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Moving communication campaigns into action |
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Why customer magazines work Here is a back issue of Marketing Booster, the email newsletter that Richard Groom writes and sends free every fortnight to subscribers. You can subscribe here or read over 60 back issues using the back issues index page. Customer magazines have grown as a marketing tool in recent years. Up to about 20 years ago, the only example you might read would have been British Airways' 'High Life' in-flight magazine. But now there are thousands of titles, with circulations of from a few hundred to a few million. There's even an annual award for the best one. In 2006, the Periodcial Publishers Association (PPA) customer magazine of the year is Waitrose Food Illustrated, produced by the UK supermarket chain. Other companies shortlisted for the award included The British Army, Land Rover, Sainsbury's and Toni & Guy. The fact that so many large organisations are investing in customer magazines confirms their potential effectiveness. In fact, it has been reported that readers of Desire, the magazine from UK department store Debenhams, spend more than the average store card holder, visit more departments and are more likely to buy. I think customer magazines overcome a problem shared by most other forms of marketing. With other media, unless someone happens to be looking for the type of product or service you are promoting at that time, there is little reason for them to read what you've sent them. But a good customer magazine can be different. It gives you a chance to publish useful and interesting information that many people will want to read. It can build credibility and visibility, developing your profile with readers so that, in time, they will be more likely to buy from you. So what should your customer magazine contain? * It shouldn't be a brochure under a different name. * It should strike a balance between product-orientated and value-adding material. * It shouldn't be simply filled with articles about how great you are. * It should contain solid, practical information. * It shouldn't have dull news that no-one will ever read. * It should contain useful information that doesn't require purchasing your product or service. If you already have a customer magazine, take a copy home tonight and settle down on the sofa to read it. Be brutally honest with yourself: is this something you would want to read if you didn't work for your organisation? If it isn't, here are a few ideas for articles that might make it more readable: * Updates on upcoming legislation that will affect readers. * Hints and tips from your experts. * Personal opinion articles by your experts; there's even room for a bit of controversy to stir up interest among readers. * Profiles of products related to the ones you sell, eg if you sell software then review some new hardware, as your customers will be interested in that too. * Question and answer format, dealing with the typical questions your salespeople and customer services staff are asked by customers. The above list is just the tip of the iceberg. To get more article ideas, make a point of collecting as many customer magazines as possible for inspiration. If you get the content right, your magazine could be welcomed by readers and possibly even kept for future reference. |