Unlocking potential of nano communities by diversifying business models

The media landscape is constantly evolving, and publishers are facing increasingly complex challenges. However, there are some key fundamentals that can help publishers not only survive but thrive in this dynamic environment. As a small B2B publisher in the Dutch agricultural landscape, we have found success by focussing on the following fundamentals that are likely to be effective for other publishers as well.

360֯ Ecosystem: Creating a comprehensive experience for readers is crucial. This includes providing content through various channels, like events, magazines, newsletters, and more. By creating an ecosystem that caters to the diverse needs of their audience, publishers can keep their readers engaged and loyal.

Right time, right content, right channel: Identifying the right channels to reach readers is equally important. With so many channels available today, publishers must identify which channels their readers prefer and optimize content for those channels.

Content worth a subscription: To ensure that content is worth a subscription, publishers must focus on creating high-quality, valuable content that readers are willing to pay for. This can be achieved by investing in editorial talent, conducting thorough research, and ensuring that content is fact-checked and verified.

Expanding audiences: Identifying, reaching, engaging, and expanding the target audience is another crucial aspect of success for publishers. This can be accomplished through various marketing strategies, including paid advertising, social media, and SEO.

Collecting first-party data: Building a database with information about each user is essential for publishers. By collecting data about their audience, publishers can understand their interests and develop relevant products. This data can also be used to create targeted campaigns and personalized content.

Keep advertisers aligned: Developing commercial propositions that match the publisher's mission statement, add value for readers and advertisers, and meet market demand is important. By creating commercial propositions that align with their brand and mission, publishers can build a loyal following of readers and advertisers.

Customer service: Optimizing customer service is critical for publishers. Providing personal contact, good accessibility, real-time access to content, accessible content on multiple devices, and easy-to-use platforms are essential for publishers to compete with other companies that set the standard for excellent customer service.

These fundamentals have helped AgriMedia to succeed in the challenging media landscape. By employing editors who know our target group very well and providing relevant daily content that resonates with our readers, we have been able to build a strong reputation and a loyal base of subscribers.

We have also expanded our target audience through targeted campaigns. Collecting data about our audience allows us to create personalized content and newsletters that increase engagement and build loyalty.

We also decided to open our website for commercial content while maintaining respect for our readers. We have clearly indicated which content has been created by our editorial team and which content has been created by our partners. Our primary business model is based on subscriptions, making independent journalism a valuable asset.

By opening our website for commercial content, we had to keep in mind that we must guide our partners to create relevant and high-quality content to maintain the standard of our own product. Collaborating with partners provides us with an opportunity to ensure that the quality of their content aligns with our standards. This not only benefits our readers but also enhances the reputation and credibility of our brand. Besides this, it’s also generating extra revenue stream.

In conclusion, being a successful publisher today requires a focus on several fundamentals. By creating a comprehensive experience for readers, focussing on added value for readers and advertisers, producing high-quality content, expanding the target audience, collecting data, aligning with advertisers, and diversifying business models, publishers can thrive in today's challenging media landscape.

Jean Paul Reparon, Managing Director of Dutch B2B Publisher AgriMedia BV (www.agrimedia.nl), will be speaking at the Indian Magazine Congress about these fundamentals and how AgriMedia is “striking gold with nurturing nano communities” (of a few thousand each).  IMC is all set for a comeback as the flagship event of the Association of Indian Magazines. It is slated to be organised on March 24th at the Oberoi, New Delhi.