First a fan, then a consumer
Mike Masnick, founder of Techdirt, argues that media companies must follow a new logic. They have to connect with the fans and then give a reason to buy their products.
The old logic “buy first, then become a true fan” doesn’t work anymore.
It makes sense. You only pay for something that you’re a fan and a engaged user.
Mollie Makes Magazine follows this new logic.
Future employed a Community Editor to engage with the online craft audience and build a buzz in the months leading up to the launch of Mollie Makes.
This was achieved through a Mollie Makes blog, Twitter account, Facebook page and YouTube channel and meant that before the magazine even hit the shelves, Mollie Makes already had a strong online following and an existing customer base.
The number of people engaging with Mollie Makes online has continued to grow, and Mollie Makes now has over 26,000 Facebook fans and 10,000 Twitter followers.
Mollie Makes also broke Future’s new subscription record, achieving 3,000 subscribers before issue 3 went on sale, with the majority of these subscriptions driven through online channels.
This is an example of how important it is to build a community first.
