THE WISDOM:

A magazine can evolve to better fit readers' needs, provided it keeps in close touch with what readers value.

HOW WE GOT THERE:

Editors need to know how readers respond to articles in order to create the best mix of content to serve the most readers. For over seven years, we've conducted monthly readership tracking studies for one national magazine, asking subscribers to bring the current issue of the magazine to the phone for an article-by-article study of what they read and what they find useful.

ACTION STEPS:

The results of these on-going tracking studies have shaped editorial decisions large and small as we've tracked how article readership affects overall satisfaction with the magazine and intent to renew. Annual reviews of the best and worst performing articles, along with detailed breakdowns, help editors make wise choices for future issues.