The power of research.

It's easy to cut the budget, postpone the expense for another year, and make do with what you have when times are tight. However, successful association publishers know that readership research is not a luxury but a necessity for surviving in an increasingly competitive market.

A well-planned and professionally executed readership survey provides valuable information that you can use to bolster advertising sales, reposition the publication for increased readability, and even shape the future of other association programs and services.

Whether you've recently completed a readership survey or are evaluating the cost-effectiveness of conducting one in the future, consider following these suggestions for putting research results to work for your publication.

Enhancing the product

Got to know your readers' information needs. Readership data clarify who reads your publication and what they read and don't read. Although your top managers and board of directors think they know your members, a readership study helps clarify misconceptions and leads to repositioning your publication to better meet your readers' needs.

Several years ago, the leadership of the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA), Reston, Virginia, for example, was convinced that its monthly newsletter was poorly read and should be eliminated. Board members believed the society's weekly legislative and regulatory newsletter was all that was needed.

A SIGMA readership study showed something quite different. While the letter was read only moderately well, results showed strong interest among members in reading more in-depth information on industry trends and legislative and regulatory issues affecting their businesses. It also showed that while there were several other independent magazines published for gasoline marketers, none of them was well read by SIGMA members.

Based on the survey findings and further research, SIGMA staff convinced elected leaders to convert the newsletter into a four-color, bimonthly magazine, Independent Gasoline Marketing, which was launched in 1987. Members overwhelmingly praise the magazine for providing information they can't get anywhere else, with 65 percent rating it valuable and 85 percent reporting they hold onto back issues. The magazine has also brought additional revenues through paid advertising and several new advertising-supported spin-off publications. Finally, the magazine has enhanced the visibility and clout of SIGMA on Capitol Hill, where it is widely circulated.

Refine editorial content or reposition a publication. Readership studies keep editors in touch with readers. By asking questions to learn which columns and features are best read, topics of most interest, and new areas to be covered, these studies identify when it's time to fine-tune or totally refocus a publication's editorial content.

When the National League of Cities, Washington, D.C., surveyed readers of its weekly newspaper Nation's Cities Weekly, it learned the 12-page tabloid enjoyed a strong readership, with most readers spending at least 20 minutes with each issue and usually reading 11 of the past 12 issues. But it also found that while the newspaper circulated primarily to leaders from smaller cities - populations of less than 100,000 - most readers felt the newspaper focused too much on big-city issues and not enough on the special concerns of smaller cities.

Based on those findings , editorial staff identified several ways to expand this coverage. For example, new columns focus on the concerns of smaller cities and when smaller cities are covered in news reports and analyses, the small-city focus is made more prominent through the use of headlines or smaller "kicker" or label headlines.

The Chicago Society of Association Executives redesigned and repositioned its FORUM newspaper as a "magapaper" - combining the features of a magazine and the news of a newsletter - based on reader input. Prior to the study, CSAE board members thought FORUM might be more effective as a magazine than as a newspaper.

Instead, the 1988 survey showed that both readers and advertisers liked the newspaper format. To capitalize on its unique edge in the market and provide more useful information for readers, CSAE redesigned and repositioned FORUM, a change that has resulted in increased readership as well as numerous design awards.

A follow-up 1991 CSAE survey confirmed the move was a good one: 9 of 10 readers believe the magapaper format has improved readability and two thirds consider it must reading, compared to 70 percent who rated it moderately useful in the earlier survey.

Identify the need for a publication redesign or other graphic modifications. While association publishers may know in their gut that a publication would benefit from a more contemporary look, readership survey results can support the case for such an investment and help publishers get budget approval for a major redesign. Although readers aren't expected to know the nuances of good and bad design, their responses to questions about ease of reading, quality of art and photographs, and the ability of covers to draw them into a publication help determine when a redesign is warranted.

The American Dental Association, Chicago, was concerned about a perceived decrease in readership of its flagship publication JADA - the Journal of the American Dental Association - and a decrease in advertising interest.

The survey of both its monthly journal and the popular semimonthly newspaper ADA News confirmed readership of the journal was moderate at best. For example, nearly one fourth of respondents had read only three of the last six issues and close to 20 percent spent 30 minutes or less with the journal. In addition, open-ended comments revealed that readers found the journal's content dry and its design uninviting.

Based on the research, ADA redesigned and repositioned JADA to give it a more contemporary, inviting look. At the same time, it refocused the editorial - adding new columns, deleting or restructuring other columns, and refocusing editorial features to provide more practical research applications. Readers and advertisers praised the changes in focus groups, and the "new" journal received its first-ever series of design awards, all of which have helped restore the publication's prestige in the market.

