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Craft magazine Mollie Makes from Future was launched in an unusual way.  First they spent several months online building up a following and content.  This creates great craft editorial which was then put into the printed magazine.  Growth has been rapid, with subs now expected to be over 11,000 for issue 14, earning them a place on the 2012 Media Pioneers shortlist.    

Mollie Makes launched in May 2011 to cater to the growing online community of women who connect and share content exclusively online. This audience share a creative aesthetic which covers many aspects of their lives from interiors and styling to crafting and thrifting.

With the ethos of “Living and loving handmade”, Mollie Makes turns the usual magazine editorial model on its head by sourcing content online, then publishing it in print. By immortalising the best content from the blogging community, Mollie Makes has become an unparalleled resource for craft project ideas and inspiration, and has quickly positioned itself as an aspirational centre piece for this community.   

Using Social Media to engage the audience before launch

Future employed a Community Editor to engage with the online craft audience and build a buzz in the months leading up to the launch of Mollie Makes.

This was achieved through a Mollie Makes blog, Twitter account, Facebook page and YouTube channel and meant that before the magazine even hit the shelves, Mollie Makes already had a strong online following and an existing customer base.

The number of people engaging with Mollie Makes online has continued to grow, and Mollie Makes now has over 26,000 Facebook fans and 10,000 Twitter followers.

Mollie Makes also broke Future’s new subscription record, achieving 3,000 subscribers before issue 3 went on sale, with the majority of these subscriptions driven through online channels.

Collectable and timeless content is driving sales

Collating the best content from blogs and website, Mollie Makes offers inspirational and timeless editorial across a wide range of crafts including sewing, embroidery, crocheting, patchwork and knitting. 

A typical project will follow a fashion or theme, showing readers how they can either enhance or embellish an item or create something new from scratch using fantastic fabrics and materials, both old and new. The essence of vintage charm alongside retro cool, combined with today's edgy fashions and designs make Mollie Makes' take on crafting a world away from the average hobbyist title. 

This difference is apparent in the readers Mollie Makes is attracting. A recent reader survey (Jan 2012) revealed a significantly younger audience than traditional craft magazines - almost 50% of readers are under 35 and the average age is 37.

Making a statement in the print edition

Mollie Makes is a world away from a traditional craft magazine. Key to the creative editorial is the beautiful environment in which it sits. The Mollie Makes template includes line drawings, 'handwritten' fonts, original artwork, feminine, scalloped edges and simple, clean layouts. High quality paper stock showcases the design values throughout; the cover is matt stock making Mollie Makes distinct in its market.

As the 'making-do and mending' sensibility of today's climate continues, so does Mollie Makes' success; The magazine has been a phenomenal success so far with subscriptions expected to hit 11,000 in just 12 months and its circulation just continues to grow.

Contacts:

Mollie Makes blog: http://molliemakes.themakingspot.com/


If you think your specialist media business could be a Media Pioneer, please contact carolyn@thespecialistmediashow.com for more details.

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Hear more from Future's portfolio at the conference: Mike Goldsmith will be talking about their app strategy and Richard Walker will be sharing their moves into ecommerce in the craft market.

 

We are delighted to welcome Audience Media as sponsor of the 2012 Media Pioneer Awards.

Audience Media reflect the values of the Media Pioneer Awards. They provide an innovative and flexible web-based SaaS content management system that publishers can use to create, manage and publish content, advertising and subscriptions across print, web, mobile and tablet, social media and other platforms, and, amongst other capabilities, manage their digital assets and reader data across all channels. Audience Media’s solution is designed to suit the needs of niche publishers and  with low set-up fees (which includes development or redevelopment of the website and apps), it is available on an affordable and all inclusive monthly subscription fee, and can grow as the publishers’ business expands.

Audience Media will offer winners of the Media Pioneers Awards a free project build for one of their brands, which will include the design and build of the CMS, new website, native HTML5 iPad app and a free 3 months trial.