Maya Cohen
Magazine Industry Reliance on Social Media
MSS 495
Lead Blog
To
stay relevant, magazines have to not only create a digital and online presence,
but must immerse themselves into the world of social media, if they are to stay
popular, especially among the millennial generation. While it is true that it
is essential for magazines to use online platforms and create websites with
easier access to news that was once only available through printed paper
distribution, that is not enough anymore. Social media platforms bring unique
advantages to the table in their abilities to connect individuals as they
absorb entertainment and news content. According to an article discussing
magazine media readers and smartphones, “More than three quarters feel it
important to have the option to share magazine content they are reading with
friends,” (MPA). The change
from print magazines to digital and online news has fulfilled people's desires
to access news through easier means, and the ability to find news through
social media platforms has satisfied individuals' desires to connect with
others while discovering news stories.
Another
research study arguing that magazine media readers are social, reflects this
opinion by stating that people feel an increased degree of satisfaction when
they are easily able to read a link on Facebook and share it with friends, or
retweet a direct link they find on their Twitter feed. The article claimed that
those belonging to the self-proclaimed group of steady magazine readers rely heavily
on social media when it came to their magazine choices. “The majority ‘follow’
a magazine on Twitter or ‘like’ a magazine on Facebook…Most chat with friends
on Facebook while reading a magazine and share what they are reading. A
substantial majority also re-tweet articles from magazine’s Twitter feed,” (MPA).
As such, news must now be accessible to individuals through social media
platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to comply with current
society's desire to interact with others while absorbing news. As magazine
corporations are finding this to be true, they are focusing on continuously
striving to create larger audiences using various social media platforms,
through targeted acts such as advertising direct links to stories on their Twitter
pages, reblogging articles on Tumblr, and inviting individuals to
"like" the magazines' pages on Facebook.
Understanding
the modern necessity of prominent presence on social media to their own
success, magazine corporations are looking into various platforms as a means of
reaching an increased amount of viewers. Recently, multiple news and
entertainment magazines have partnered with Snapchat, in the hopes that their
content will reach more viewers’ eyes. The article gives the example that “Snapchat Launches ‘Discover’ Video and News
Feature with Media Partners”, posted on the website, Variety. It noted that, “Snapchat introduced Discover — a way for media companies to distribute
video, photo and text collections that live for 24 hours on the service — and
announced deals with more than a dozen media and entertainment brands… one that
reaches an estimated 100 million-plus monthly active users, (Spangler). As
these images and videos appear on every Snapchat subscriber’s application
automatically, it is easy for viewers to screen-shot, share, and discuss
various news snippets easily. Seeing as it is vital for magazine companies to find
the most successful ways to reach their audiences, using social media platforms
such as this one is tremendously advantageous. Snapchat, of course, is not the only social media application showing interest in publishing news content. In an article on Newsweek called "Can Twitter Make Moments the Future of News," it is said, "Twitter's actions perhaps indicate it is indeed interested in the news and curating the news with the judiciousness and numbleness of a respected newspaper like The New York Times," (Lee). As more social media platforms jump on the bandwagon and show their openness to teaming up with magazine companies, more of the latter are inclined to do so.
The majority of magazine corporations have gradually taken
advantage of easier access to their audiences through social media platforms.
Magazines that the millennial generation had grown up reading through strictly print
copies are now being absorbed by the same generation through applications such
as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. People Magazine, a company around since the
mid-1970’s, belongs to the large group of entertainment and news magazines that
had to transform themselves to fit their current demographic. Starting their
business initially profiting off of paper distributions, the company made their
way into cyberspace, but found that eventually it was vital to join the various
platforms of social media. Currently, People Magazines official “Rate Card” for
2016 shows that their print and digital audience has gone up to 41,733,000
individuals, an impressive number for any entertainment or news magazine. This
being said, direct searches on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have shown that
individuals in society have actively chosen to follow People Magazine directly,
and gain their information through these connecting applications. Their numbers
have accumulated to 141,443 for Facebook, 7.08 million on Twitter, and 1.4
million followers on Instagram.
