Get to Know Your Audience and a Publishing Business Conference & Expo Speaker
Although newsstands are struggling and advertising sales are down, there are a number of niche publications that have seen growing subscription sales and have maintained a loyal following. What are niche publications doing differently than the big publishers?
That was the first question on our mind when we spoke with conference speaker and Brain, Child editor-in-chief Marcelle Soviero. Soviero purchased Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers in 2012, shortly after it ceased print. Since taking the helm, Soviero has forged new partnerships with media outlets, non-profits and niche content sites and launched Brain, Child into the digital sphere.
To catch her at the conference, check out her session on Tuesday September 24th, "Niche Publishing Roundtable," where she and other publishers will discuss how to grown an audience through social media, building greater community and understanding readers' needs.
We asked: What can large trade publishers learn from the success of niche publications in recent years?
Marcelle said: Focus on the product the reader wants, not necessarily the product you want, revise the product as necessary. Go as deep as you can into who your readers are and meet them where they are; they won't come to you. We get very granular with who our readers are, we try to know what the mothers who read Brain, Child eat for breakfast.
As always, don't forget to check out the Publishing Business Conference & Expo, September 23rd-25th. There is still plenty of time to register!
- People:
- Ellen Harvey
- Marcelle Soviero
Ellen Harvey is a freelance writer and editor who covers the latest technologies and strategies reshaping the publishing landscape. She previously served as the Senior Editor at Publishing Executive and Book Business.