Magazines Engage Audience
Through Social Media
I don’t know if this speaks true for anyone else, but every time I go to a doctor’s appointment I usually read a magazine in the waiting room. I am not ashamed to
say that I will sometimes pick up a Seventeen
magazine. Who doesn’t have a guilty pleasure? However, the online landscape is
a growing and evolving market for magazines. Several magazines have digital
format and have established a brand on social media. This has caused a shift in
the way consumers read and interact with magazines. More and more people will
read magazine articles in digital format on their phones, tablets or laptops
and then use social media as a communication tool. Research shows that social
media has become a platform where magazines have the opportunity to engage with
their audience, and vise versa.
As these trends become more
prominent, what does this mean for the industry? First, let’s begin with the
research. Sharing magazine content especially on Facebook is on the rise. As stated
in this week’s course reading, “the 18–34 year old segment clearly represents
highly connected users of social media. They heavily use social media to
enhance their media experience and particularly place an importance on sharing
magazine content. Social media is enhancing the magazine reading among 18–34
year olds” (Magazine Media, 4).
I have noticed on my Facebook
newsfeed several magazine articles shared by different users. I am guilty of
clicking on some of the articles about life or love usually written by Elite
Daily. However, I have not personally interacted on social media about magazine
content. I believe I have liked a couple articles here and there. Nonetheless,
research shows “56% of total Twitter users and 65% of avid readers ‘follow’ a
magazine editor or columnist on Twitter. Then 51% of respondents have
re-tweeted to a magazine editor’s Twitter and 42% chat with friends on Facebook
while reading a magazine and share what they’re reading” (Magazine Media, 4). Interaction
about magazine content on social media is certainly happening on some level. This
suggests that magazines are still relatively popular today, however, the way in
which people talk about them is changing. Instead of talking in person with a
friend about a magazine article, individuals today are more likely to tweet or
share it on Facebook.
Magazines are learning to maneuver their way
through the social media world. As discussed in the Youtube video, “Magazines
Use Social Media To Engage In New Ways,” different social media platforms are
opportunities to engage with the audience in a variety of ways. For Cottage
Life Media, Facebook has been the driving force of their increased popularity
and engagement with their audience (Magazine, 2012). Visuals and content are important components
when magazines strategically plan. Supposedly, Twitter is useful for
broadcasting messages or holding contests to involve audience members. Pinterest
is another growing platform that thrives on eye-catching visuals. Nonetheless,
social media is forcing magazines to think outside of the box to create and
maintain dialogue with their audience. Audience members can like, follow or
even comment on photos or articles.
A prominent
example of navigating through the social media world successfully is Forbes
magazine. Supposedly their secret to success is “quality, quantity and variety”
(DVorkin, 2012). This is heavily supported by their team of writers who “share
news and insights with friends, distributing their work throughout the Web’s
information ecosystems, and engaging one-on-one with the audience” (DVorkin,
2012). This not only creates a dialogue with the audience, but it also extends
Forbes brand. Although digital magazines are still a growing area, today, most
individuals use their mobile devices. For Forbes, about 25% of there audience
uses their mobile devices to read magazines (DVorkin, 2012). Big time magazines
such as Cosmopolitan have an average circulation net of 9,894 of digital
magazines (Sedghi, 2013). It makes it that much
easier for audience members to digitally read an article and then connect it to
social media.
Social media has provided a
gateway for magazines to brand themselves and engage directly with their
audience. Sharing magazine content across social media platforms is a growing
trend. However, will this lead to the old-fashioned way of reading a print
magazine and talking to a friend in person about it, to go obsolete? In other
words, will dialogue about magazines only exist in the online world in the
future?
Article Links:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/lewisdvorkin/2012/08/15/inside-forbes-how-a-social-media-strategy-can-work-for-a-magazine-too/#4be8e83a33ce
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/aug/19/digital-magazines-popular-circulation-figures
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8JeLGz6ArA
References:
DVorkin, L. (2012, August
15). Inside Forbes: How a Social Media Strategy Can Work for a Magazine, Too. Forbes.