Just as most businesses must do, magazine companies adapt
themselves to the ever-changing demands of society and align themselves with
their audiences’ desires. Users striving for an experience that brings together
the mix of news and entertainment, while being simultaneously able to interact
with others in regards to what they learn, are the people that magazine
corporations are aiming to please, causing these businesses to become as
reliant on social media platforms as their own users.
Chris La Bella
ReplyDeleteThere is no denying the fact that a strong and effective presence on social media can produce optimal results for any business. Engaging an audience and building a sense of connectedness can foster a fair amount of brand loyalty, and considering the surplus of social media applications, it seems as though businesses should primarily focus on Instagram when it comes to keeping audiences absorbed, at least at the commencement of a social media campaign for a magazine.
With a 189% increase in year-over-year growth in followers for magazine media brands, the application still maintains an edge over the two powerhouses, Facebook and Twitter (Magazine Media). And, while Pinterest and Tumblr may be the top two applications in terms of overall growth, Instagram should be the primary concern for two reasons. Firstly, Instagram had a stronger follower growth than Facebook and Twitter, and secondly, it also led in total engagement rate (Saric). Now, obviously Facebook and Twitter should not be entirely dismissed because the “sharing” aspects of the two platforms are far more social than that of Instagram. Literally, “sharing” or “retweeting” posts disperses media content to an individual’s wide range of friends and acquaintances (an advertiser’s dream), while on Instagram that individual can merely “like” a post and hope someone checks the “Activity” page to find out. At the same time though, Instagram’s change in allocated ad time for brands may account for the smaller level of social sharing by giving advertisers more freedom to create the necessary appealing content for their larger audiences; which may balance the two sides out.
Everyone knows the notion that a picture is worth a thousand words. Clearly, Instagram is based on image sharing because it is a quick and effective means of showing valuable content, and the notion above may explain why Instagram is a favored platform for magazine media brands given its leading metrics. It seems as though individuals may be more willing to give attention to posts consisting of few words and more visual aesthetics (like those on Instagram) than they are to read a sentence or two, followed by a lackluster image and hyperlink from the sponsoring business in that specific case, like most posts seen on Twitter. And in terms of video, the fact that Instagram allows for 60 second posts, rather than 30 second clips (like Facebook), means that a business will have more time and leeway to entice individuals into admiring its specific brand without feeling pressure to do so in limited fashion (O’Malley).
Overall, if there is one thing that remains obvious through all of this, it is the sheer fact that social media applications are vital to a successful business, especially for magazines in this case. While Instagram may show the most promise currently, given its massive popularity and leading statistics over sites like Facebook and Twitter, it is clear that the changing magazine industry is pouring into almost all social media platforms, therefore making each one significant to a certain extent.
Works Cited
"Magazine Media Industry Releases Year-End Social Media Report." MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. 29 Jan. 2016. Web.
O'Malley, Gavin. "Instagram Ups Ad Time for Brands." MediaPost. 4 Feb. 2016. Web.
Saric, Marko. "Instagram Growth and Engagement: 2015 Year In Review." Social Media Today. 16 Jan. 2016. Web.
MaryKate has made some very valid points about the magazine industry going digital. She has stated that it is important for magazine companies to adapt to social media. It is wise for magazines to put all of their focus onto the younger generations and what they are doing. After all, this is their largest and wealthiest market. According to Twenty-Two Tweetable Truths, “Digital edition magazine readers are younger, more educated and wealthier than the average U.S. adult” (The Association of Magazine Media). Finding ways to engage younger generations should be the main focus of magazines. By finding a way into the lives of their younger consumers will be a key to the future of their success. Presence in social media is crucial to establish and maintain a brand for the magazine as well. Through postings on Facebook and Twitter, they are able to spread the idea of their image to thousands of interested consumers. Consumers are also interacting with magazines by posting magazine content to multiple social media outlets. For example, as stated in Magazine Readers are Social, “31% posted something on Twitter or Facebook that they saw in an ad in the magazine”(The Association of Magazine Media).
DeleteWhile its important for magazines to have a digital version, it is still crucial for magazines to be available in print as well. There is a whole other experience that comes from reading a physical magazine that consumers still enjoy. They can’t get this experience from reading digital magazines. Reading physical magazines are a widely popular pass time in places like the doctors office, airport, and bus station. Consumers also have the ability to engage in content by scanning QR codes to be directed to more content. In fact, “While reading a printed magazine 36% of respondents have scanned a QR code in an ad” (The Association of magazine Media).
