Feast’s 7 Tips to Grow Your Magazine Brand
By Catherine Neville, Founder of Feast Magazine, Issuu Publisher of the Month, August 2017
Grow Your Brand
1. Always try to give your readers something new.
When developing content, go beyond what’s expected. Find new sources, think of unique formats. If you’re in food publishing, don’t fall back on apples for September and pumpkins for October. Think about what else is possible so you can surprise, inform and educate your audience.
2. Accept feedback and criticism graciously and use it to improve your work.
Respond to every comment, whether positive or negative, with respect and concern for the reader’s perspective. Understand that, even if you’re frustrated with a picky criticism, you can learn from the feedback and apply those lessons to future work.
3. Make sure you have a diverse group of writers and photographers in your freelance pool.
Everyone has a different skillset. One writer may be a brilliant interviewer and write perfect profiles, while another is a skilled researcher and able to write in-depth, source-heavy features. Assign the right story to the right person.
4. Develop your own voice.
We are all inspired by other people’s work, but you have to develop a tone and a perspective for your platform that is consistent. Readers turn to periodic literature because they know what they’re going to get. Think of National Geographic or New York Magazine. Those publications have a definite editorial voice and are successful because they consistently deliver the content their audiences are looking for.
5. Understand the power of each publishing platform.
What works in print may not work well online and vice versa. Consider the strengths of each content platform — print, digital, social, video, events — and build content so it maximizes the storytelling opportunity found in each.
6. Always push your team to improve and evolve.
Never rest on your laurels. So you won an award. Congratulations. Your magazine can still be improved. Taking a critical look at everything you publish will keep your brand moving forward and ensure that you don’t get stale.
7. Think about what sets your publication apart and build on that.
Do you have amazing photography? Are you able to produce top-level videos? Are your writers beyond brilliant? Are your events can’t-miss? Hone in on what makes your magazine unique in your competitive sphere and then grow that aspect of your platform. It will set your publication apart and help to define what makes your platform truly unique.