Magazine Media Readers are
Social. (2015). The Association of
Magazine Media.
[Magazine Canada]. (2012,
October 5). Magazine Use Social Media to
Engage in New Ways. [Youtube].
Sedghi, A. (2013, August 19).
Digital Magazines: How Popular are they? TheGuardian.
Michael Corigliano
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with your post in that magazines have been able to successfully use social media as a way to keep their popularity. As time moves on people continue to read more on their mobile devices instead of actually buying a paper magazine unless it is in offices etc., as you mentioned. Most magazines have been able to convert all of their written material and create a mobile friendly database for their most up to date issues. I would say that Facebook is definitely one of the most widely used social media outlets for magazines as they can also target people based on their interests. As Facebook gives you options such as share, like, or comment, it gives the magazine a way to get free advertisement if someone shares or comments a friends name underneath their article post. Out of the five biggest social media outlets Facebook brought in 53.8% of social network share of magazine likes/followers (Magazine Media). The target audience for magazines is also important since younger generations are the biggest users of social networks, which is why it is the most effective way to reach new readers. Older users will either continue buying the print version or move with the times and go online for web forms.
Me personally, I use twitter, instagram, and facebook. The biggest reason why I use twitter is simply for quick news, but as well as the full articles I find throughout the web. For example I follow Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine to stay up to date on what is popular in the sports world. Social networking now allows magazines to stay relevant through these new sources of media. Even though people enjoy reading magazines online, these companies can look at it as a plus if readers continue to buy their print copies due to their successful social media presence. The numbers without a doubt show that magazines are simply not going away anytime soon as “the number of magazine media mobile web visitors grew over 65% in Q1 2015 vs 2014” (22 Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media). Whether it is Elite Daily, Peoples Magazine, or the New York Times, people are now seeing these sources as a new way of online entertainment. Magazines have truly been able to make the necessary changes to keep an old form of media competitive in a world that sees new forms of media everyday.
Work Cited
"2015 Magazine Media Factbook." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2016. Web.
"22 Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2016. Web.
Journalism has been and still is one of the longest standing means of obtaining information for individuals in society. However, like virtually every other industry, journalism must adapt to the shifting technological tides in order to survive. Fortunately, I believe the advent of social media has been of great importance to the realm of journalism. While some would argue that the consuming of print media has significantly decreased, it can also be argued that the consuming of online media has substantially increased. According to the MPA fact book, “The percentage of American Adults who read digital edition magazines has more than quadrupled over the past 3 years.” (Magazine, 26).
ReplyDeleteMagazines have been around for quite some time and I think they’ve done a fairly adequate job of implementing social media into their business model. Because of the multitude of social media platforms available, as well as the various devices with which to view these platforms, it was necessary, if not imperative for magazines to adapt. Fortunately for such companies, it’s been said that we’ve entered the ‘Age of Information’ and I think this is evident with the abundance of sharing that occurs online. With so much information available at the touch of our finger tips, it’s no wonder why magazines are still capable of maintaining their longevity: “Avid magazine readers and multiple platform social users are in the vanguard for sharing content with friends and they do it to a high degree using social devices.” (Magazine Readers are Social, 3)
While I would certainly say that this technological shift has been beneficial for both journalistic companies and society alike, they’re some concerns that I have, mainly based off of the speed at which information is being shared. Journalism has long been a ‘trusted’ authority for information and this can be shown by a number of statistics. According to one article related to people and their media consumption, “68% believe that technology has improved the experience of accessing various media, and 51% report that they like to create their own media schedule and use technology to customize what they read and watch on their terms.” (Magazine Readers are Social 5). With these numbers I think it’s safe to say that people are increasingly satisfied with the way technology and information is moving. Still, while satisfaction is promising, this doesn’t prove anything as far as the scope of the information being shared, or its validity.
