Promoting the benefits of advertising in a single magazine issue is still an important aspect of the publishing business. Some publishers maintain an aggressive stance — promoting through targeted print or email campaign on a frequent basis. But others have allowed their efforts to weaken. With marketing budgets dwindling and staff reductions commonplace, a “do more with less” mentality is often prevalent among publishers.

Issue promotion matters. It helps remind extremely busy ad managers of special advertising opportunities that might come about infrequently. Fundamentally, during a time when advertisers are bombarded with promotional messages, issue promo maintains and often creates, awareness of the publication’s niche, editorial approach and value-added offerings. A trade magazine has established authority with its built-to-subject audience. Editors have identified topics for the year and many post these editorial calendars on their websites. But ad managers need to be alerted of when the topics will be covered and why it is important for them to be present. In this way they can match the advertiser’s interest with an upcoming topic or theme and the end result is a win-win outcome. This keeps the single issue ad relevant.

In an age when it is increasingly difficult for advertising sales people to make face-to-face appointments, issue promotion might be the only opportunity for a magazine to promote itself to decision makers. Reaching out helps publishers re-establish relationships with advertisers that may have been sidetracked by the latest online distribution tool. Advertisers who align themselves with publications often find a friend when and if they ever need their side of the story to be covered in an objective, fact-based manner.

Issue promotion could be the difference between a successful and lackluster year for your publishing business. Find out how much it matters by implementing an issue promotion plan this year.

About the Author

Michael Porcaro is Marketing Director for Scranton Gillette Communications and SGC Horizon and a contributor to Content for Biz.  He is the former publisher of several construction journals, including Aggregates Manager, Better Roads, Building Design & Construction, Concrete Construction and Construction Equipment.

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