With days spent scouring the internet for news and information relevant to Australia’s niche publishing industry, Niche Publishing Network Editor Lyndsie Clark shares some key takeaways from this week’s most interesting global publishing news.
Folio: How publishers are using data to transform their marketing operations
This is a great article that explains how US-based publishers are using their reader data to inform content production, boost subscriptions, and enhance advertising on their websites. The article includes case studies from publishers that are classed as ‘niche’ in the US – but have significantly more subscribers and web traffic than small publishers in Australia.
Key takeaway: make sure all your user, subscriber and advertiser data is housed in one, unified system.
What’s New in Publishing: Active Interest Media: Poster child for magazine brand diversification
Active Interest Media (AIM) is a US special interest publisher has been in the news recently for purchasing 14 titles from F+W Media, a US publisher who filed for bankruptcy and auctioned 50 magazine titles earlier in 2019. Here, What’s New in Publishing interviews AIM President and CEO Andy Clurman about attributes of successful publishers, how AIM plans to revitalise the F+W brands, and the challenges ahead.
Key takeaway: diversification is good. Events and memberships are key growth areas for AIM.
Mumbrella: How councils are future-proofing themselves against shrinking regional media
On Australian soil, Mumbrella published about the effect regional newspaper closures has had on small towns and councils. No options for local reporting and independent journalism has led some councils to create their own news websites to keep their constituents informed. And some PR companies are starting to get in on the game.
Key question: can niche or custom magazine publishers evolve the regional news model to take advantage of the gap in the market? Australia is seeing a rise in lifestyle regional titles and independent journalists reporting on regional matters, perhaps news is the next step.
