Let’s stick with the letter ‘M’ for a moment. M is for magazines. ‘Mmm’ is the sound someone makes when flicking through a magazine. It’s a casual kind of ‘Mmm’. One that goes well with a cup of tea and an expression of curiosity. That’s because magazines are a rather different kind of marketing tool. They don’t jump out at or demand your customer’s attention. Instead, they gently nudge it with interesting visuals and headlines that promise to inspire and enlighten.
A magazine may sit on a desk or coffee table for a day or two before the light catches it in just the right way or the reader happens to have a few moments to spare. Then its pages are turned and intrigue is awakened and suddenly your reader is deep into a feature, tickled by a funny news story or learning about the success of one of your employees.
And that’s it – you’ve made a connection.
What it means to make a connection
A meandering journey through a magazine should allow your reader to peel back the layers of your company. They should become acquainted with your firm’s personality and understand what motivates your staff. They should feel certain you’re setting high standards for ethics in business and even begin to see the world in a different light thanks to your commentary on a particular area of expertise. They should understand your history and gain some insight into your future.
That’s the power of a company magazine. It gets under your reader’s skin and gets their cogs turning long after its cover is closed. And when they need the support of someone with your services or meet someone else who does, it’s the same impactful features that will spring to mind.
Creating a close-knit community
And in the compilation and internal circulation of your magazine, a shared sense of identity will also emerge within your firm. Regular magazine content forces reflection that many companies would otherwise fail to make time for. It presents your team with words of wisdom from the founders and directors helping to determine the future of the firm. It aligns people in a common mission to continue impressing customers with its feats of innovation, sustainability and thought leadership.
Of course, a company magazine takes work. That’s what Stratton Craig is here for. We create content for a number of clients, including VINCI Construction UK, who continue to use magazines as an important tool for winning work, supporting company cohesion and simply telling the world what they’re up to.
If a magazine is something you’d like to muse over – or if you’d like to enhance your current editorial offering – we’d be happy to talk you through key processes for effective messaging. Contact us today to find out more.
Musings, messages and marketing: the many merits of company magazines
