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Australian Geographic is a bi-monthly publication that focuses on stories based on the nature, culture and geography of Australia. Originally founded in 1986, this magazine has grown into a successful media business with a variety of magazines, specialist book titles, travel guides and online media. Today, Australian Geographic is read by thousands and their revenue comes from much more than just magazine advertisements. This publication has become a viable business by adapting and expanding to utilize new technologies to their advantage. Business owners and entrepreneurs alike should take note of their success. If you are interested in learning more about some of the ways in which Australian Geographic keeps people engaged, you have come to the right place. Keep reading below to find out about some of their smartest business ventures in brand differentiation.
Blogs
Blogs are one of the simplest ways that magazines can be translated to a larger audience. If you always wanted to know the answer to the question “what is social networking“, blogging is a large chunk of that. Australian Geographic hosts a variety of blogs featuring some new and exciting information that readers may not get from their magazine. By hosting a successful website, Australian Geographic can increase their revenue through online ads and increased readership. Going digital is a smart business move for any print media company, but it has been especially successful for this magazine.
Social Media
Australian Geographic’s social media presence is also one of their smarter ideas. The nature publication obviously has a ton of great photographs that make for incredible content. This makes their social media presence incredibly popular. The more people that follow them on social media, the more brand awareness there is for their publication and their mobile magazine. Their social media profiles also link to their online stores, which almost certainly leads to higher profits. Australian Geographic makes sure to have a social media presence on all of the top social media platforms. This was definitely one of the company’s wisest business decisions.
Videos
Videos are another great way to add value to some of the content your magazine has to offer. Australian Geographic brings their stories and photography to life through wildlife, travel, culture and science videos that are hosted on their website. Videos are an excellent choice because they are shareable content that can bring in new potential readers. They are also a great way to show customers your company identity. If you run a publication and you are interested in breaking into the digital media segment, videos are a great place to start.
Education
Australian Geographic does their part for education, too. Because their magazine is focused on wildlife, science, geography and adventure, this makes it an easy transition to the classroom. This magazine has taken the opportunity to produce educational materials for students of all ages. Their books, posters, maps and documentaries provide teachers with new resources while also providing kids with an exciting new way to learn and the company to earn more money.
AG Society
The Australian Geographic Society is not this business’s primary money-maker. In fact, it is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting wildlife conservation, scientific endeavors and natural heritage projects. This non-profit is a smart move for Australian Geographic because it is a charitable way to promote the values of their brand without the need for advertising campaigns. By encouraging others to get involved with their organization, Australian Geographic is also keeping readers engaged in their magazine and other content.
Retail
One of the biggest ways Australian Geographic has expanded is through retail. Their intelligent retail online shop offers a variety of items from drones and calendars to boomerangs and weather stations. Whether it is for science, the great outdoors or an educational gift, Australian Geographic’s retail store has it all. This brings in revenue from both loyal readers and online shoppers, making it a great way to expand their media business.
Bauer Media Group
Australian Geographic magazine is owned by the Bauer Media Group. This is important to note, especially if you are looking for similar media successes to model your own business model after. The Bauer Media Group also owns a bunch of other top performing magazines and other media companies. They own Women’s Weekly, Woman’s Day, Gourmet Traveller, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan and many, many more. Clearly, this group is doing more than just some things right. They are definitely a media group you can learn from.
Australian Geographic is a successful media business. By utilizing new technology to expand upon their print media, they have been able to draw in new readers from around the world. Advertising is not the only source of revenue for this magazine. If you own a media business, or even a catering business, you can learn from this company. If you want to know how you can expand your business, consider the success of Australian Geograpic.
Photo from http://www.athoc.com.au/news-and-info/2013/06/key-industry-statistics-for-the-australian-timeshare-industry/
