Print magazine readership dips despite social media buzz

Print circulations of Australia’s leading magazines are edging downwards, with the latest figures showing readership is down by 1.5 per cent over the December quarter. The Magazine Media 360° Report found gross average issue readership slipped by 333,000 to 22 million in print titles, against the backdrop of a three million total increase in audience impressions driven by social media sitesFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Readership is not number of magazines printed, as publishers ramp up figures by claiming more people than just the buyer of the magazine read it. However the trend correlates directly. The figures come from the Magazine Publishers of Australia, which released its quarterly report of performance figures across 46 leading Australian magazines titles showing a combined third of a million loss in print issue readers for the period ending December 2015, in comparison to the previous quarter.

MPA's report found gross average readership in print titles slipped by a third of a million

MPA’s report found gross average readership in print titles slipped by a third of a million

Unlike other reports, the 360° Report collates data from different sources including print readership from emma, Nielsen web data, and social data from social media platforms. Coming out on top in the report was Marie Claire with increased average issue readership of 27,000 in comparison to the previous quarter, followed by Big League with 15,000 and Women’s Health with an extra 13,000 readers. The losers, in terms of average issue readership, were The Australian Women’s Weekly which lost 79,000 readers, Super Food Ideas with 70,000 and Better Homes and Gardens with a loss 51,000 readers. Despite 27 out of 46 titles showing a drop in average readership, 33 titles managed to grow their audience impression compared to last quarter by using social media. Combining Facebook likes with Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest followers, foodie magazine Delicious managed to gain 430,000 audience impressions, while teen magazine Girlfriend was also a social media favourite gaining 300,000. Commenting on the report, MPA chairman Peter Zavecz says, “The release of 360° data from the MPA is a timely, strategic move for the industry which better reflects how audiences interact with brands today.” MPA executive director Mary Ann Azer adds that by including social media measurements into the data, the 360° Report is a better reflection of the market. She says, “We want all media agencies and advertisers to start using it. We are very transparent on the results of magazines and we will continue to share this data with the market.”

Comment below to have your say on this story.

If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.  

Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter

Leave a comment:

Your email address will not be published. All fields are required

Advertisement

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
Advertisement