Magazines can’t survive alone in only digital platforms. Traditional platforms are also important to maintain, it is a representation of the magazines brand. Some consumers still prefer to consume magazines in traditional ways. It is necessary for print magazines to stick around because they offer a completely different experience than digital magazines can and engage consumers in other effective ways.
However, digital is also an important outlet for magazines. This opens many opportunities for the magazines. Editors are able to make magazine pages interactive therefore sparking interests in products shown in advertisements. Consumers can simply click on an add, and will be immediately directed to a page where they can buy the product. There are also pages that includes links that lead to various web pages on the magazines website. This exposes the consumer to even more content. This ultimately creates brand loyalty to the magazine.
keeping the consumer engaged within the magazines content will keep the consumer coming back for more.
I believe that magazines need to be available in both print and in digital format in order to be successful. These formats are mutual and work together to provide consumers with the ultimate reading experience. Digital magazines include direct links to web pages and products available to purchase. Adds are more successful in these digital version since they make buying products easily assessable to consumers by directing them to where they can buy the product. However traditional formats offer consumers a different reading experience. Print versions are more widely available and serve as a past time for consumers. Consumers show a sense of trust in magazine content, deeming that it is always reliable and accurate. “Consumers trust and are more inspired and influenced by magazine media than TV” (The Association of Magazine Media).
(Amanda Cont.)
DeleteWorks Cited
"Magazine Media Readers & Smartphones." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Report can be accessed on the MPA's website: www.magazine.org
22 Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2016. Web.
Report compiled by MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. It was published on the organization's website and can be found at this address: magazine.org/socialresearch
Ben Laing
ReplyDeleteA strong social media presence is a necessity for a media organization to become successful, and to continue to be successful. For millennialls and the younger generations, we are now programed to constantly check what is happening on social media. I believe that the magazine industry is best suited for the current social media focused climate. Social media websites are a form of entertainment, exactly like how magazines are a source of entertainment.
I agree with Maya’s point about how easy it now is to get magazine content from social media, either by following a magazine on Twitter or liking a magazine on Facebook. Following or liking a magazine used to be my preferred method of getting media content, but recently I have shied away from this method to a way that Maya didn’t touch on. I now prefer to download apps from news or magazine companies simply because I love getting push notifications and customizing what types of information I would be exposed to. I think that the magazine industry is perfect for the app market and the readings for this week support that. “14 of the top 15 highest grossing Lifestyle iPad apps are magazine brands…4 of the top 5 highest grossing Health & Fitness iPad apps are magazine brands…8 of the top 10 highest grossing Food & Drink iPad apps are magazine brands” (Magazine Readers are Social). I believe that the magazine industry can certainly survive if they take advantage of social media and creating user-friendly apps.
I also agree with Maya’s point how it is now necessary to have creative ways to advertise on social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram. It has become extremely important to have a presence on these platforms in order to reach the maximum amount of viewer’s eyes. Social media has emerged as the premier place in terms of reach. “Those who consider themselves “avid magazine readers” are considerably above average in all things social” (22 Truths About Magazine Media). This is significant because the subgroup “avid magazine readers” are the most important group in terms of advertising. I also like how Maya brought up the unique form of advertising in the ‘discover’ page on Snapchat. I believe that introducing this new feature is a great form of advertising, specifically for magazines. This feature is a much less intrusive form of advertising found on other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Users are given the opportunity to seek out this content if they wish as opposed to forcibly being exposed to the content on one’s timeline.
Overall, I think it is necessary for businesses, not just those in the media industry embrace the social media culture. Social media allows for a much better form of communication as opposed to traditional advertising.
Works Cited
"Magazine Readers Are Social." The Association of Magazine Media, n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2016.
"22 Truths About Magazine Media." The Association of Magazine Media, n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2016.
