The Dangers of Anonymous Content

Nick Grzechowiak has some pretty strong opinions when it comes to doing things properly. The Chief Content Officer for Family Handyman feels that the internet can be a lonely place when you’re looking for good information on how to fix things around the home.

“I believe the days of anonymous content are coming to an end,” he tells Samir “Mr. Magazine” Husni in a recent interview. “We have seen this uprising of content that was written by some voice in the sky that was telling people what to do; cook this for dinner tonight because the Internet told me to.”

In this sea of pseudo-authority, real answers can be hard to find.

“People are looking to voices and brands that they trust, because I can go to YouTube and I can spend an hour looking at how to solve my problem and get five different answers for how to fix a running toilet,” he continues.

Family Handyman, on the other hand, is that trusted voice for home projects, one that has been building a loyal following for 70 years. 

“And in these days of anonymous content, a voice that is authoritative, trustworthy and comes to you with a mentoring tone as opposed to an almighty voice that’s telling you ‘this is what you need to do to your house’ is really where I believe Family Handyman stands apart from what I call that anonymous content,” Grzechowiak continues.

Certainly, their brand understands the need to evolve as homeowner needs and trends change; just over half of their web traffic is from women and is trending younger. Some of these changes are reflected subtly in their title (they’ve dropped “The” and are now just “Family Handyman” for instance), and in the mentoring tone of the content they publish, both in print and online. But there’s one thing that remains critical for their success.

“The magazine is an incredibly important part of our business today, as it was 70 years ago,” Grzechowiak says. “We’re not letting our foot up on the gas when it comes to ink on paper. The nuance there is really with the consumer and making sure that we can meet them wherever they choose to consume.”

Clearly, he hit the nail on the head there, understanding that audiences and their needs change over time, and it’s imperative for a published brand to recognize these changes and subtle shifts. 

For 70 years they’ve been doing just that, and it’s great to see this magazine brand continue to thrive as a trusted voice.