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 have a friend in the publishing consulting business. He says that it would be difficult for a magazine with such a low circulation (~45,000) to attract "big-name" sponsors.
Anna Lea
Okay, I waited 24 hours before replying to this post. The assumption that only "big-name" sponsors are worth attracting, this has been hard for me to accept.
Independent entrepreneurs may see value in this venture, and that is their decision to make, especially if they are also a part of this special interest group.
Intellectual property has value.
Images have value.
Producing something of quality generates interest and that makes the advertisment worth more. Bottom line, that is a bargain for a business needing to invest in advertisment, even if their brand is "small".
Brand recognition takes investment, there's no way around that, even if you're not "big-time" yet. Look at how many young swimmers quit, because they weren't "big" winners, and twenty years later they realize, they actually did win, and that was because they swam. That is the masters message, and yes, that brand is worth the investment.
I have a friend in the publishing consulting business. He says that it would be difficult for a magazine with such a low circulation (~45,000) to attract "big-name" sponsors.
Anna Lea
Okay, I waited 24 hours before replying to this post. The assumption that only "big-name" sponsors are worth attracting, this has been hard for me to accept.
Independent entrepreneurs may see value in this venture, and that is their decision to make, especially if they are also a part of this special interest group.
Intellectual property has value.
Images have value.
Producing something of quality generates interest and that makes the advertisment worth more. Bottom line, that is a bargain for a business needing to invest in advertisment, even if their brand is "small".
Brand recognition takes investment, there's no way around that, even if you're not "big-time" yet. Look at how many young swimmers quit, because they weren't "big" winners, and twenty years later they realize, they actually did win, and that was because they swam. That is the masters message, and yes, that brand is worth the investment.
