For publishers looking for a high revenue, high margin initiative, “Faces,” an annual high-end magazine, can deliver both.
The coffee-table-style magazine – or book for publishers who want to take it up another level – published in a number of cities is easier to produce than “Best of” issues and has similar potential to be huge, if created successfully.
The way it works is that businesses exclusively sponsor a category, such as the Face of Dining, on a first come basis. A key to sales is creating this one-per-category exclusivity, so businesses want to grab their category before anyone else does.
Spotlight Media, which produces several Faces magazines in different cities around North Dakota, notes the core benefit in its sales materials, “You will be able to be seen among the area’s prominent leaders and have your business be the face of your industry since only one business per industry will be allowed.”
Other benefits include a session with a professional photographer, and rights to all photos taken are part of the package. Also, as an annual buy the magazine “will sit on coffee tables all year.”
There are no premium positions, so the categories are listed alphabetically.
Mike Dragosovich, CEO of Spotlight Media and national Niche Publisher of the Year, has kindly included his Faces sales flyers and given permission to edit the PDF using Canva and “make it your own.” He is a master at visual explainers that help sell programs, so take advantage of these download links:
Here’s how his model for Faces works: Once the client has signed up, they book a Zoom call so the photographer can see the space and understand the logistics before the shoot. Content for the page is similar to the “about us page” of their client’s website; most submit the copy, which can be edited later by the content team.
The promotional flier shows 5o categories that are up for grabs and examples from other Faces magazines.
The Sioux Falls package includes:
* 30,000 books mailed to 25,000 high-income households and 1,500 businesses.
* Digital magazine 40,000 email blast
*The “Official face of (your category” badge to place on the website can also be turned into a decal.
* All businesses share the magazine on their website
Only full pages are sold, priced at 1 page ($2,885), 2 pages ($4188), and 4 pages ($6,384). Advertisers can pay $219 for an archival plaque.
Spotlight has added a Launch Party.
So, it’s a great, simple model with huge potential margins. Many thanks to Mike Dragosovich for sharing his sales brochures so other publishers can benefit.