According to the MPA Fact book, targeted advertising has greatly influenced how consumers receive their information: “The magazine brand experience is based on trusted editorial, complemented by relevant advertising. This dual immersion in edit and ads satisfies the interests and passions of millions of readers—when and how they choose.” (Magazine, 24). With print media, these ads are clearly relevant to the reader as they have chosen to pick up the specific magazine / article. However, with social media, individuals are slowly losing their freedom to ‘choose’ which information they want to digest, and instead are being force-fed through targeted advertisements. The fear here is that the line between what’s going on in the world and what you’re being told becomes incredibly blurred. People inherently want to hear about what they like, not what may actually be occurring. On top of proving the validity of articles popping up on sites like Facebook and twitter, I think this form of individualized consumerism can be considered quite dangerous for our future.
Works Cited:
Magazine Media Readers are Social. (2015). The Association of Magazine Media.
MPA. "2015 Magazine Media Factbook." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Magazine.com. Accessed 6 Mar. 2016. Web.
Just to let you know I always read a magazine in the waiting rooms. Even if its something I am not completely interested in but it is the only thing they have, I will still check it out. I also completely agree that the growth of magazines on social media has been significant.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Facebook is a great way for magazines to share their articles. “More than 52% like a magazine on Facebook. For avid magazine readers its 69%/67% respectively” (Magazine Media). I personally do not like or follow any magazine accounts on Facebook. My actual use of Facebook has most definitely declined over the years. I get a Facebook notification every morning telling me that it is someone’s birthday, I go on to get ride of the red one, and that is what usually draws me into Facebook. After I get ride of the one notification on my phone I take a quick scroll through my news feed. For me I always see posts of Teen Vogue articles, those always catch my attention. I usually skim through and look at the pictures in the article. I am not one to share or post or like a post, but many others are, 52% to be exact.
I believe that Instagram is also a good social media plat forms for magazines. I know it is unlikely that someone is going to post a full article on their Instagram caption, but people will post pictures of either the covers of magazine or photos in the magazine. For example, Jessica Alba was on the cover of Cosmo wearing a Banana Republic outfit, therefor Banana Republic’s official account Instagramed a picture of the magazine cover. I know I have found out about a few magazines that I would like to check out articles in because of people’s posts on Instagram of the cover or professional photographs taken of my favorite celebrities.
In my opinion, I would rather read a physical magazine then read articles on line or a magazine through an app on my phone. I am the same way with books, it is much more enjoyable for me to sit down and flip through magazine or touch the actual pages of a book then it is to scroll down my phone to read. Actually “91% of U.S. adults read print magazines.” and “People under 35 read more print magazines than people over 35” (22 Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media). So I guess I am not the only one who likes the print version better.
In regards to your comment about will social media “lead to the old- fashioned way of reading a print magazine and talking to a friend in person about it, to go obsolete”, I hope not. Yes I am guilty of using my phone (excessively) but that does not mean I do not enjoy sitting down on my couch and talking about Beyonce on the cover of Vogue with my best friends. I would not choose talking over social media over face to face with someone.
"2015 Magazine Media Factbook." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2016. Web.
"22 Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2016. Web.
Although I am mostly finding my information/news source when using my iPhone, some may be surprised to learn that I actually prefer to read articles than watch any video related content. Like most of us, I have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat—all of my go-to’s for basically everything I need in life. But I’ve found that the more articles are suggested without videos are ones I tend to attract to and learn more about rather than ones with less writing and more imagery. When I’m at a doctor’s office, I am never on my phone. I find that it is really the only time I can actually find a different selection of magazines and read them. I have always enjoyed reading, especially media content, and will continue to do so for as long as they exist. I enjoy reading from actual magazines when I find the time, but having my sources of technology always accessible to me whenever and wherever, I find myself reading more articles from my favorite magazines through their social media.