Angela Holdorf
ReplyDeleteI agree with Maya that the magazine industry is becoming extremely reliant on social media, and with good reason. It is clear that the magazine industry could no longer rely simply on print, but they have had to increase their digital and online presence as well. However, social media is what this generation is addicted to and spends half their lives on, so it is important for magazines to become a part of this millennial generation. Another factor that I think comes into play is money and time. People don’t have the time to sit down and read a whole magazine or go through a whole website, and people don’t want to spend that $5 or more on a magazine that you read once and throw away. It is much more resourceful to just follow a magazine, like People Magazine, and get the updates on what is going on while being free. I myself can’t tell you the last time I bought an actual magazine, but I believe the only reason I did was because I was in an airport. I also rarely visit a magazine website. That being said, I follow just about every single magazine on Instagram (my top used social media platform) to stay up to date with the latest celebrity news.
I think Maya’s point was well made about how greatly people enjoy sharing news with others. On social media is makes it easier for the audience to do so, making the audience in general a larger one. For example, just recently my friend was wondering if Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris were still together. About 2 hours later People Magazine on Instagram reposted a cute picture Calvin Harris posted for Taylor saying, “Congratulations to my beautiful girlfriend.” I was able to tag my friend in People’s post to show her that they were indeed still together. It makes it simple, and makes it easier for audience members to come together.
According to The Association of Magazine Media sated that, “Insights gleaned from this report clearly demonstrate that magazine media consumers are enthusiastically interacting with their brands on social platforms” (MPA). This just proves the point Maya is making that magazines are becoming extremely reliant on social media platforms to aid in keeping their audiences. In the article Magazine Readers are Social states that, “The importance of being able to share digital magazine content with friends is highest among avid magazine readers at 54% and equal to 3+ social media users” (MPA). Like I said, it is always appealing to be able to share content, especially about celebrity gossip, which you can only really do through social media.
Maya made a good statement about how magazines have now reached all platforms of social media, including Snapchat. She concluded it nicely by stating how users strive to get an experience that mixes new and entertainment together, while being able to interact with others. This plays the key role in why social media is so necessary for the magazine industry.
Work Cited:
"2015 Magazine Media Factbook." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2016. Web.
Report compiled by MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. It was published on the organization's website and can be found at this address: magazine.org/socialresearch
Ally D’Alia
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to Maya’s post and recognize with the need for magazines and newspapers to have social media platforms. Because our generation is so centered in social media and we rely heavily on it, it only makes sense for magazines and newspapers to convert to that as well. Just as Maya states, it fulfills people’s desires to access news through social media. It’s convenient and convenience is a huge part of the way we do day-to-day things. It is also really interesting to think that it is “satisfying” for people to easily read news content via social media. The fact that it satisfies people, gives them a sense of ease because their content is accessible through social media is an interesting way to look at it. Who would have thought that one day it would just be “satisfying” to get pages and pages on news through the tap of a finger rather than being able to hold the pages, without worrying about wifi or data or glitches.
Another point that Maya makes that I can recognize with in having news content via social media is the ability to share and connect with friends while reading. “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. Most chat with friends on Facebook while reading a magazine and share what they are reading. A substantial majority also re-tweet articles from a magazine’s Twitter feed.” (The Association of Magazine Media). These point are vital to think about not only for our convenience of reading and sharing, but for the company to take advantage of. Countless times I have read an article either through my smart phone accessed online or through my laptop on Facebook or another popular site. And countless times I have clicked that lovely little share button and sent it to a friend, a family member, or just posted it to my Facebook news feed and/or tweeted it. This allows the magazine or newspaper to benefit greatly because it’s so much easier to share the article by clicking copying and paste rather than having to bring a hard copy over to a friend, family member, etc. (which I probably wouldn’t end up doing anyway).
Snapchat was also the very first thing that came to mind when beginning to read Maya’s post. They are definitely the bigger social media platform that have taken advantage of online newspaper and magazine content for their audience. With Snapchat, it’s almost encouraged to be sharing, screenshotting, and discussing different articles posted by Cosmo, CNN, People, etc. Snapchat’s main purpose is for users to share content with each other, therefore having news content accessible to read and share on this platform is brilliant. Also, the demographic using Snapchat is younger, therefore the content these younger people enjoy reading is much more entertainment based. Magazine Media Readers explains why this is important. “Food, news and sports magazine apps are the most popular downloads for reading or viewing on smartphones, followed by celebrity/entertainment and science/technology.” ((The Association of Magazine Media). So whether it’s ESPN, Comedy Central, or The Food Network, the Snapchat demographic is drawn to this and likely to read and share.
