Ryan O Meara, MD of K9 Media, describes his business as a “back to front” publisher. Well it seems to be a very successful approach!

Ryan’s specialist media business began online; he only launched a print magazine in response to advertiser pressure, but he quickly found the economics of newsstand distribution and promotion untenable for an independent publisher. So just over a year ago he stopped the print edition of K9 Magazine and went digital only.

Digital Only Magazine

He’s targeting a different audience from the traditional print pet magazines – younger and more technically savvy – and the digital version has plenty of video clips plus live links to buy products or find out more on the sister websites. The content of K9 Magazine is deliberately designed to be “evergreen” focussing on practical tips on dog ownership, as all topical and news content is online. The reasoning behind this becomes clear when Ryan explains his sequential delivery strategy. Subscribers (or more accurately members) don’t just get the current monthly edition for their £20pa, they also get access to the magazine archive, and these editions are delivered one a week from the day they sign up. So an edition can be consumed by new members a year or two after first publication.

Ebooks for marketing

The content is also repurposed into ebooks, which are sold online at $9.99, and provide added value for members. Ryan uses search tools to check the level of interest in ebook topics, and most of their sales are driven online by search. All the ebooks carry heavyweight marketing for the magazine. Content on the pet websites is carefully optimised, and searchers arriving on the sites see promotions for the magazine and ebooks, creating a virtuous circle of re-used content and cross-promotion.

Segmented databases

Data is a key part of the business model – members are happy to provide information about their dog, and that provides valuable segmentation for K9 Media and their advertisers for targeted email communications. Sister digital magazine Total Dog is completely free; its value is in the email database it creates.

Bespoke ad solutions

K9 Media works closely with advertisers, providing a mix of online advertising, digital magazine ads and sponsorship, targeted email marketing, and affiliate commission deals. Their ad rates are impressive, as they have a dominant position in their niche online.

Expansion plans

Ryan is exploring international markets and business to business propositions for K9 Media, and also applies his publishing approach to niche luxury markets for Vivo Media.

Ryan’s top tips for digital specialist publishers:
• pick a niche you can dominate and check the content on search engines
• create evergreen content that can be re-packaged
• use ebooks to find customers interested in a specific topic
• create a valuable membership package and get the value from your archive
• use interaction in digital magazine and emails to build relationships
• provide a marketing service to your ad clients – don’t just sell space

Contacts: www.k9media.net, www.vivomedia.co.uk

Ryan is speaking at the 2011 Specialist Media Show, on 25 May 2011, so you will have a chance to question him directly about his digital publishing success.

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