The secret behind AMP's impressive digital snowball

In December, I wrote that Associated Media Publishing (AMP) was showing other publishers how print can embrace digital. Things have snowballed since then, with the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) results released on 8 May showing AMP's digital performance as a growth area of the business producing impressive results.

How impressive am I talking? Well, the latest ABC results for May show a 291% digital growth in unique users across all AMP titles since April 2014 in the first quarter of the year, proof that AMP is changing the way titles engage with their readers. But how exactly is it getting this right?

Levick lets us in on the secret...

1. Tell us about your digital focus - how does this benefit your existing print strategy?

Karla Levick, Group Marketing Manager- Associated Media Publishing

Levick: First of all, it's important to note that we don't have separate print and digital strategies. Everything we do is with all platforms in mind. You cannot look at print and digital platforms in isolation. Where possible, we push back to digital platforms throughout our magazines and provide snippets of content online, driving people to our magazines to read more. It works both ways. We have focused on all digital platforms - website, social media and mobile.

2. That's sound advice. What went into your 291% digital growth in unique users across all AMP titles in the past year?

Levick: Last year we decided to get our digital foundations right and have been rolling out new websites across all brands. We launched a new WOW website in June, Cosmo site in August, Marie Claire in January and Good Housekeeping/Goeie Huishouding most recently. The next to be redeveloped is House and Leisure, due for release in a few months. One area of focus has been in the digital marketing space, using our internal and external channels to effectively drive traffic to our sites on a regular basis. Content has been key - as always.

3. Makes sense. Explain how you foster engagement across your digital spaces, especially with your impressive increase in Facebook and Twitter followers, with a 58% and 89% increase in followers respectively.

Levick: Content, content, content! We make sure we provide the best possible, relevant content for our followers on a regular basis - including imagery and video content where possible. We also offer incredible competitions on a monthly basis, which helps to drive engagement. It's about giving your fans or followers newsworthy stories and information around subjects they're interested in and giving them a platform for them to feedback to us, too.

4. How do you intend to build on the success shown in the latest AMPS release for the rest of the year?

Levick: To continue on the path we're on - with digital at the forefront of our strategies.

5. Any exciting new developments at AMP on the cards that you can share?

Levick: We've just launched an app for our Cosmo digital subscriptions, which includes far better functionality. We intend on rolling this out across all brands. We have a number of exciting projects coming up this year within our events and digital departments, so watch this space!