"Magazine Media Readers and Smartphones." MPA, The Association of Magazine Media n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.
“Magazine Media Readers are Social.” MPA. The Association of Magazine Media Web. 07 Mar. 2016.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNicole Sierra
ReplyDeleteHey Maya,
I totally agree that it is a must for magazines to not only have to create and maintain a digital and online presence but also need social media if they want to stay relevant. Like we have discussed before in class, and in previous blogs, many companies are realizing that if they want to keep up with the millennials they need to keep up with technology, and all the things that come along with it, like social media. When the internet was first becoming popular many companies had to start to create websites, but now it is true what you say, websites are not enough anymore. Millennials always want more, and more, and because of this, companies have to come up with new ways to keep us intrigued. To do this they begin to come up with apps, and other ways their audiences/customers can interact with them.
I think that magazines upgrading from paper to digital can be a good thing for several reasons. The first would be that it makes it easier for people to access their product and information. For example, when I see a Kardashian or someone famous post about an interview or a photoshoot they did with a magazine, instead of driving to stop and shop to get the magazine, I can just pull up their app on my iPad and buy the magazine directly on there. The second reason would be that with online access you can find out information as soon as it happens, and this is where social media comes into play. As you mentioned, social media is the latest technique that companies are using to stay relevant and it works. I find out about news, or new interviews, or photoshoots through social media, and then that leads me to either go to their website or their app for the full story.
I think the the links on Facebook that you talk about in your blog is very important to companies nowadays. I know this because I use Facebook on a daily basis and I know that at least twice a day I click on news links, for example, from news channel 12. In the article “Magazine Media Readers Are Social” they talk about how magazine readers are usually between the ages of 18–34 are highly connected social media users (The Association of Magazine Media). I agree with this because I always see that my friends retweet or share posts that have to do with current events occurring in our county. Just last week I found out about a tragic family death in my town because all my friends were retweeting and sharing on Facebook the new article about the tragic event. On the other hand reading the article “Twenty Two Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media” they state a truth, “95% of U.S. adults under 25 read print magazines” which is hard to believe but this can be a good thing for companies considering their traditional methods are still on top (The Association of Magazine Media). I think companies know that by using social media to their advantage they are able to reach a much bigger audience, and while maintaining their original printed paper distribution, they can keep their older audience and the millennials intrigued.
“Magazine Media Readers are Social.” MPA. The Association of Magazine Media Web. 07 Mar. 2016.
"22 Truths About Magazine Media." The Association of Magazine Media, n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2016.
Maya,
ReplyDeleteI think that this was a great topic choice, and I couldn’t agree more. Initially magazines felt that print was dying and so they revamped their approach by making their issues available online. However, once social media began to flourish and its prominence was established in society magazine companies had to rethink their game plan.
Our generation is stuck on the idea of convenience. Therefore, we tend not to go out of our way to look up something unless we are truly passionate about it. For all of the other things that may be going on we look to our social media platforms and leave it to chance. I, for one, will go to Facebook and scroll through my newsfeed and happen upon several articles that have been shared by my friends. I’m then more apt to read the article and stay on the site to read the articles advertised in the “similar to this” box.
Now, while I do enjoy putting little to no effort into my computer searches, I love reading a physical copy of a magazine. I was one of those kids that collected magazines. You know, the girl that reads a magazine and swears that she’ll read it again so she adds it to the pile of magazines that she swore she’d read again and then never does. Yeah. Closet cleanout day was always fun because I’d get a nice workout in, but I digress. Apparently I’m not alone as, “91% of U.S. adults read print magazines” and “95% of U.S. adults under 25 read print magazines” (22 Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media). Well, would you look at that - I’m not as special as I thought. I believe the only issue (no pun intended) for magazine companies is deciding the number of monthly issues to print. Since their material is easy to come by online, but also given that 95% of U.S. adults read physical magazines their math skills need to be pretty on point.