Readership results may also identify the need for smaller, less expensive modifications, such as increasing the use of photographs or illustrations, streamlining the table of contents page, or switching typefaces. When the U.S. Catholic Conference, Washington, D.C., surveyed the readers of its quarterly journal The Living Light, more than 60 percent believed that the addition of more charts, graphs, and photographs would enhance the publication, prompting a move to incorporate more visual elements into its layouts.

Solidifying market position

Enhance advertising sales materials. Advertisers look for a publication that is well-read by an active, involved, and influential readership. Average reading time, pass-along readership, and reader satisfaction results lend credibility to ad sales pieces and help strengthen a publication's market position.

When the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Washington, D.C., conducted its benchmark readership study of Currents magazine in 1988 and a follow-up readership and market study in 1991, it found strong readership and reader involvement. Readers voted Currents the most useful publication in the field by a ratio of two to one over the competition, and the study showed a pass-along readership of more than 3.1.

To capitalize on those findings, Currents staff designed a slick sales brochure to sell the magazine by positioning it strongly in the eyes of media buyers. As a companion piece to that brochure, it also produced a simple yet meaty research report to position Currents favorably against a new competitor.

The eight-page booklet combined pie charts and bar graphs from the original study data with targeted sales messages interpreting the research findings and clarifying the Magazine's strong ratings, especially in head-to-head questions comparing Currents to a new commercial competitor. The two studies helped CASE build a credible case before advertisers and boosted ad revenues.

Sometimes the news isn't as good. In these cases, publishers must carefully review the data to see if there is a way to present the findings in a more positive light. For example, one national association publisher was surprised to learn that while the majority of its advertising came from one industry segment, less than 5 percent of its readers were responsible for the selection and purchase of that service - bad news for advertising sales.

A closer look at the data showed that readers were responsible for spending several billion dollars annually in this market. The publisher opted to play up the collective purchasing power of the entire readership, rather than the involvement of readers in making the decisions.

Sell special positions to advertisers. By asking about the readership of each column, publishers learn which are the best read and position these as premier spots in the book, with special pricing. One association, for example, learned that a one-page department on management pointers and the legal department were two of the best-read columns in the magazine.

As a result, the association moved one column opposite the inside back cover and the other column to the front of the book. Then it added a 20 percent positioning charge to run an ad next to the first column and a 15 percent positioning charge to run an ad next to the second column, and sold both to advertisers on a 12-time contract. It wasn't hard to convince advertisers once they saw how well the columns were read and realized how much visibility their ads would receive.

Identify a now market. Publishers can sometimes target new markets by looking for trends in readership data or unexpected highs or lows in data. For instance, a heavy concentration of readers in one specialty area indicates potential for expanded nonmember subscription efforts or even the potential for a new magazine.

Likewise, a well-read topic or department may tigger ideas for other related publications, as it did with the American Library Association, Chicago. When ALA surveyed readers of its semimonthly book review magazine for librarians, Booklist, it found that in addition to the journal's book reviews, the bibliographies of new and old children's books were among the best-read material.

After conducting more research of teachers, librarians, and potential advertisers and putting together a business plan, ALA launched a new bimonthly magazine, Book Links, designed for both teachers and librarians. Within the first six months of launching the title, ALA converted more than two thirds of a controlled circulation of 30,000 people to paid subscribers, and it plans on converting the remaining 10,000 to paid before the end of 1992. The conversion rate reflects how successful ALA has been in identifying a new niche not being targeted by existing teachers magazines and by targeting a publication to meet that niche.

Sell the quality and prestige of your publication. While only a small portion of readers participates in a study, it pays to share the results with all readers. You not only show the reader you value his or her feedback but you strengthen the publication's position in the eyes of readers, advertisers, and other outside audiences.

Some editors relay readership information in a letter from the editor, sharing highlights of what was learned along with plans for changes. Others report it as news, as did the National League of Cities, which described its results in a front-page story in Nation's Cities Weekly.

The Journal of Accountancy - the monthly magazine of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York City - used a cover wrapper around its September 1991 issue to highlight how the journal had been repositioned over three years. This technique not only let readers know how the editors had refocused the publication to better meet their needs, but it also increased the visibility and credibility of the publication among advertisers, the media, and other audiences.

Getting your money's worth

There's no end to the way your organization can put readership findings to work for its association publication. To get the most from your research investment, work with your publication staff, management, and elected association leaders to develop a plan on how to use the research findings. It's an investment in time and money that undoubtedly will pay off for years to come.

