Study: Longer B-to-C Magazines Increase Engagement

Shorter isn’t necessarily better for customer geared magazines. According to a recent study from the Association of Publishing Agencies, Millward Brown and Royal Mail customer magazines around 36 pages in length are most appealing to consumers.

by Kristina Knight

A customer magazine is one created by a business to appeal to its customer base.

The study found that 36 pages is the most popular median length and most are sent out quarterly. This, according to the report, is the best length and frequency to appeal to the biggest consumer base. The higher the page number of the magazine, the more likely consumers are to read more than half of the publication. In fact, 54% of those surveyed were more likely to answer a call to action for a product in the publication when the publication was longer in length.

At the same time, B-to-C magazines sent out more frequently are more likely to appeal to the consumer base. The study found that 62% of consumers were more likely to read a publication when sent at least quarterly.

Emily Fovargue, Head of Publishing at Royal Mail said, "By focusing on key elements, brands can significantly raise response rates, engagement levels and rating of the title, often resulting in increased loyalty and a boost in ROI."

Another key for consumer magazine publishers is relevant content. If the content included isn’t specific enough to the products include, most readers were likely to put the publication aside. The length of the magazine also factors in here. According to the study, consumers were more likely to feel the content was relevant to them if the magazine was longer.