From Mass Market to Niche: The Magazine Move Continues

kindlngq“While mainstream magazines are seeing sales fall, and long-standing titles such as Loaded are printing their final issues, the world of niche, independent mags is going from strength to strength,” writes Ruth Jamieson in The Guardian.

“Instead of trying to cater for as many people as possible, they take the opposite approach, targeting the most specific audiences they can find. There are titles to cater for every conceivable interest, from Gratuitous Type for typography nerds to Cherry Bombe for women who love food, Kindling for modern dads, and Cat People for creatives who really love cats.”

We’ve covered some of these titles before (Cherry Bombe makes us take an early lunch), and have talked about the increasing popularity of niche publications. And the trend makes absolute sense, as marketers use data to better target readers, while consumers self-select their interest groups.

Why is it that these tiny titles are able to make it in the hyper-challenging world of publishing? We can thank the Internet for that, Jamieson says.

“From finding contributors, suppliers and readers, to putting an issue together, just about every aspect of getting a magazine in the hands of readers has been made easier by the internet,” she notes.

She’s bullish on print’s future too, especially in light of the changes in our industry.

“There’s something about the physical experience of reading a magazine that glass screens just can’t beat. And while the way we use printed magazines may change – nowadays it’s less about fast, cheap distribution of information and more about creating covetable, collectable, coffee- table-worthy objects – there will always be a role for them,” Jamieson predicts.

The surge in small, independent publishers is a great indicator that print continues to attract. And with the technology behind it to find and engage the right audience, the future is bright.