The Magazine Print Industry is DEAD - or so 'they' say!

I know that stats don't lie and when digital really kicked into gear and took over every spare waking hour of our day, the magazine print industry took a hit, a big one. Digital is fast, in your face, persistent and in some cases, much cheaper than printed magazine advertising and therefore many consider that printed magazines are a thing of the past.

Well I guess in some instances it is, however not for many baby boomers, Gen X & Gen Y it isn't! So many of these people are snacking on content online, taking a little bite here and there before their phone or computer gives them another alarm bell, that more alerts or content is heading their way and they are off! Distracted from what they were reading or doing and onto the next 'buy from me' antic. Let's face it, at any given time we can have 1-15 browsers open and be hopping from one thing to the next trying to get through all the noise and find something of relevance to us.

Enter stage left, a printed magazine. It arrives in your letter box. It has your name on it. It's been sent the old fashion way, allowing you time to eagerly await it's arrival and bursting in old fashion excitement to open it and see what you can binge read, that's going to make you feel good about yourself without being sold to. It feels nice. Let's face it, it smells nice and gives you underlying permission to switch off all devices, curl up on the couch with a good glass of something and be present. It's you time.

There isn't a day that goes by that we don't receive a message or email from one of our readers, who has stumbled across our magazine, thanking us for producing something that's just for them. Something that tells them they can do it. Something that allows them to be the best version of themselves and to not compare to anyone, especially a celebrity who they know they can never be (and many don't want to have that public a life anyway).

'They' said you won't last on the newsstands. 'People just don't buy magazines anymore Shar. People consume content online now. No one pays for advertising in magazines anymore. You won't last more than a few months sorry', they said.

18 months later. National distribution of our magazine. Airport stockists increased from 5 to 12. Advertising partners on board 2-3 issues ahead, with many annual partners. And an ever increasing YMail inbox and reviews of women all over the country thanking us for producing our mag.

I'm starting to think 'they' were wrong and print is not dead.

Women, who are our main consumer, are demanding for realness. Demanding to have a platform that they can share their Y, their product or service and do so without breaking the bank. Women are less tolerant of celebrity gossip, constantly being told they are not the perfect bikini body (whatever that is I really don't know) pages and pages of salesy ads and that subliminal message that they are just not good enough. They have voted with their feet and stopped spending their hard earned money on mags that pull them down.

Many magazines won't feature you until you are a 'somebody'. Well how do you become a 'somebody' if you can't use the leverage and profiling of media to become one! We pride ourselves on affordable packages and have a less than 20% ad to content ration. We know that will grow, but we will never go over 40%.

I would love your thoughts Ladies, if you believe the printed magazine is really dead, or are you all just sick and tired of the many publications that make you feel less than enough?

Always remember, no matter what, that you need to trust your intuition and #justdoyou. I'm so glad we did and we can help so many women because of our publication.

Shar Moore, CEO/Founder YMag? W: www.ymag.com.au

About Shar Moore: (www.sharmoore.com.au)

Shar Moore is multi-International award winner of: an 'International Gold Stevie Award Winning Mentor' and a 'Global Woman of the Decade in Personal Leadership', Author, Keynote Speaker and Founder & CEO of YMag? a newsstand publication.

An accomplished businesswoman, with an extensive background in executive positions in the Middle East & Asia, and has been an entrepreneur for more than 15 years, Shar has been the creative force behind a number of successful ventures. Shar took all the lessons from the adversities she faced (and there has been many!) and created a business network group, became an Author, Keynote Speaker, Business Mentor and is also the CEO & Founder of YMag. One of Australia's leading personal development magazines sold in newsagents and airports since July 2017.

Shar also speaks for P&O Cruise Ships and various select organisations around the world. Her charitable project, raises awareness for needs in India through Project RANi.