Full Throttle Magazine is a free monthly motorcycle magazine celebrating its 12th anniversary this month. Full Throttle is for the motorcycle enthusiast. Editor Tony Cianci responded to Mediabids’ questions.
(MB) Five years from now what role will publications like yours serve? For example, some people predict a complete migration to the web for many types of publications. Do you?
(FTM) I see us increasing our coverage in the state of Florida more than we are now. Motorcycle riders are not the computer geniuses we all wish they were. So the printed word is how they get their info, especially since we are a free publication that covers almost the entire state now. We are already online with our magazine, but I would like our website to be more user friendly. We will always be printed and distributed, but we also will be viewed online as we are now.
(MB) What sort of measures has your publication put in place to either conserve costs or boost revenue?
(FTM) To conserve costs we stopped distributing magazines in small, hole-in-the-wall locations. We placed one bundle of books here, and one bundle of books there. When we moved to locations that go through thousands of books per month, it makes a difference. Almost all the Harley-Davidson stores in the state carry our publication, but they ran out of it around the 20th of the month, so we bumped the number distributed and they now have enough to last the month at all major traffic locations.
(MB) Looking forward to 2009, do you have any significant changes in store for the new year?
(FTM) Yes, sell more ads, and not always full page ads. Not everyone can afford big money ads, but almost every business can spend $100 a month on advertising. Ad revenue is how we stay a free publication.
(MB) What was your most successful advertising initiative in the past 12 months?
(FTM) Higher commission rates for sales people we sell a 12-month contract and they pay in full for the year.
(MB) Do you have tips for other publications about the best way to integrate print and web sales?
(FTM) I would like to have some of those tips as well…..
(MB) How does your publication hire and, even more important, retain top sales personnel?
(FTM) Anyone who rides a motorcycle can be a rep for Full Throttle Magazine. Sell a ad to your friend who owns a company and I will pay you commission, not to mention the fact you are helping out your friends business. If I have 50 reps and they all sell two ads each, that 100 ads, and everyone gets the same commission rate. Salary positions are available to reps who prove themselves for over a year (12 months). If you have an average you sell each month and get new ads each month also, you can possible go on salary with bonuses after 1 year.
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