Overview of the magazine industry

The magazine industry in today’s world is ever-changing in its constant attempts to keep up with its also changing audiences. If they are to remain in publishing a magazine must retain a certain level of popularity in order to generate the revenue it needs to cover the costs of creating it. To do this a magazine must keep relevant to its target audience’s interest, articles must be engaging and advertising must be carefully tailored to the reader’s demographic. For example, a magazine like NME conducts extensive market research into the psychographics of its target audience and would most likely sell advertising space to companies providing products and services compatible with the assumed psychological profile of the reader. This is basic marketing principle.

Only 3 in 10 modern magazines last more than four years. This is evidence of the highly competitive nature of the magazine industry in recent years. With over 3000 consumer magazines being published today in the UK alone, upcoming magazines must generate the income required to fund the printing and development of future issues. This is why it is essential to develop a readership in the first few publications if a magazine is to survive in the global market.

With recent advantages in technology and the availability of internet access to the general public   (in 2013 over 70% of people in the developed world were online) magazine publishers have found previously unviable ways of reaching the masses. These new methods have primarily take the form of online copies, having proved popular with modern tech-savvy audiences the online ‘webzine’ has become the secondary mode of delivery for magazine publishers.