ReplyDeleteMost of my twitter feed is filled with a range of different magazines from Vogue, Cosmopolitan, to E! News. When I see a Tweet that interests me, I always read the full story. What grabs my attention most is the title of each article posted in a short 140 character tweet. The titles that do not give away the full story intrigues me to continue reading on instead of skipping over it. If there is a video attached to the link, I will never watch it. I rather read the full article to understand the complete story.
In the study “Magazine Media Readers are Social”, it stated that “magazine readers 18-34 are highly connected social media users. They have a healthy appetite for media and believe that technology has improved the experience of accessing media. ” I can agree with this completely as I have found that after reading a story or seeing an outfit I like when reading a magazine, I will always continue to search and learn more about it through my social media networks. I am always learning more and more about new things when I read magazines, and there is always more information posted about it via social media. I think they both go hand in hand well and almost help each other out instead of seeming like a threat to one another. Most social media content is provided by the information that we read about in magazines. If I read a story at the nail salon in a magazine and want to tell my friends about it, they are able to search it through their own social media networks and the internet. I use Snapchat and Twitter the most when learning bout articles. I am not a big Facebook user, so I really only read the articles posted on Twitter accounts and also from the new Snapchat “Discovery” option where all different magazines and companies have a digital version of their magazine each week.
I do not think that print magazines will ever go away. I have found it to become a fun hobby of mine to have the chance to sit down and read a full magazine, where using my phone and reading content via social media is just something I do everyday when I’m bored. In the article “Twenty-two Tweetable Truths about Magazine Media”, it states that “magazines media’s gross audience grew over 10% in Q1 2015 vs. 2014.” We can still see that people are still using magazines as a source to gain information. Even “95% of U.S. adults under 25 read print magazines” still. It’s becoming almost a reward to myself when I am at the grocery store and buy my favorite People Style Edition magazine. And I am always seeing the same information through my social media, but having the chance to disconnect from what everyone else in the social media world is looking at to enjoy actually reading my magazine is something I will always look forward too.
Works Cited:
Magazine Media Readers are Social. (2015). The Association of Magazine Media.
"22 Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2016. Web.
I can definitely relate to you with your magazine use. Nowadays, I really only read a print magazine while waiting for an appointment at the doctors or the dentists. And by read I really mean pick up a copy of People Magazine and glance at the outfits being worn by celebrities and where they were spotted. However, not too many years ago, I used to get excited to buy and read magazines. Every time I went on a trip, my parents would get me a magazine to read along the way. In fact, according to the 2015 Magazine Media Factbook, 75% of the women’s fashion category viewed this information through print and digital editions (Magazine Media). Now, I generally just read articles that are posted on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. And, these article I read are either on my phone or my iPad. I think most people, at least around my age, read articles the same way I do: through social media postings.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think magazines have done a great job at making their print sources electronic and making them easily accessible for smartphones and tablets. Personally, I enjoy looking at articles that other people have posted or shared and seeing what the topic of interest is. This way allows me to read the articles that interest me without purchasing the entire magazine. Like I mentioned earlier, I would “read” an issue of People Magazine but really only focus on the pictures or maybe one or two articles. So, why would I want to purchase the whole thing when I only want a part of it? My mom on the other hand, hates digital media. She loves having the original print media and she really enjoys having the ability to reference whenever she wants. She simply folds the corner of the page over and comes back to it later. There’s certainly a difference to how we view magazines and it falls into the stats which state that “91% of U.S. adults read print media” (Twenty-Two Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media).
Like with most things now, people want convenience and I think that by switching over to a more digitalized media style, it caters more to want people want and they want the information right now at their fingertips. It’s so easy for me to access an article on my smartphone or tablet and have the information right away. I do think traditional print magazines will always be around because I think there are always going to be people like my mom who enjoy having the hard copy right in their hands.
Work Cited:
"2015 Magazine Media Factbook." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 8 March. 2016. Web.