To reinforce the idea that print isn’t dead or dying according to a study, “93% of all respondents have read or looked into a print magazine in the last 60 days;
37% have read a digital edition” (MPA). There is something more personal about being able to hold a magazine and flip through the pages as opposed to staring at a screen that is an 8th of the size of a typical page. This same comfort is one that students have with physical textbooks as opposed to their online counterparts.
So while I do believe that in order for magazines to remain “hip” they need to adapt to the changing world of social media. I also believe that their market is still quite popular in the physical world of magazines. Next time you go to Walgreens or CVS walk through the magazine aisle and watch your senses lose control because of all of the colors and tantalizing gossip.
Works Cited:
"22 Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2016. Web.
“Magazine Media Readers and Smartphones.” MPA. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.
Hey Maya!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you on that magazines not only need to have print and strong digital presence, but also must be fully immersed in social medias. I feel like having a strong media presence is extremely important for a magazine to be successful. People Magazine is one of the bigger names celebrity news magazine out there today and their Instagram holds over 7 thousand posts and 1.4 million followers. I believe that if a magazine holds a strong social media presence then their website will be successful. Social medias are almost like a “middleman” for a magazine website. I come across a picture on Instagram posted by People that catches my attention then I go to their website to read the full article. According to an article by The Association of Magazine Media (MPA), “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, according to Shareablee. For the first time, MPA also reported the top-trending magazine media posts of the year, with data gathered by Shareablee. National Geographic, Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, J-14, Sports Illustrated and Seventeen delivered the top trending magazine media posts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter in 2015.” ("Magazine Media Readers & Smartphones") A big reason why it is crucial for magazines to be heavily immersed in social medias is because our society today likes to interact and express their opinions or feelings amidst reading news. I didn’t think about this as being a reason magazines need a prominent presence until I read Maya’s blog. It makes completely sense we live tweet all the time during shows, a big event like the Grammys or when a news article breaks about someone in the public eye. “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. Most chat with friends on Facebook while reading a magazine and share what they are reading. A substantial majority also re-tweet articles from a magazine’s Twitter feed.” (“Magazine Readers are Social”) Its like finding out a secret and you want to be the first to tell your friends about it. “Did you see that Erin Andrews was awarded $55 million dollars in the peephole lawsuit?” Then when you tell your friends you go back and forth about it to find out information they new but you didn’t. This it remains vital that magazine companies have a strong social media presence so that their readers can comment on an article, express their feelings, and easily share with friends. This is also important for the magazine to see what news their readers want to obtain from them.
Works Cited
"Magazine Media Readers & Smartphones." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Report can be accessed on the MPA's website: www.magazine.org
“Magazine Readers are Social.” MPA: The Association of Magazine Media.
What I find most interesting about this topic is the fact that it seems like we, the readers and audience, really have the power to dictate what is news, even if it is just among fluff magazines like People. "The Association of Magazine Media, revealed 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." (Magazine Media Industry Releases Year End Social Media Report) That is an unequivocally large amount of input that these magazines just tapped into. Honestly, it just makes me really, really happy and excited to find out that periodicals, any periodicals, are taking such an interest in what their reader base is actually interested in. This kind of care inherently provides a deep level of trust of these magazines and their brands.
ReplyDeleteFactory in the fact that 91% of US adults read print magazines and that 95% of US adults under 25 do as well (22 Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media), then you can really start to see a trend between the back and forth influence that the reader has on the product. That is a lot of input. People share the articles they like or call out articles that they don't like on social media, and the magazines follow suit, publishing according to the feedback they receive. For many magazines, this would seem like the golden age, you have a free advertising and marketing team that simultaneously lets you know how you can be most successful.
Work Cited:
1. "22 "Tweetable Truths" About the Industry." 2015 Magazine Media Factbook Released Accompanied by 22 "Tweetable Truths" About the Industry. MPA, 2015. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.
2."Magazine Media Industry Releases Year-End Social Media Report." MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. 29 Jan. 2016. Web.
I absolutely loved Maya’s post. I thought it was completely relevant, delivered extremely well, and was easy to understand.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I log onto Facebook or Twitter, it’s usually to get my daily dose of articles. I’ve found myself solely using Facebook just for that purpose, to catch up on my news – which is kind of crazy considering it’s supposed to be a social media site. Magazines have taken the world-wide-web to their advantage, and now Facebook has become their main platform for promotion. “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 (MPA 2016).”
