Introduction
The Florida Cattleman and Livestock Journal seeks to inform the members of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association (FCA) about timely and relevant topics in the cattle industry. Because FCA has invested financial and personnel resources into the monthly publication for more than three decades, the organization hired the PIE Center to critically examine the publication, determine how it could improve and survey its readers for their opinions.
FCA President Jim Strickland notified readers of the survey with a letter in the February 2011 edition of the magazine explaining its purpose and asking for participation. The following issue contained instructions for either handwritten or electronic submissions, and the PIE Center collected responses. Nearly 270 completed surveys were returned, about 95% of Florida Cattleman and Livestock Journal’s total readership.
Key findings
An overwhelming majority of readers said they had read all 12 issues in the previous 12 months. Additionally, roughly 90% of readers reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the cover, photography, writing, content and ease of reading. Sixty-six percent of respondents reported passing along their magazine for others to read. On average, each reader gave their magazine to two additional people each month.
Ninety-three percent said they preferred to read magazines predominately in print as opposed to online. This preference could be attributed to the respondents’ age, because more than 75% of them were 46 or older. The majority of respondents have been reading the magazine for more than 10 years, alluding to their comfort with the publication’s current format and suggesting readers would be unlikely to change their reading habits from a print to web-based publication. Respondents also indicated they’d like to see more articles about business supervision and overall herd management, including health and nutrition.
As for advertisements, more than 70% of readers said they had either discussed an ad in the magazine with others or purchased an advertised product or service. More than 60% of respondents reported contacting a breeder or sales representative based on information provided in an ad. Additionally, just over half of the respondents said they visited an advertiser’s website or filed an ad for future reference.
Recommendations
FCA’s magazine is potentially the strongest, most consistent communication link to its members, who rely on the publication as a credible source of information. The association should continue to offer the magazine, primarily in print, and use it to distribute important news about the cattle industry.
Readers commonly share the magazines with other people, presenting an opportunity for increased membership. FCA might achieve this by including an application or instructions on how to join within the monthly publications.
The PIE Center also recommended that FCA create an informational document about the survey and include it in the magazine to show readers the results. Engaging the audience by sharing interesting results, along with a short thank-you message to participants, will increase FCA’s goodwill and reputation with members.
Although readers currently express a strong desire and comfort level with reading the magazine in print form, FCA should examine transitioning future issues to FCA’s website, as well as an archive of previous issues. To ease the process, FCA should start posting short, interesting pieces of the magazine to Facebook and Twitter. These social media networks appeal largely to the 18-30 demographic who prefer to read news in short, succinct sentences. Using magazine content on social media allows FCA to continue promoting the magazine while providing original content for the younger demographic.
With a stronger online presence, FCA can introduce a user-friendly archiving system and attract new readers and advertisers. Because such a large portion of readers takes action after seeing an ad, the PIE Center suggested that FCA develop a one-page marketing guide using with results from this study for potential advertisers that highlights the costs as well as expected reaction from members.
