We are launching a new publication this week. Yes, I know. Print is supposed to be dead. Well, it’s not — at least not here. Our newest publication is a free monthly mailed to every household and business in the communities of Guthrie Center, Adair and Casey, and it is called the Guthrie Center Times. It is 32 pages packed with news and information — and local advertising. This is the third of three free monthly publications we now have in Guthrie County, and we see it as one of our publishing models of the future.
In July, we launched Panora Times, a similar publication that is mailed to every household and business in the communities of Panora, Linden, Yale, Jamaica and Bagley. In May, we redesigned and relaunched our Lake Panorama Times publication to a similar format as well. These new publications are a mix of many of the lessons we learned in publishing CITYVIEW, our 14 Iowa Living magazines, our three Iowa Living Weekly newsletters, and our paid weekly publication, the Guthrie County Times Vedette, as well as the various other publications we have published through the years. It isn't something secret or magical, but it does take a commitment of time, energy and money to make it happen. Here is a quick summary:
First, it must be free. Expecting people to pay for a subscription simply doesn’t work anymore in today’s world of free news access.
Second, it must be mailed to everyone. Reaching 10 or 20% of the homes does not drive advertising results. Reaching everyone does.
Third, it must have news and information people want to read. If people really cared about government meetings, they would attend them. For the most part, they don’t. They do care about people, places and events, and they have a strong desire to read about them.
Fourth, it must publish in full color on every page. Try to find someone who wants to buy a black and white TV today. Consumers don’t want a newspaper or magazine with just a few pages of color either.
Fifth, it must have strong digital components. Digital alone is an uphill battle to deliver advertising results and make a profit, but digital combined with the power of print and home delivery is a winning combination. Email and social media promotions are key.
And sixth, it must have affordable advertising options for small businesses. Relying on a handful of large advertising customers is dangerous, as many publishers found out the hard way. We have learned that we are best served by having many smaller advertising customers and pricing our rates in a way that is affordable and effective for all.
Print certainly isn’t dead. In fact, when published properly, it is read more than it ever has been in its long and storied history. We appreciate the opportunity to be part of that.
Have a wonderful Wednesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com
View Shane Goodman's archived columns from past issues here. | 
