Magazines love social, and have built sophisticated networks to be where their audiences and fans are. But social media to drive revenues is a tough nut to crack. This presentation, designed for CDS Global's 2013 client summit, takes a look at what networks magazines are engaging in, the nuances of social posts that drive the greatest subscription sales, and what marketing strategies are recommended for increasing, both engagement, and revenues. A special thank you to the social teams at Hearst Magazines and Condé Nast for sharing their strategies and results. *An update to the Condé Nast strategies, Facebook has discontinued its Gifts service for physical goods. Questions? Contact me on Twitter @xochiadame or via email at xochiadame@gmail.com.
Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A Real-World Look, present...
Social Marketing for Publishers: Designing Engagement that Drives Circulation
1. Social Marketing for Publishers
Designing Engagement that Drives Circulation
Xochi Adamé, Digital Marketing + Social Business Strategist
@xochiadame
#CDSGlobalSummit
2. 1
1. Where are magazines
successfully engaging
consumers on the
social web?
2. Engagement is great, but
how are magazines driving
subscriptions in these
social networks?
3. What strategies
should I develop to
increase subscribers?
@xochiadame
#CDSGlobalSummit
6. 5
1. Build out your
buyer personas
2. Monitor social
conversations
3. Cross-promote
your networks
4. Measure engagement
and growth
@xochiadame
#CDSGlobalSummit
7. 6
Car & Driver Cosmopolitan ELLE Esquire Good
Housekeeping
Seventeen
Facebook
Likes
1,225 440 507 167 44 824
Facebook
Comments
123 39 22 21 15 49
Facebook
Shares
124 32 34 22 5 18
Facebook
Clicks
1,744 3,345 909 503 183 1,484
Twitter
RTs
6 22 13 5 0 2
Twitter
Clicks
419 1,435 91 285 30 100
Average engagement generated per post
(includes editorial and consumer marketing):
Engagement varies broadly across brands
and networks
10. 9
Post
Content
vs. Sweeps
Page
Views
Sub
Signups
You've still got time to enter our "Good Life Giveaway Sweepstakes"...don't miss out on your chance
to be one of five lucky readers to win $100. http://goodhousekeeping.com/sweepstakes/25866
Sweeps 927 24
Our all-new January issue hits newsstands today! In celebration of our new look (which we love!),
we're giving you a chance to win $100. Enter our Good Life Giveaway today for your chance to be 1
of 5 lucky $100 winners http://goodhousekeeping.com/sweeps
Sweeps 697 19
5 tell-tale signs a man is cheating: http://cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/relationship-advice/how-to-
tell-if-a-guy-is-cheating
Content 57,307 18
Enter to win "Hair Color for a Year," complete with a one-year supply of hair color, color-safe
shampoo, conditioner and color-enhancement treatment. What color would you dye your hair?
http://womansday.com/sweepstakes/25471
Sweeps 349 18
Get what you want for Christmas? Didn't get what you want for Christmas? Either way you can still
enter for a chance to win $100 from us. Enter the "Good Life Giveaway" Sweepstakes today
http://goodhousekeeping.com/sweepstakes/25866
Sweeps 561 15
Enter for a chance to win a stylish Lenovo Aqua Blue Ultrabook IdeaPad laptop!
http://womansday.com/sweepstakes/25541
Sweeps 861 13
RT for a chance to win this @VictoriasSecret runway makeup kit! #freeVSswag (Rules:
http://cosmopolitan.com/victoria-secret-fashion-show-sweepstakes-official-rules-clone-
1354660042 )
Sweeps 4,544 12
The WORST celeb fashion moments ever! If you think this is bad, you should see the others:
http://seventeen.com/parties/prom/worst-red-carpet-fashion-moments
Content 99,174 10
It does exist! The liquid diet that won’t leave you starving:
http://cosmopolitan.com/advice/health/liquid-diet
Content 84,794 10
6 sneaky ways to go from friend to girlfriend! http://seventeen.com/love/advice/how-to-be-his-
girlfriend Plus 9 celeb couples who prove it's totally possible:
http://seventeen.com/entertainment/celeb-couples-friends-first
Content 58,441 10
Top 10 Posts that Drove New Subscriptions
11. 10
Post
Page
Views
Sub
Signups
Subscribe to Cosmo and get a FREE subscription for a friend. (Limited time only.) Happy holidays, Cosmo girls!
https://subscribe.hearstmags.com/subscribe/cosmopolitan/119807?source=fb Who would you gift Cosmo to?
898 8
What’s better than subscribing to Car and Driver? Getting a second subscription to give as a gift to a friend!
Subscribe today to get 2 for the price of 1!
https://subscribe.hearstmags.com/subscribe/caranddriver/119792?source=fb
137 3
Make life better. Join the Esquire Premier Club and get a year of Esquire plus things like discounts on great
wine: https://subscribe.hearstmags.com/subscribe/esquire/115664?source=twt
478 2
Make life better. Join the Esquire Premier Club and get a year of Esquire in print and digital and things like
discounts on great wine: https://subscribe.hearstmags.com/subscribe/esquire/115664?source=fb
116 2
Give 2 gifts for the price of 1 a limited time only!
https://subscribe.hearstmags.com/subscribe/harpersbazaar/119815?source=fb
401 1
We're in a giving mood: When you subscribe to ELLE, we'll give you a second subscription for free. Details here
https://subscribe.hearstmags.com/subscribe/elle/119790?source=fb
324 1
Subscribe to House Beautiful and you could win a Mediterranean towel set. Details here:
http://www.housebeautiful.com/sweepstakes/25395
17 0
A subscription to Popular Mechanics makes a great stocking stuffer.
