Ask the Expert

Brad Stauffer, president of Western Publications Association & associate publisher of Singular magazine

QUESTIONS

• When getting started, how do you map out the schedule?

It’s best to start by creating a basic production schedule and working from there. The mail dates will drive the ad close dates and the dates that tie into circulation development plans, renewable programs and acquisition plans. Then back into advertising marketing plans based on the ad close date. Start 30 to 60 days out, depending on your frequency.


• Is it still necessary to produce a hardcopy marketing kit to supplement an online brand?

It’s good to have a printed piece, but you might want to develop smaller quantities of the printed piece or digitally produce them. Some clients and agencies still like to have a printed piece for their files but it’s paramount to have an online format as well. If you digitally produce the marketing piece, be sure to use digital edition technology for the online media kit because it’s more sophisticated, has cooler features and can add greater value for the customer.

• What would a typical timeline look like when a magazine is making the transition from print to the Web?

Going from print to online needs a good strategy, including for example, whether you’ll have gated or paid content. There are many options and you’ll need to consider doing a digital edition too. Where does that sit within your online presence and audience marketing plan? Then put the site technical specs together, building the wireframes and the entire plan. Hand your development team a thoroughly detailed plan.


• Do you need more than one timeline?

It’s important to have an overall timeline but you can also have subtimelines for various components and departments. For example, your audience development people are building the audience in print, online and with events, so you may need separate timelines there, but one overall timeline is critical. There are huge opportunities when you include every opportunity from every department in the plan and timeline.

• Budgets are tighter than ever. What are some new cost-saving trends for media kits?

It’s time to really relaunch and relook at what media kits are and what values they provide advertisers. I’d suggest getting video testimonials from various clients. You might also consider shifting to a microsite to really engage the advertiser. You can build that vehicle as a community where advertisers can go to for more ideas and business solutions.

 

 

TO SUBMIT A QUESTION: Simply email us at ask@magmarketing.com to submit your question.

 

 

Gordon Plutsky
Gordon Plutsky, director of marketing and research, King Fish Media LLC

QUESTIONS

• When starting a marketing campaign, how do you map out the schedule?

When you think about the production schedules for house ads or a new Web site, start backwards and factor in that production time. Factor in time at the printer, time with the html designers and time with design. Make sure you figure in enough time for the big components or you could run out of time and not get something physically produced.

• Is it still necessary to produce a hardcopy marketing kit to supplement an online brand?

That’s been a huge topic of debate and we’ve seen groups that have thoroughly abandoned print. We used to have really robust media kits in the industry and we’ve seen the transition from the all-out media kit to the online kit. People live online and look online, so put more of your efforts and thoughts into the online media kits. However, if you’re selling a print publication as part of your sales package and brand, it’s important to have some kind of physical manifestation to leave behind.

• What would a typical timeline look like when a magazine is making the transition from print to the Web?

Keep in mind that the bar is getting higher for what consumers expect online. It’s important to think about Web 2.0, social media, video options and creating a community site with rich content. Think about how all of those components will work together and play online.

• Do you need more than one timeline?

It’s important to have a master timeline where everything is integrated. That plan can have subtimelines for various teams and team members to follow. For example, you might have a circulation subtimeline. But for the point of view for the marketing director or brand manager, you want a big-picture timeline to make sure every single component is integrated.

• Budgets are tighter than ever. What are some new cost-saving trends for media kits?

We’ve had success with hybrid media kits: an interactive PDF that is similar to your traditional PDF but more like a mini Web page. You have the ability to link pages together, jump around the page, etc.

 

 

 

TO SUBMIT A QUESTION: Simply email us at ask@magmarketing.com to submit your question.