Whether you find yourself now working from your kitchen, dealing with a long-extended school break for your kiddos, or just bummed about missing your favorite sports or concerts, COVID-19 is affecting everyone.
There are many ways to keep your magazine relevant and important to your readers during this time. Utilize engaging promotions and emails, to capitalize on the influx of time your audience is spending at home and to ensure your brand stays top-of-mind.
Plus, if you had any sponsorship revenue tied to the March sports initiatives, our team did a pop-up webinar on how to retain those dollars!
Ideas to keep your readers engaged during COVID-19
1. Show Us Your Home Office Photo Contests
With the influx of remote work, home offices are getting a lot of attention. Run a photo contest encouraging your audience to share a photo of where they’re working from home. Consider partnering with a home-office or furniture store to give away a office-makeover prize to attract more engagement. Plus, the user generated content is also a great catalyst for creating great related content.
2. Best Shows to Binge-Watch Bracket
Binge-watching TV shows is the classic indoor activity of the modern era. With so many streaming services available, your audience is probably overwhelmed with options. Give them the chance to discover new shows and vote for their favorites with a bracket.
3. Pop-up Newsletter
Short-term, pop-up newsletters are a great way to help your audience stay updated and informed. Send these emails at the same time and include local updates, cancelations, centers for assistance, etc. Not only will this be a huge help to your audience but it’s also a great way to become the go-to resource people expect.
4. Best Take-Out Restaurants Bracket
If you’re a local publication, this bracket is a perfect chance to showcase local restaurants! Staying at home often means take-out meals and your audience will love a chance to find new places to try and vote for their favorite restaurants. Plus, this is a great chance to secure a local restaurant to sponsor an engaging campaign.
5. Best Stay-At-Home Recipes Ballot
If your family is staying home more, that means more home-made meals. Let your audience share their recipes and vote for their favorites with a ballot.
6. Email Content
Including important prevention updates in your email content helps spread that information and helps to establish trust with your audience. Link to official organizations (Center for Disease Control) and keep the content brief and factual.
7. Best Board Games Bracket
Board games are a classic way to stay entertained indoors. There is a huge range of games out there and your audience will no doubt have opinions of the best. Think of the possibilities – classic board games, adult-only board games, best board games for families, etc.
8. My Kid’s Got Talent Video Contest
Those with kiddos stuck in the house will be itching for a new activity to entertain them. Use a video contest to run an at-home talent show! Both the parents and kids will love the chance to show off their skills. And, you can secure a relevant sponsor to include a prize and drive engagement.
9. Hand Washing: Fact-or-Myth Trivia Quiz
It’s never been more vital for our communities to wash their hands properly. This trivia quiz is a great way to keep your audience engaged while educating them on the importance of proper and regular hand-washing to everyone’s health.
10. Stress Reliever Showdown Bracket
Everyone is need of stress-relieving activities, especially ones that can be done from home. A stress-reliever bracket allows your audience to discover new ideas and vote for their favorites.
11. How Should You Entertain Your Kids? Personality Quiz
Keeping kids at home is bound to lead to some pent up energy. Utilize this ready-made turnkey quiz to help your audience find the perfect at-home activity to entertain their kiddos.
12. Before and After Home Project Photo Contest
Being stuck at home is bound to inspire some home renovation. Run a photo contest encouraging your audience to share photos of their home-improvement projects.
13. Which At-Home Activity Should You Do To Stay Healthy? Personality Quiz
Staying active and healthy at home can be a challenge. This ready-made turnkey personality quiz is built to help your audience find their perfect at-home activity. And, it’s a turnkey, which means it’s ready-to-go!
14. How Much Do You Know About Coronavirus? Trivia Quiz
Quizzes are a fantastic way to educate your audience. Utilize this pre-made turnkey trivia quiz to test users’ knowledge of the virus while educating them with the facts.
15. Salute to Nurses/Doctors/Healthcare Ballot
Now is a perfect time to honor the nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals. Whether you’re a local magazine or not, a healthcare ballot is timely and a perfect way to highlight the great things these professionals do in our communities.
See how you can use promotions and email to connect with your audience and keep your magazine relevant throughout this time.
*********
More about Liz: Liz is the Director of Affiliate Success at Second Street and has an extensive background in media. For the past ten years, Liz has helped local media companies find success through their promotions and email programs to deliver results big enough to matter.
**********
Niche Media has the best events, education, and training in media! Our super niched-out events & content give target-audience publishers in the B2C, hobbyist, B2B, city & regional, and association markets the tools they need to build revenue, audience, and more.
**********
