After finding out Swimmer takes 30% of our budget,I was thinking how to make it better.I think it is perhaps fine as it is now for what it does now,but if it is to help us grow...
What do you think?
Rodale had a magazine called "Fitness Swimmer' a few years ago and I thought it was excellent and I think implied that such a mag could be(almost) profitable.The current 4 in one format of "Swimming World" now seems excellent.Perhaps Swimmer should have sections:Competitive Swimmer,fitness swimmer,tri,noodlers(to be totally inclusive.)This might help with the problem of technique articles in Swimmer.The articles seem aimed for the middle and are too simple for elite swimmers and too advanced for beginners.
If you want to sell issues how about more pictures of good looking Masters swimmers in swim suits(it worked for Sports Illustrated.)
I don't find the "new product"section very helpful as it just gives what the company says.How about product testing? I expect a company would be glad to say"our goggles were the top rated by USMS-publicity for us.)If you really want to sell how about product testing on LZR vsTracer Rise,vs Nero Comp.I bet most swimmers,coaches,and parents would be interested in that.
Parents
Former Member
I tend to be sympathetic to the argument that the same purpose could be achieved with an online magazine BUT I would be extremely cautious about about cutting out the single most visible membership benefit received by non-competitive swimmers based on feedback from a subset of your membership that might be biased toward the competitive side.
A printed magazine is a "push" technology that ensures that your membership is reminded that they are members of USMS on a regular basis. If you go to a web magazine without some sort of push mechanism you may lose all contact with a large portion of your membership that may not be sufficiently engaged to go to the web site, although an improved online version of the Go The Distance program might help lure a lot of members to the web site on a regular basis.
I would also urge that the online magazine be put together and operational for a period before you do away with the printed version so you can ensure that it really works in a sustainable manner. Don't underestimate the value of regular publication dates to force the content generation versus a website where the dates can be a lot looser.
I picked up a few issues of Swimmer at convention and am not sure if it is as bad as some here think.
I tend to be sympathetic to the argument that the same purpose could be achieved with an online magazine BUT I would be extremely cautious about about cutting out the single most visible membership benefit received by non-competitive swimmers based on feedback from a subset of your membership that might be biased toward the competitive side.
A printed magazine is a "push" technology that ensures that your membership is reminded that they are members of USMS on a regular basis. If you go to a web magazine without some sort of push mechanism you may lose all contact with a large portion of your membership that may not be sufficiently engaged to go to the web site, although an improved online version of the Go The Distance program might help lure a lot of members to the web site on a regular basis.
I would also urge that the online magazine be put together and operational for a period before you do away with the printed version so you can ensure that it really works in a sustainable manner. Don't underestimate the value of regular publication dates to force the content generation versus a website where the dates can be a lot looser.
I picked up a few issues of Swimmer at convention and am not sure if it is as bad as some here think.
