Connect Magazine: How Print and Fineline Content Drive Connections

By Dora Lutz, Founder & President, 3 Hawks Consulting

The history of Connect and how it drives relevant content strategy to Fineline’s clients

Through 35 years of printing history and the evolution from digital machinery to online print marketing software like Finelink 2.0, Fineline knows what it means to stay relevant and produce meaningful work for target audiences. This philosophy is the kind of manifesto of our Connect Magazine – a monthly digital and print marketing magazine produced in partnership with CANVAS Magazine and Fineline Printing Group.

If you’re not getting it (you need to) – subscribe here. One recipient said, “My staff and I await and enjoy each issue of ‘Connect’ and share it with others in our organization. The magazine itself has excellent examples of effective design, use of color, creative infographics – and much more. Feature articles provide useful information on trends in the marketplace, as well as updates on technology and innovations that are changing the business environment. At a time when so much clutter and noise intrude on our workdays, we find your publication never fails to be refreshing – especially for those of us who still produce print pieces.”

How Connect Magazine creates connections

In a world of overstimulation and limitless content, Fineline’s Connect Magazine seeks to provide useful, relevant content to keep you on the cutting edge.  Beyond a great touch point that includes articles from thought leaders and industry experts, Connect Magazine is a tangible reminder of the ability to cut through the digital clutter with a professional magazine that we’re very proud of.

Leading and Lagging Indicators with Print Materials

Lisa Young recently published an article on measuring key marketing indicators – what works and what doesn’t. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, read it here – there are a lot of interesting perspectives from a wonderfully analytical thinker. What I love, though, is that while Fineline measures value and readership in two ways, Connect is a great example of a balance between hard and soft metrics (both equally as important).

Typical outcome metrics include:

• Additional recipients added to our subscription list including online leads and sales referrals
• Digital analytics on digital versions in page views and click-thrus
• Click thrus and conversions on two Fineline ads on upcoming event and recently published reports

But for Connect, we’re usually measuring leading indicators, such as:

• Sales conversations based on the latest issue
• Emails we receive on well-liked or thought controversial articles
• Customer service rep requests based on print marketing ideas in Connect

What we’ll be doing more of in the future

As Connect Magazine evolves in 2017, the team has great plans to build on existing content with even more local flavor.  Some of the items we’ve heard you’d like to see include:

• More guest articles
• Showcasing client work
• Promoting Fineline events and update

We want to know your opinion!

If you don’t know Fineline’s Connect Magazine – check it out on our website here.

We want this magazine to be the best it can be for our readers, and we’d love your opinion!  Do you like Connect Magazine? Does it add value to your organization?  What could we do better, and what would you like to see added?

_{About the Expert}

Dora Lutz, President and CEO, 3 Hawks Consulting

Dora Lutz is a creative, collaborative, digital marketing generalist who has spent her career in the trenches gaining experience in logistics and operations, management, marketing, and business development.  Dora is passionate about the ways digital media are transforming the ways people communicate, and loves building plans that yield tangible, meaningful results.

Dora earned her MBA in Organizational Leadership from Butler University, and has over 15 years of management and communications experience from a variety of industries.