News
Welcome! Join us for client publication news and updates, plus explore our thoughts on publishing, marketing, and customer service, as well as new technologies and ideas to make your next project soar!
“Magazines Thriving”
It was a wonderful feeling waking up this past Sunday morning to a positive and enthusiastic article leading the Business section of the Austin American Statesman shouting that magazines are in fact thriving. During difficult economic times, people are still spending their time reading magazines.
Though I would say this is not necessarily news to us; we understand that niche markets are still a good place to build publications to support your mission. I do think this is news to the public, maybe even to businesses, associations, non-profits and entrepreneurs.
The article states that the Association of Magazine Media’s research shows that 93 percent of adults regularly read magazines. “In an average month, Americans thumb through a total of 7.7 magazines, spending an average of 42 minutes on each issue, according to the association.”
These statistics support readership and readership supports advertising. It’s a circular process (much like the production of a magazine). The good news is that the foundation for a magazine’s success (readership) is still healthy. It’s up to all of us to capture and keep their attention with responsible and relevant publications.
PR Soup Guest Blog
Monarch Media is thrilled to contribute to PR Soup’s blog this week as a guest blogger. Thank you to PR Soup founders, Christine Cox and Andrea Schulle for inviting us to participate! Here’s a taste of the article and link to the full blog post.
Extend Your Digital Publication’s Shelf Life
There are the obvious benefits to digital publications; from lower production costs to ease of distribution, one often forgotten benefit is the wealth of information and revenue each archived issue of a digital publication contains. Click here to read the whole article on PR Soup.com.
Year End Donations. Make It Count!
Are you thinking about making a donation to a charitable organization in these last few days of 2011? Monarch Media would like to encourage you to make your donation on behalf of one of our most valued clients, The Alzheimer’s Association San Diego/Imperial Chapter.
Your gift to the Alzheimer’s Association can make a difference in the lives of families living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia by providing supportive services and funding research to improve treatment and find a cure. Every donation, both large and small, helps the cause move forward.
This year, The Alzheimer’s Association San Diego/Imperial Chapter partnered with Monarch Media as one of our first clients to relaunch their newsletter, mind matters, in a digital format. Monarch also created an advertising well within the publication to test the opportunity for advertising revenue to support the growing publication. We enjoyed working with an organization that provides such important resources and research. View the latest issue of mind matters below.
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Good Sales People are Hard to Find
“Good Sales People are Hard to Find.” I’ve heard this comment recently through several conversations with potential clients, and I started wondering why this is. I’ve been in sales for over 10 years now, and I’ve been successful in this field. Why is this? I have a few thoughts on what makes a good sales person.
Listening. In order to build business relationships, you have to listen to what clients are trying to achieve.
Understanding. You have to understand and find value in your product. If you don’t believe in it then how are you going to convince others to believe in it?
Flexibility. You have to be willing to work within budget and time constraints often modifying your process, product or service. You have to be flexible.
Attention to detail. You will have million-dollar clients and hundred-dollar clients. Each one receives the same attention to detail from initial contact all the way through to the final product. This is the best way to practice business because happy clients help generate new clients.
Be genuine. If you have a personality for sales, then you’ll be successful at it. But don’t try to create a sales persona. People will see right through it.
Effectively communicate. If you have the gift of gab, that helps; but you also have to know your product or service inside and out and be able to talk about it in a way that people understand what it is you have to offer them.
Create opportunity. I always approach sales as offering an opportunity whether it is for face-to-face sales through a tradeshow, recognition through a sponsorship, or exposure through advertising each of these presents a client with an opportunity to reach a larger audience.
I certainly didn’t set out to have a career in sales, but I enjoy getting to know people, building a friendship with them, problem solving to see how I can help them, and ultimately delivering a product that will give them an opportunity to grow their business.
— Chellie Thompson, Cofounder, Monarch Media & Consulting, Inc.
Print and Digital – Still a Powerful Combo
Print magazines create trust, brand promise, and consistency. Digital content, whether in publication form or in the form of a blog, resource center, or guide can enhance your audiences’ experience and keep them coming back time and again. Of course, the secret to making each work to their greatest potential is to create a marketing model that helps them work together.
I think it’s worth reaching back to Mark Miller’s article, “The Power of Two,” in the Winter 2009 issue of Content. Today, there is more and more content online, but is it working to support your marketing plan? Your print publication? Your long-term goals? Revisiting this article was a refreshing reminder to keep your focus and not only build, but maintain a marketing model that cross-supports all your communications vehicles, print and digital.
Turning Over a New…Page?
It’s that time of year again and I know many of you are building your 2012 budgets. Your organization is likely asking how they can do more with less. We’ve all been there. Monarch Media wants to show you how your communications can create visibility, be shared with ease, and potentially add revenue to your bottom line. It’s time to turn over a new leaf…or maybe a new page!
We’ll not only help you take your printed newsletters, magazines or publications into a fresh, digital format, but we’ll also recreate them to include advertising to support your financial goals. You decide what’s right for your organization and we’ll help you develop a plan and execute it successfully.
If you’re not familiar with digital publications, click below to explore one of our client’s recent newsletters. By partnering with Issuu, Monarch Media can provide a user-friendly, cost-effective vehicle for your communications.
[issuu width=550 height=356 embedBackground=%23ffffff backgroundColor=%23ffffff documentId=111204232733-efc6dc40dc7247c1a43e92a2ae2738fa name=alz12_nl_fall_winter-mmc username=monarchmediainc tag=care unit=px id=aa269da4-ff33-f700-4d41-ef42e67a289c v=2]
Nice to Meet You
We’d like to help!
We are a custom publishing company that wants to help companies communicate their message to their clients, members, customers, etc through publications either in print or electronically. Maybe you currently have a newsletter that you need to convert to an electronic publication…we can help. Maybe you want to redesign your current newsletter…we can help there as well. Maybe you have an idea for a newsletter but don’t have the in house means to take on this type of project…give us a call! We want to work with you to ensure your message is heard in the best form possible.
You may be asking what qualifies us to help with this. Well we have been partners in producing a high quality magazine for the last five years, and we now have the opportunity to start our own publishing company so we can take our skills and have them benefit others. We have low overhead costs so we can keep our pricing competitive, and we will strive to work within your budget.
We also have the ability to sell advertising for your publication generating extra income for you!
Maybe you are thinking of advertising but aren’t sure how to go about designing an ad and placing it in a publication. Guess what – we can help! We can take your ad idea, create a print ready advertisement, and negotiate placement within a magazine all on your behalf. We take the scary out of advertising!
So if you think we would be a good fit for your next project, give us a call or send us an email. We’d love to get to know you a little better and see if we can help!