Advertise in a trusted magazine to boost your brand

TIn its latest survey Ofcom found over half of us turn to printed content for our news and information. Two thirds say printed content is important to them, especially to keep up to date locally. Studies have also shown that here in the UK we trust magazines far more than social media. 

 

Why? 

 

Readers rate magazines highly for quality, accuracy, trustworthiness and impartiality. What’s more, people really enjoy reading magazines in print rather than online. 

 

In an age of ‘fake’ news and ‘post truth’ it’s reassuring to know that there are some things that still give people confidence. 

 

The advertising agency for UK consumer magazines, Magnetic, knows a lot about the views of readers. They created a ‘T-score’ based on six key trust factors: 

 

Magazines are trusted more than social media for relevance, reliability, objectivity and transparency, although social media scores better on diversity of views and fame. Over two thirds of us trust magazines covering beauty, fashion, motoring, entertainment and news. 

 

Many of us choose magazines specifically because we’re interested in their content. We’re probably quite knowledgeable about the subject, so we’ll quickly spot anything that isn’t accurate or well researched. For community magazines this is especially true, because people have a strong connection and interest in their local area. 

 

Thanks to strong editorial standards magazines maintain their credibility, compared to digital media. The same levels of careful fact-checking and editorial integrity don’t always apply across other channels. 

 

Businesses advertising in trusted media are more likely to be trusted in their turn because of the context. There’s a ‘halo’ effect of trust by association. So, the argument is simple; to improve trust in your brand, chose trusted titles for your advertising campaigns. 

 

There are 20.5million monthly magazine readers in the UK – that’s 38% of the country’s adults. While digital content remains part of our everyday lives, magazines still appeal. That’s because of their commitment to design and quality, as well as accurate and relevant editorial content. 

 

Magazine editors are real people with a strong connection to their local audiences. Their readers are quick to disagree with them or point out a mistake. There really isn’t anywhere to hide and that’s why their audiences are so loyal. 

 

Local publications like our Pulse magazines, Business Times and Business MK score highly in all elements of the Trust Index. They are immediately relevant because readers care about where they live and work. Reliability is high too; they arrive regularly and consistently through local letterboxes. They deliver accurate, interesting, varied and valuable local information. There’s no question about transparency because these publications are simply for and about the local community. In terms of fame they are, at the very least, well-known and valued in the local area.