TIP: Five Small Changes that don't Cost Much

Marketing consultant Lou Ann Sabatier was one of the many experts at Folio:Show 2006, to offer tips on marketing magazines. Her five simple strategies can be used by magazine publishers to give new life into their magazines without spending a bundle.

1. Conduct reader surveys at least every three years. If you can’t afford to hire an outside research company, create one your self. Try to avoid in-book surveys—they cost a lot and probably won’t generate the number of responses you’re looking for.
2. Create a tagline if you don’t have one. Your editors will be able to help you create a tagline for your title. It’s a free addition that will help you establish your brand better.
3. Create a positioning statement if you don’t have one. Different from a mission statement, your positioning statement should be limited to one sentence that explains exactly who you are. If you can’t explain your brand in one sentence, maybe it’s time to restructure.
4. Fifty percent of your marketing efforts should fail. If that’s not the case you’re not being creative enough or taking enough risks.
5. Readjust your marketing budget. Go back and reassess when your marketing budget was established and why. What does it make allowances for? Budgets should reflect the advancements in technology and branding opportunities available.

Download her presentation here: The Mission of Marketing
Read the Folio: article on her talk here: Small Marketing Changes That Yield Big Results