Survey Smarts

Errors in planning, preparing, and mailing a survey can significantly affect the validity of a readership study. Here are tips to ensure that your survey provides useful information.

Time your mailing. A survey can't be returned if the respondent isn't around to complete it. The best time to mail is immediately after the first of the year or in early September. The worst time: summer months and peak holiday times.

Don't got hung up on the percentage of response. While response is important, place more emphasis on the statistical level of confidence of the data. For example, to project responses at a 95 percent level of confidence - plus or minus 5 percent - a magazine with a circulation of 18,000 only needs 370 completed questionnaires. That means data can vary up or down by as much as 5 percent, an acceptable level of error.

Avoid visually intimidating questions. When respondents encounter long, laundry-list questions, many get turned off and skip the question altogether, or throw the questionnaire away. Also, avoid questions that require mathematical computations, such as how much money is spent on a specific product or what percentage of time is spent on specific tasks. Instead, include ranges of numbers or dollar amounts.

Place easy-to-answer questions st the beginning of the questionnaire. Starting with simple-to-answer, closed-ended questions encourages respondents to begin filling in the form.

Be creative with incentives. It's not necessary to include a dollar bill to entice readers to complete the questionnaire. In fact, a financial incentive can backfire with members who are annoyed their association is casually mailing out their dues dollars. Instead, appeal to members altruistic side by offering to donate money to a favorite charity or to their professional interests by offering discounts or free copies of educational studies, books, and seminars.

Include a well-written cover letter and a postage-paid return envelope. Use a cover letter - printed on association or magazine letterhead and signed by an association leader, the editor, or the publisher - to communicate the importance of responding to the survey. Clarify to members that they are part of a small sample asked to respond, so their participation is crucial to the success of the survey.

And with the second mailing, timed two to three weeks after the first, include another more urgent cover letter. Don't forget to include a postage-paid business reply envelope; doing so can increase response another 20 percent to 40 percent.

Don't bind the survey into the newsletter or magazine you are testing. Not only does that significantly lower your response, but it adds a bias since only those who read the publication will ever see the questionnaire. If you hope to use survey data to sell advertising in your publication or to make major changes, mail the questionnaire separately and use an independent, outside research firm to tabulate and analyze the data.

Include an open-ended question that allows readers to write in additional comments or concerns about the publication. While many comments may represent the extremes and not the thinking of the majority, they sometimes can be enlightening.

What to Ask

To be effective, a readership survey must contain simple, easy-to-answer questions that yield specific results. As you shape your questionnaire, make sure your questions get at issues like the following.

Profile of the reader. Ask the basics to determine a profile of your average reader: title; chief area of responsibility; number of years a reader or member in the profession; organization budget size and staff size; and age, level of education, and sex.

Readership of the publication. Ask about readers' perceptions of the publication's content, appearance, and usefulness; how much of each issue they read; how much time they spend reading it; how useful they find it; and how many others read the publication.

Competitive publications. Ask readers to rate your publication against the competition. For example, ask which publication they find most useful and which are their first and second choices for reading.

Advertising and purchasing. If you cannot afford to conduct a separate market study on the buying power of readers, include a few questions in the general readership study, including how readers are involved in purchasing. That is, do they review products, recommend brands, or make final decisions, or are they uninvolved? How much money do they spend annually on the specific products or services, and how often do they purchase them?

Ways to

Underwrite 

Research

Readership studies, as well as other publication research, can be costly. But if you are planning to use the research to sell advertising - especially to large advertising agencies - or to make major changes in your publication, you need reliable, credible, statistically accurate results. That can mean investing anywhere from $8,000 to $25,000.

Before you ask for the money, be prepared to justify how you plan to use the results. A well-thought-out plan for how you will use the research can help get you the dollars needed, as can showing how the results can be used by other departments.

If the publication can't afford the cost on its own, consider other funding options. For example:

* Split the cost with your education department, which can use the information to help plan future seminars, or the book publishing department, which can use the information to determine which textbooks or monographs will sell best.

* Seek outside sponsorship. Offer an associate member recognition in exchange for some or all of the funding. To eliminate any question of bias, clarify the company's role.

* Work with a university. Many universities allow graduate marketing or communication students to work with outside organizations to conduct research, in exchange for course credit.

Debra J. Stratton, a former publisher of Association Management, is president of Stratton Publishing & Marketing, Inc., Arlington, Virginia. For more information about related topics or ASAE's Communication Section, call Sheryl' Morton, [phone].