Business Writing

A sample of my work. More can be found at https://beyonddigitalstrategy.com

Sucking Eggs

Posted on by Matthew Green

The constant decline in advertising revenue for magazine publishers is a worrying statistic that has not only seen the closure of iconic titles and long standing businesses, but also the departure of friends from the industry. In Australia we have experienced yearly ad expenditure reductions by up to 17% in some cases, and the percentage of adspend for magazines has been steadily dropping from a total of 9.4% in 2006 to 4.3% in 2013; according the the annual World Magazine Trends published by FIPP – the worldwide magazine media association.

Adspend

Australian Adspend by Sector – Click for larger image

As the head of Publishers Australia; a non-profit association that represents the leading Business to Business (B2B), Business to Consumer (B2C), Custom and Digital Publishers in the country; I have been advocating for several years now that magazine publishers should stop focusing so heavily on the printed page and concentrate on selling their entire package of magazine media. This includes physical assets such as events and traditional display advertising, as well as digital assets like social media and an effective web presence.

“Two of the main sources of internet growth are currently social media and online video. Social media is already 10% of internet advertising expenditure, and we expect it to grow 35% this year, while online video is at 8% of spend and is growing by 29%.”  Comment by Zenith Optimedia in FIPP’s World Magazine Trends 2013/2014 publication.

Multichannel advertising is the key!

Ok it may sound like I am teaching you how to suck eggs, but giving away your online presence in order to get a print ad across the line is just bad business. Print space has a cost in ink, paper, print, binding, distribution, etc. Online has a cost too, and it not just bandwidth. When putting a package together that includes a social media campaign, web presence and print ad, publishers need to start including a price per line item. Too often I see the tablet ad given away to get the print business. Far too frequently is Facebook provided free of charge when a client commits to a print run. The problem is, as your print ad revenue continues to decline you will want to start charging for those ‘giveaways’ and this will be very difficult to do for existing clients who are used to receiving it for free.

Online advertising is a growing market, as evidenced above, and mobile is the fastest growing internet channel of them all.

“Smartphone and tablet users have a clear appetite for high-quality content, and several immersive apps have shown that this is a demand that magazines can meet.” Comment by Zenith Optimedia in FIPP’s World Magazine Trends 2013/2014 publication.

Sales reps need to be given targets and publishers need to support their sales teams. Charge accordingly for every single channel you offer to your client. Develop packages that allow your client to choose what channels they wish to participate. Make these packages sound attractive with descriptive terms such as Gold, Silver and Platinum. If you need to offer a discount to close the business then offer that discount off the bottom line. Do NOT give away a single channel for free.

“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated” – Print Media

But it is not just publishers who need to change their way of thinking, media buyers need to take a fresh look at magazines. John Steedman, Chairman of GroupM and one of the most powerful advertising buyers in the country, stated recently that his business is actively encouraging clients to take a fresh look at magazines and newspapers. In Mr. Steedman’s opinion, “advertisers have been moving away from print faster than readership and circulation figures are actually falling; and the negativity around print has been overcooked.”

The Custom Publishing Report produced by Publishers Australia in 2011 showed that custom magazines are considered to be the most credible medium in reporting information about the relevant brand or organisation. Readers of custom magazines expect to see advertising in the magazines and will notice and read the advertising in these magazines.

A 2012 industry-wide survey of Australian magazine publishers indicated that nine in ten organisations (91%) expected the company’s total online revenue to grow, and that they were going to actively invest in digital platforms such as social media, web sites and tablet / mobile apps, to work alongside their print offerings.

New measurement metrics from EMMA, along with the established services from Roy Morgan, effectively track readership across print, web, tablet and mobile.

Advertising online offers several advantages over print. Viewing the latest SUV drive comparisons looks better in video than via printed statistics. However, the longevity of the printed product is well evidenced every day in medical waiting rooms, hotel suites, kitchen libraries and coffee tables everywhere, but it is now just one part of a multi-channel world.

I for one hope that print does not disappear in my lifetime. I love a new title and recent releases such as the Renegade Collective (a consumer title aimed at entrepreneurs) and Vet Practice (a custom title for animal healthcare professionals) have proven that the print is not dead. But the success of these titles lies not only in their ability to target a niche audience, but also in their marketing expertise and utilisation of the many different channels available to promote their publication.

New print publications are sustainable when combined with a multichannel approach to marketing and advertising, existing print publications should be too.

The Elephant in the Room

Posted on by Matthew Green

theelephant-logo5We recently had the pleasure of meeting John Hancock, CEO of EzyMedia and founding publisher of the new national magazine for social impact, The Elephant Magazine.

Tell us about The Elephant Magazine – what’s the story behind it?
The Elephant Magazine shares stories from enterprises, organisations and individuals working to make enduring differences in the lives of disadvantaged Australians.

I have pursued leverage for social change for all my working life, starting in child protection before I’d even finished university, moving into policy, business, microfinance and 10-years ago into media. I see media as a crucial and powerful tool for change, and The Elephant Magazine brings together that drive with a decade of publishing experience.

You’ve recently launched the website and you are looking to go to press this month. What’s it about and how can people support it?
The Elephant Magazine promotes the work of individuals, organisations and enterprises across Australia via a national print and digital magazine written by its readers, with an aim toward engaging greater investment and public participation in the social and environmental sectors.

People can support it by ordering a few print copies (shout a friend one!), spending $20 on a directory listing, $10 on a job listing, or a few more bucks on print/online/social media advertising packages. A 20% discount on everything applies to NGO’s, NFP’s and volunteers.
If none of this is within reach, someone can support the magazine simply by telling others about it, sharing articles via the social media share buttons, adding to your Facebook, following us on Twitter etc.

