CCR Question #2 Draft

Audience Engagement:
Through audience engagement research of Cosmopolitan, Elle Girl, and Women's Health, I found that a majority of marketing is now done through social media. This is so effective because there are many social media platforms out there and they are so popular. It is quick and easy access for marketing. For example, Elle Girl uses Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for marketing along with their website. Another effective marketing technique that Cosmo presented was using celebrities because people are so involved in celebrities lives and wanting to be like them. Cosmo also markets through public events such as pop up stores and flash mobs which is so effective in marketing to people in real life. Based on my marketing research, I plan to market my magazine through digital functions, mainly social media. Frequent emails to subscribers are effective in keeping the magazine in the public's eye however, many times peoples mail inboxes are flooded with emails and they may not be motivated to read them. Nowadays, most of the world uses social media excessively and it is so simple to use. It is a cheap and easy way to display pictures and short comments about the progress of the product, especially on Instagram. Also, seeing something, rather than reading something, is more appealing to the eye, and may motivate readers to look further. My marketing plan is effective for my target audience because young people have completely taken over social media and they let social media control so much of there lives. Using social media for marketing will always keep the magazine fresh in their minds and make learning about the magazine very easily accessible and simple.

Distribution as a Real Media Text:
The traditional distribution model for a magazine is print copies of the magazine, however as the internet and media is rapidly taking over the news/publishing industry, the distribution has shifted to become more digital. Although most magazines still distribute a heavy amount of print copies, they are changing a majority of their distribution to the media. Many magazines now have their own websites, in which you can subscribe to, where the post all of their content. This is because it is more easily accessible to the readers and preferred by many. Magazines are also making apps available for quick access to all the magazine's features downloaded on your mobile device. My distribution research showed that along with print copies of magazines, that apps have become very popular in distribution because people want something that they can easily do on their phones. Apps are so effective because they can be downloaded right on your device and they hold so many great features. However, what was most interesting was Women's Health distribution methods. Their website provides videos, printouts, MP3s, and personal trainers for free access, along with special gifts/sales. They also have DVDs and books for purchase. This is so effective because they are offering more than a traditional magazine and finding new ways to engage people in the content of the magazine. For the digital distribution of my magazine, I plan to focus most of it in an app. This is because apps and smart devices have completely taken over people’s daily lives and changed the standard of living. People want easy access to things, especially if it means being able to access it on their phone. For my app, I will provide a decent amount of access to what the magazine has to offer, however with a subscription, there will be so much more to access. Subscribers will have access to more content, special sales, and gifts. The app will be free to download, with in app purchases. On the app, readers can access full articles, quizzes, videos, interviews, and more. I want to make my app fully immersive because readers want so much more than just articles. They want to interact with what the magazine has to offer. I think that an app will be highly effective in getting more readers interested as it will be directly downloaded on their phone, rather than having to search up the website.