With social media, magazines can add context and entertainment value to otherwise flat pieces of writing. Beyond text and images, stories may be enhanced with polls, videos, games, real-time chats, answers to tangential questions and a peek behind the scenes. Cosmopolitan already has used Facebook games to entertain bored fans at work. Time allows its Facebook community members to create faux “Person of the Year” images to share with their friends. This is the kind of promotion that magazines are using to their advantage.
Instagram and Snapchat have also really taken advantage of the social media world. When Maya displayed her example of how Snapchat portrays magazines through a digital, and visual perspective, some would argue that this takes away from the nature of what a magazine is supposed to be (an easy read), however, it makes their content more intriguing and worth paying attention to. “For the most part, those 18–34 personally own a digital device and access multiple social platforms. They have a healthy appetite for media and believe that technology has improved the experience of accessing media” (Magazine Readers are Social).It’s 2016, and whether we like it or not, technology is apart of human nature, and we are becoming a digital species.
Magazines such as People and US Weekly now use Instagram to tell their stories through a single picture, and a sentence as a caption, just leaving the readers with a little bit of a cliff hanger. This makes the audience eager to buy the magazine and find out more about the specific story. For example: I follow E! Online, Vogue, and US Weekly. Everything they post that week, is mirrored to what is published in their magazine.
WORK CITED:
"2015 Magazine Media Factbook." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2016. Web.
“Magazine Media Readers are Social.” MPA. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.http://www.magazine.org/sites/default/files/SOCIAL-f5%20website.pdf
Daniela Cantu
ReplyDeleteMSS495
There is no doubt that in our society today, ANY company needs some sort of social media presence to be able to stay relevant, ESPECIALLY with the millennial generation. Over the last few years, we have seen a huge shift from print to digital. Most people in our generation and in other generations get their news digitally. This shift makes sense, being that because of how advanced technology is, we expect things to be quick and easily accessible.
I understand that when it comes to news, it is beneficial to be digital because like I mentioned before, it’s faster and more efficient. However, I think magazines are different, and digitalizing them harms the industry in some ways.
At my house, everyone reads magazines. I don’t remember the last time my household didn’t have an issue of Newsweek, TIME, or InStyle. My love for fashion magazines started when I was a little girl. InStyle is one of the first magazines I ever read, because it used to be my mom’s favorite. I have a whole collection of them in my room. Why am I bringing this up? Well because magazines are much more than the words on the page. They’re about the photos, the ads, the way they’re edited, and of course, the cover.
Yes, I understand that magazines release digital versions of their printed issues, but it’s not the same thing. Some might argue that the quality of the photographs is better on a screen, but you simply cannot compare the glossy paper to looking at an issue on an iPad or a laptop. I don’t believe that magazines should ever stop printing physical copies because it would destroy the industry.
There are some benefits to having social media though. For example, I think Vogue’s digital marketing strategy is genius. Vogue has all social media platforms, but they are very popular on Instagram. Instagram is a great way to share fashion photography, especially because in fashion magazines, you will have huge photoshoots that cost a lot of money and only end up getting at most 5 photos from that photoshoot. By having an instagram, they are able to share more of these photos that maybe didn’t make it into the issue. Their strategy clearly works since the MPA article mentions them in the Top 10 Likes/Followers as of December 31, 2015.
Vogue also has their teenage issue called Teen Vogue. Since this is targeted towards millennials and Gen Z, they use popular YouTube beauty/fashion gurus to make videos for their channel because they know that that generation spends lots of hours streaming videos.
What I’m trying to say is that I think it’s great to have social media profiles to help the magazine gain more readers, but it should not cause the whole magazine industry to change because if magazines stop printing, they will eventually stop creating whole issues.This means deconstructing magazines by just putting up articles like newspapers have done, which means advertisements would be different and eventually changing the core of how the industry works.
Works Cited
"Magazine Media Industry Releases Year-End Social Media Report." MPA: The Association for Magazine Media. 29 Jan. 2016. Web.
"22 Tweetable Truths About Magazine Media." MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Accessed 7 Feb. 2016. Web.