At a recent meeting at a major magazine headquarters, I was asked to explain how a magazine with significant circulation could utilize social media and search to expand readership. Social media and search engine marketing for large enterprises, celebrities or television shows is usually more in-depth than just setting up social media assets. The most important work is finding creative ideas, integrating digital assets and optimizing them.

It may not be easy for large enterprises such as magazines to accomplish this. Typical silos exist between groups such as editing or creative and differences in vision between the magazine and the website usually exist. Large enterprises also may have several brands that are under one umbrella that all need increased –cohesive, integrated social media and search services.

The best way to help large enterprises is to:

• Conduct a social media/search audit
• Identify calls to action - goals
• Integrate various media and search strategies
• Create content

For example, I explained to the editors that it is important to make the magazine, website and .mobi assets symmetric in look and feel. The magazine should integrate ways for people to get more information, diagrams, or interactive widgets to drive traffic to the website that has already – semi converted. Traffic from social media can be one click away from a purchase, subscription or return visit. We usually see higher conversion rates for leads that come from social media.

I offered several digital and technical recommendations but content creativity is the most important factor for increasing internet reach. Creating new content and utilizing digital platforms to help make this content readily available (and shared) will always be useful in capturing (and maintaining) an audience. I explained to them, “Content is King, Distribution is Queen, Conversion is Ace”

Celestine O. Chukumba Ph.D.