"22 Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 8 March. 2016. Web
I think you make some great points in your blog because I agree that sharing magazine content across social media platforms is a growing trend. I honestly don’t remember the last time I bought a tangible magazine. Back in middle school, I subscribed to Teen Vogue and I use to get so excited to see it in my mailbox when I came home from school. As I flipped through the pages, I use to rip out articles or pictures that I liked and put them on my bedroom wall. Today, instead of physically ripping articles out of an actual magazine, I ‘like,’ ‘share’ or even ‘save’ the articles on Facebook that I find the most interesting.
ReplyDeleteI stopped my subscription to Teen Vogue in high school and haven’t subscribed to any magazine since. The magazines that I read now are all accessed through their social media accounts that I follow on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. According to the study by The Association of Magazine Media, magazine readers ages 18-34 are highly connected social media users. As stated in the study, “They heavily use social media to enhance their media experience and particularly place an importance on sharing magazine content.” This is absolutely true to how I read magazine content. On Facebook, I too read Elite Daily articles and share them every once and a while.
Even my friends tag me in articles that they think I should read or that we all relate to. If I’m not tagging my friends in articles, they are tagging me in them. If my friend is tagging me in a magazine article that I don’t usually follow, I will start following that magazine’s social media account.
According to Shareablee in the The Association of Magazine Media article ‘Magazine Media Industry Releases Year-End Social Media Report,’ “Magazine media generates more social actions than any other medium, with 9.5 billion actions in 2015, compared to television media in the second spot with 7.5 billion and online media with 6.6 billion.” This is interesting because with the trend of digital presence increasing, magazines have been making a presence digitally, more than TV.
Something I would like to point out is the fact that magazines have Instagram accounts. The purpose of Instagram isn’t to read an entire magazine article, it is to look at pictures. One magazine Instgram account that I follow and enjoy a lot is National Geographic. I remember when I first made an Instagram account back in 2012, National Geographic was one of the first accounts that I actually started to follow. As I was reading the ‘Magazine Media Industry Releases Year-End Social Media Report,’ article, I was pleasantly surprised that they said that National Geographic was the number one U.S. brand on Instagram and they took the top three magazine media spots of the year on the platform. With the way magazines are moving on digital platforms, I don’t know if physical magazines are going to be very relevant in the near future. I don’t see many people read magazines anymore. Instead people use their cellphones or tablets to read articles.
One place where I do actually pick up a physical magazine is at the nail or hair salon. If I’m not reading on my phone, I might just happen to pick up a magazine (more likely if my phone is dead). Do you think that in the future, instead of having magazines lying out in salons, they might have tablets for people to read from? If more magazines are going digital, I think that we might not see many magazines sitting on stands in the near future. Overall, I think you make some really interesting points in your blog post and most of them I could relate to!
Works Cited
Magazine Media Readers are Social. (2015).The Association of Magazine Media.
Russ, Susan. "MAGAZINE MEDIA INDUSTRY RELEASES YEAR-END SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT." MAGAZINE MEDIA INDUSTRY RELEASES YEAR-END SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT. The Association of Magazine Media, 29 Jan. 2016. Web. 08 Mar. 2016. .
Just like every other medium, the increase of technology and social media has significantly affected the magazine industry. Many magazines today have evolved so they have a strong, established brand on the Internet and social media. As a result of companies creating social media accounts for their magazine, they are able to connect to their consumers and interact with them on a technological platform that had never been seen before in the magazine industry. Now people can access magazine content straight from their own devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets. In our reading, “Magazine Media Industry Releases Year-End Social Media Report”, it stated, “…that magazine media brands added 220 million new Likes/Followers in 2015, a 38% growth in social media across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and Pinterest”. Although there is a remarkable amount of growth in social media across these specific networks, I believe that this report left out one social media network which now has a newfound but significant affect on social media, and that is Snapchat.
