launched in 2021, more than double the number of new launches in 2020.
The data is tracked by retired professor Samir Husni, founder of the University of Mississippi’s Magazine Innovation Center at the School of Journalism and New Media.
New launches are overwhelmingly niche-oriented and published quarterly or bimonthly. “There’s no more room for general interest magazines. Magazine editors now have to be more curators than creators. I tell them, if I can find the answer on Google, it doesn’t need to be in a magazine,” Husni told the New York Post in January.
Drive e-commerce with regional niche publications and catalogs
Gardening is an excellent example of a specific niche with a wide audience of direct buyers located in specific regions. Gardeners jump for joy when their regional seed catalogs start coming in the mail in January. When coupled with magazine format content and professional photography, catalogs become designated keepers in a household.
The first step is sitting in front of the fireplace next to a stack of seed catalogs, Sharpie in hand, paging through those luscious photographs and endless varietals, circling and jotting with glee.
The next step is pulling up the website for a secure purchasing experience, order confirmation, and attentive customer service.
The same goes for nurseries that ship live plants and starts. In addition, confectioners, gift basket curators, specialty food and beverage distributors, and many more visually enticing e-commerce industries all stand to benefit from a similar approach.
Catch readers who’ve caught the travel bug
Now is also an excellent time to invest in a refresh of your visitors' guide or regional travel magazine. The World Travel and Tourism Council expects the global sector to grow to $8.6 trillion—a huge bounce back from the last two pandemic years and nearly as high as 2019. What’s more, U.S. domestic tourism and travel has significantly outpaced international travel and is expected to climb another 28.4% this year after a 35.6% bump in 2021 over 2020.
Consumers readily pick up a refreshed and strategically located travel guide to their region from the grocery store, coffee shop, or visitors center. People love to learn about new staycation destinations, shops, and local eateries, especially when entertained with gorgeous photos, enticing storytelling, and unique content.
A prominent QR code to the publication’s digital version can lead people to tools that are better suited to the web, such as maps and directions, current open hours, announcements, and COVID policies.
Smart partnerships with local restaurants, shopping hubs, and business associations can help offset printing costs. Crowd Riff recently analyzed 50 destination visitors’ guides to discover what makes the excellent ones stand out: They determined that clear focus and stunning visuals, coupled with clean design (think CondeNast) are key. In addition, engaging content to help consumers make informed choices creates interest and influences where consumers spend their vacation dollars.
Investing in a seasonal publication update to catch consumers who love to browse then buy is a smart wintertime move. And it’s worth a quarterly inventory of your publications to decide which has the most potential to recoup a refresh.
Contact Journal Graphics today to take advantage of our deep expertise in print and digital publications. We can help you turn the page on revenue and readership.