The art of building brand communities has become essential for magazines looking to thrive. With numerous social media platforms at their disposal and an increasingly interactive audience, magazines need to explore innovative strategies to engage and expand their communities. From leveraging diverse social media channels to hosting virtual events and creating feedback-driven content, the approach to community-building is more dynamic than ever.
Utilizing social media platforms — all of them
Building an engaged community requires a nuanced understanding of each platform’s unique dynamics. From the visually powered feeds of Instagram to the professional networking forums of LinkedIn, these platforms offer highly diverse contexts for interaction and engagement.
Tailoring content to suit the specific strengths of each platform is crucial for building a diverse and engaged audience. For instance, visually striking images or infographics are likely to perform well on Instagram, while LinkedIn often requires a more professional, insight-focused approach.
Leveraging different platforms well calls for strategic content delivery. Establish a content calendar aligned with the frequency and timing patterns audiences expect on each platform to guarantee a steady flow of content without overwhelming followers. Sharing content across platforms maximizes visibility — and consistency in tone, branding elements, and messaging helps to build a cohesive digital experience around your magazine.
Go off-topic to get new people on-topic
Sometimes the best way to get new people talking about your brand is by going slightly off-topic to reach a new audience. Explore ideas beyond your typical areas of focus; tap into new interests and draw in people who might not have noticed your niche before. Once new readers find an entry point aligned with their interests, they might take a new interest in your magazine’s primary focus.
For example, a fashion magazine touching on tech-inspired fashion topics can attract a tech-savvy audience. Over time, this audience might discover a resonance with fashion innovation or design theory, effectively broadening the magazine’s appeal.
Successfully executing this strategy hinges on identifying intersections between peripheral topics and your core subjects. Interweaving both thoughtfully can create a cohesive narrative to captivate your new audience and gradually recenter their interest toward the heart of your magazine’s content.
Virtual events, interactive media, and feedback-driven content
Virtual events provide an interactive platform where readers can come together, share experiences, and actively participate in discussions related to your magazine’s content. Webinars, virtual conferences, and live Q&A sessions with industry experts all create dynamic spaces for people to interact with fellow magazine enthusiasts.
Incorporating interactive media such as polls, quizzes, and interactive articles adds a layer of engagement to the magazine’s content. These turn the reading experience into a two-way conversation. Interactive features capture attention and encourage social sharing, expanding the magazine’s reach as readers share their participation and results with their networks.
Encouraging feedback is also a highly effective engagement strategy. By embedding surveys in articles, fostering comments on social media, and collecting opinions during virtual events, a magazine can tap into its readers’ preferences and experiences. This feedback not only informs content creation but also nurtures a community where readers feel their input is valued, deepening their connection to the magazine’s brand and enhancing its overall appeal.
Build stronger brand communities
The innovative use of social media platforms, creative content strategies, and interactive experiences cultivates vibrant magazine brand communities. As magazines continue to embrace these dynamic strategies, their stories resonate more profoundly with diverse and ever-growing audiences. That resonance translates to enduring relevance in a digital-first world, as well as a rich tapestry of followers to cheer brands on for the long haul.
Contact your Sheridan representative or visit our contact page to ask how we can help you streamline your publishing processes, reduce costs, and keep up with changes in print and publishing strategies.