ReplyDeleteI believe that out of all the social media networks right now, Snapchat is slowly but surely becoming the most popular network for the younger demographic in the United States. As of 2015, 71% of Snapchat users are under 34 years old and about 30% of US Millennial Internet Users use Snapchat regularly, with that number only increasing daily (Snapchat by the Numbers: Stats, Demographics & Fun Facts). Now, with the release of Snapchat’s “Discover” feature, the app allows users to explore “Stories” from various editorial teams. Snapchat collaborates with leaders in media in order to build a storytelling format that puts the narrative first. A few magazines have partnered with Snapchat and I believe the results are incredible. These magazines include People, Cosmopolitan and National Geographic, with more magazines being added in time. Users can view news, articles, photos, videos, and other content, which is updated every 24 hours, straight from magazines right in the app. In our reading, “Magazine Media Readers are Social” we read that sharing magazine content is important for many young readers. The article stated that “avid magazine readers and multiple platform social users are in the vanguard for sharing content with friends and they do it to a high degree using social devices”. With the Snapchat Discover feature, all one has to do is hold down the Snap that they find interesting and they can send it to any one of their Snapchat friends at a push of a button. I believe that Snapchat allows users to share media content in an even quicker, more convenient way than social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook. Snapchat Discover also includes ad integration, so each media company includes sponsors and sponsor adds in their Discover channel as well.
Although I believe that Snapchat is an excellent way for magazines to expand their company, I don’t believe that Snapchat will take the place of print magazines all together. I think that magazines should use Snapchat as an interactive way to get its consumers even more interested in their product. The Snapchat Discover channel allows Snapchat users to peer into the magazines content and decide whether or not they should get a subscription for the magazine or not.
Works Cited
"Magazine Media Industry Releases Year-End Social Media Report." Magazine. MPA: The Association of Magazine Media, 29 Jan. 2016. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.
Magazine Media Readers are Social. (2015). The Association of Magazine Media.
"Snapchat by the Numbers: Stats, Demographics & Fun Facts." Omnicore Digital Marketing Agency. N.p., 07 Oct. 2015. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.
Zach Caldicott
ReplyDeleteThe blog post "Magazines Engage Audience through Social Media" addresses many important issues in the magazine industry today. Overall, the magazine industry has experienced drastic changes over the last decade since subscriptions have decreased due to the emergence of digital content. The 2015 Magazine Media Factbook included “22 Tweetable Truths” about the industry which said that “the percentage of U.S. adults who read digital edition magazines has more than quadrupled over the past 3 years.
The 18-34 year old age group are the most highly connected users of social media and they find it very important to share magazine content. In a study done by the MPA, “51% of those who were surveyed have re-tweeted to a magazine editor’s Twitter account, and 42% chat with friends on Facebook while reading a magazine and share what they’re reading.” This group wants to be heavily involved with the magazines they read and want more than just reading articles online.
Magazine publishers keep finding new ways to use social media to keep their readers engaged. Take National Geographic, which has an Instagram feed of over 30 million followers and according to a report from Sharablee, generates the most engagement on social media. National Geographic photographers share images from their assignment and they use captions to tell the story behind the photograph. This creates a relationship between the photographers and their audience and makes people look forward to seeing pictures from their favorite photographers.
Even though there has been a decline in print, many people still enjoy reading and holding an actual magazine. I read magazines in both formats, but more so online. I use Twitter and Facebook to find articles from CNN, Complex, Vice and read articles that are recommended to me by friends. I do have to say that holding a physical copy of a magazine makes me read the whole article, instead of just pieces of an article which is more the case when I read the digital format.
The digital trend in magazines will continue to grow and change over the next few years. It is really important for magazines to stay connected to their readers and find new ways to keep them interested, both in print and digital.
MPA "22 Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 5 Mar. 2016. Web.
MPA, “Magazine Media Readers Are Social” (2015) The Association of Magazine Media.
Russ, Susan. "Magazine Media Industry Releases Year-End Social Media Report.” Ma. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016.
Taube, Aaron. "How National Geographic Gets 8 Times the Social Engagement of Other Publishers." Contently. 23 Sept. 2015. Web. 6 Mar. 2016.