FinePrint May 12, 2016

Inspiration and innovation: the 2016 MMPA Summit

At the MMPA 2016 Summit & Expo on April 21, attendees learned about everything from search-engine optimization to creative cover design. There was something for everyone in this year’s theme, “Media Innovation at Work,” with sessions on legal issues for writers and designers, InDesign tips and tricks, generating revenue using digital media, and more. Sponsors showed off their latest…

Get creative with what you have

By Allison Roe

Give the reader what they want when they want it. I heard this over and over again at the 2016 MMPA Summit’s design track. But doing this can be a struggle, especially in the face of budgets, time constrictions, and the limits of print design. Thankfully, there are ways to “get creative with the assets you have,” noted Darhil Crooks, creative director at The Atlantic and Summit keynote speaker.…

Relevancy: the path to greater engagement

By Rebecca Sterner

After keynote speaker Darhil Crooks’ call to publishers to take control of their product by being unique, engagement track speakers reinforced that message. None of the speakers held up other companies as something to emulate. Rather, they inspired attendees to look to their own brands for ways to be unique and true to themselves and their customers. Relevancy for audience development…

Make it personal

By Holly Eamon

The average consumer has an attention span of just eight seconds, making it harder than ever for publishers to not only grab readers’ attention but also maintain it, content track attendees first heard from Andrew Eklund, founder and CEO of Ciceron. Describing magazines as one of many sources consumers have in their journey toward making a decision, he emphasized the importance of creating…

How to make revenue take off

By Mary Ringstad

During four revenue track sessions, it was clear that videos send revenues skyward for publications and advertisers. So will old-fashioned hard work. Go the extra mile–preferably straight up in a drone–and sales do climb. The video factor Wayne Metcalf of Nxtbook Media said there’s been a 58 percent increase in video consumption for the top 500 magazines. Entertainment value draws readers and…

May networking happy hour

Happy Spring! On May 26, head over to Ginger Hop in northeast Minneapolis to network with Minnesota’s publishing professionals over some free snacks. When you arrive, just tell the hostess you’re there for the MMPA event, and you’ll be directed to the group. Admission is free. MMPA will get the appetizers, and you cover your drinks. This is the first of the monthly MMPA 2016 networking happy…

The easiest way to lend a hand to the MMPA

No, it’s not “American Idol,” “Dancing with the Stars,” or “The Voice,” but you can star as a judge this summer! The MMPA is looking for publishing professionals like you to judge the annual Excellence Awards submissions. Judging the Excellence Awards is one of the easiest ways to help out the MMPA all year. Simply sign up, and we’ll send you all the information you need. Then you’ll have the…

Lisa Marek chosen as Excellence Awards design contest winner

In her first year entering the MMPA Excellence Awards design contest, small-business owner Lisa Marek was chosen the winner. Marek’s brightly colored design plays with the green, red, and black of the MMPA logo and emphasizes the awards’ 20th anniversary. “I saw that it was 20 years, so that’s a big deal. I definitely wanted to push that. You don’t want to miss that milestone,” she explained. …