What are your future plans for The Elephant Magazine?
The idea is to crank it up fairly quickly here in Australia over the next 12-18 months, then replicate in US, Canada and UK, where my publishing company EzyMedia has offices with experienced publishing staff who are keen to get involved. Ultimately, The Elephant Magazine will train entrepreneurs in the new media landscape via internships, webinars and one-on-one coaching sessions. It will also, hopefully, be in a position one day to fund some of the projects it highlights.

Its a lovely looking magazine John. The articles are well written and thought provoking, and the design is crisp and fresh.
Thanks! I think a high quality magazine, written by the people on the ground making the changes, will go a long way to enthusing the public to get involved. This isn’t another industry journal, I want The Elephant to be the next Woman’s Weekly of social impact.

5. How can supporters get in touch?
People can submit articles via the website by clicking on ‘Submit’ in the top menu bar of my website http://www.elephantmagazine.com.au/ and they can also place orders for print copies and advertising by clicking on ‘Orders’ in the top menu bar. The email is info@elephantmagazine.com.au and my phone number is 0401 847 853

Thanks so much for your time John. Your magazine has certainly already generated a good deal of industry buzz and we are all looking forward to contributing to its success. We wish you well with the launch and encourage everyone to spread the word.

Grand Adventure for the Grizzlies

Posted on by Matthew Green

My friend Inga Yandell from Bare Essentials Magazine established an original initiative in 2007 called Wildlife Warriors. The express purpose of Wildlife Warriors is to raise funds and awareness for wildlife. This September their athlete ambassador and ultra marathon runner Andrew Hedgman, will compete in Turkey’s Lycian Way Ultra Marathon to help raise funds and awareness for Vital Ground as part of the Wildlife Warriors Initiative. This will be the first in a series of challenges he will take on around the globe to benefit all of their conservation partners.

Covering about 250km of the Ancient Lycian Way, which must be completed in six days, the route encompasses a variety of terrains, such as forest, mountains, rocky paths, beaches and steep slopes. Andrew will be running past impressive historical ruins, ancient cities, castles, and amphitheatres during the event.

Andrew’s inspiration is your support of his goal: You can help motivate Andrew through this epic challenge by sponsoring a leg of his journey – the goal to raise $2,500 for the bears.

The Vital Ground Foundation helps preserve the threatened grizzly bear, other animals, plants and natural communities through the conservation of habitat and wildlife linkage areas. You can read more about them here: http://www.vitalground.org/Home

Wildlife Warriors help coordinate events and campaigns for affiliate wildlife foundations and provide educational materials and incentive rewards for fund-raising efforts on their behalf. For more information on the Wildlife Warrior initiative please visit their website at http://wildlife-warriors.com

The Grand Adventure for the Grizzlies official sponsor page is located at http://www.gofundme.com/save-the-grizzly

To learn more about the Dares for Bears Campaign please go to http://wildlife-warriors.com/dares-for-bears/

If you are into Twibbon you can show your support by going to http://twibbon.com/join/Save-the-Grizzly

You can also check out the latest issue of Bare Essentials at: http://bareessentialsmagazine.uberflip.com/t/16638

COSMOS Magazine – Science on the iPad.

Posted on by Matthew Green

I haven’t written an app review since leaving my last job, but after downloading COSMOS Magazine on my iPad the other day, I felt compelled share my thoughts with you.

For several years now I have enjoyed reading the print copy as often as I could. I’m a lazy subscriber (which means I never actually got around to to signing up – sorry guys); but when the iPad was released in 2010 I knew it would only be a matter of time before I let the moths out of my wallet. Today I did and frankly, the result is awesome.

The meticulously researched and well-written articles from the print edition are still there and have been enhanced with audio and video content that was previously available only online. Surprises exist on almost every page no matter which way you rotate the tablet device, beginning with a rather disconcerting wink from the half man, half ape on the cover.

COSMOS Magazine provides a visual feast for their readers with hotspots on many of the pictures and illustrations, as well as slideshows to further stimulate your optic nerve. Although much of the photography has been sourced from image libraries, the selection is excellent and the photos themselves are incredibly detailed. The growling grass frog’s antimicrobial slime practically dribbles from the corner of the iPad as the South American hummingbird pauses mid-flight to take a sip of nectar. The skin of the Rancophorus nigropalmatus is bound to give you warts and I’m not quite sure I want to touch the venomous spines on the puss caterpillar’s fluff as I swipe my fingers across the screen to turn the page 😉

The ‘Events’ page features a monthly roundup of scientific exhibitions from the Royal Institution of Australia. Tap on the link and the event is automatically added to your calendar. There is also an interactive ‘Trivia’ page for the true geek. Do you know what the gap between people’s front teeth is called, or what shape the carbon molecule buckminsterfullerene resembles?

The live newsfeed from the COSMOS website allows the reader to access the latest stories, comment on the content and subscribe to the eNewsletter. You can share practically every page on FaceBook, Twitter and email; and bookmark articles for future reference.

Volcanoes erupt in the background as future humans evolve right before your very eyes. Even the advertising has been enhanced for the iPad, yet they haven’t gone overboard with the animations.

From the exceptional illustrations by Lucy Glover to the neat little features such as the ability to follow Editor-in-Chief Wilson da Silva’s twitter stream from the Forward on page 3, COSMOS is a marvelous mobile magazine and a fantastic read for all ages.

Please note: Although I am friends with two of the founders of COSMOS Media, this is not an advertisement for their magazine and I am not affiliated with the company in any way.  I am a subscriber of the iPad version of COSMOS Magazine and the views expressed here are my own.