https://subscribe.hearstmags.com/subscribe/popularmechanics/119794?source=fb
27 0
Subscribe today and give a gift for free!
https://subscribe.hearstmags.com/subscribe/harpersbazaar/119815?source=twitter
29 0
Need a last minute gift? Try a Popular Mechanics subscription.
https://subscribe.hearstmags.com/subscribe/popularmechanics/119794?source=fb
46 0
Top 10 CTA Posts that Contained the Word “Subscribe”
12. 11
• Editorial posts drove
considerably more
engagement than consumer
marketing (CM) posts
• Status updates ranked lowest,
with photo and video updates
ranking highest, among both
editorial and CM posts
• Direct CTAs to subscribe
performed worst among
CM posts
• Comments on direct CTAs to
subscribe tend to be questions
and complaints pertaining to
subscriptions or cover art, or
from excited fans who already
have the issue
13. 12
• All top-performing CM posts
referenced contests
• Contests link to trial
subscription pages as the
sweepstakes entry
• Top-performing CM posts
maintained brand voice,
whereas worst-performing posts
adopted a marketing tone
and/or hard sell
• “Like this” calls to action
generated the greatest
engagement among CM posts
@xochiadame
#CDSGlobalSummit
14. 13
• Install Twitter Cards for
site content
• Include photos, videos and
links in tweets
• Photo/video tweets get 4-5x
the engagement
• “RT” calls to action generated
the greatest engagement
among CM posts
15. 14
Seventeen –
Bring Me to 1D
• No. 1 post that drove
most engagement and
subscriptions
• Top performing FB post:
"Like this post if you wish
you could meet Zayn in
person! Click here to
enter for your chance to
meet him (plus the rest
of 1D!!) >> [url]”
• Top performing tweet:
"Retweet this if you want
to meet @onedirection!
Enter the Bring Me to 1D
sweeps here: [url]”
16. 15
Cosmopolitan –
How to Tell if a Guy
is Cheating
• Results:
57,307 click-thrus and
18 new subscribers
• Social media post:
“5 tell-tale signs a man
is cheating: [URL]”
• Editorial/content landing
pages incorporate ads
• Content/editorial
post that drove the
most subscriptions
18. Country Living on
• Focus on editorial
content for greatest
engagement
• Pin-to-Win
contests link to
subscription pages
• DIY pins link to
content pages
with embedded
subscription banner
ads or widgets
EDITORIAL
CONTESTS
COVERS
@xochiadame
#CDSGlobalSummit
19. • Custom Facebook
tabs not successful
• Facebook ads using
8th Bridge social
shopping solution
not successful
• Facebook-sponsored
ads had limited
success
– Social Advertising
@xochiadame
#CDSGlobalSummit
20. • Facebook Gifts
showing promise –
plans to double up
during holiday season
• Facebook Offers
show greatest
success to date
• Facebook Custom
Audiences, Saved
Target Groups,
Lookalike Audiences
and Power Editor
– Social Advertising
@xochiadame
#CDSGlobalSummit
22. 21
#1: Design Media-rich Creative Content for Editorial
and Sweepstakes that Link to Subscriptions Pages
• Focus on interactive,
shareworthy
experiences
• Harness the
short-form explosion
• Design engaging
storytelling campaigns
• Create mix of
content mediums for
each campaign
• Always speak in the
brand’s voice, never in
a marketing tone
"Magazines need to abandon the write-read model
[for digital content] for an inspire-connect
strategy." – Troy Young, President of Hearst
Magazines Digital Media
23. 22
#2 Build Influencer Marketing
Strategies for Editorial and
Sweepstakes Campaigns
• Experts and trendsetters whose
loyal audiences are composed of
your ideal consumers
• Identify and court your
niche’s influencers
• Awareness, crisis mitigation,
audience insight
• Incentivize influencers and brand
advocates (not on payroll)
• Traackr and Klout for Business
“In this highly social web,
information travels like
waves. These waves are
created by people who
generate content
and build followings.
A subset of these people
create stronger
waves than others.”
– Traackr
24. 23
“You cannot trust algorithms alone.
Regardless of the tool you use,
you must add a layer of human
analysis and investigation to verify
the Lists and to ensure the results
you’re working with are legitimate
influencers in the space.
And, of course, none of these tools
will do your outreach for you.”
– Jason Falls
Leading digital marketing strategist,
bestselling author of
No Bullshit Social Media
and The Rebel's Guide to Email Marketing
@xochiadame
#CDSGlobalSummit
25. 24
• Miley appealed to her
13,197,465 fan base on Twitter
• More than14,000 RTs,
6,000 faves and 1,000 replies to
the @Cosmopolitan handle of
Miley-related content, and
34,000 mentions of
#MileyCosmo hashtag
• 19,000 new Twitter followers in
3 days (more than double
normal rate)
• More than 90 million
total impressions
Cosmopolitan – Miley Cyrus Influencer Campaign
@xochiadame
#CDSGlobalSummit
26. 25
#3 Increase User-generated (UGC) and
Co-created Mobile Content to Inspire
High-volume Engagement in Sweeps
and Editorial
• Brands are now co-created
• Overwhelming content volume needed
• UGC = awareness, loyalty, credibility
• Harness the mobile app explosion
iTunes: 48K photo apps
33K video apps
3K editor apps
• 2016: 1.5 billion online video users
• 2017: Mobile video will be two-thirds
global mobile traffic
@xochiadame
#CDSGlobalSummit