Four years. The Watercraft Journal has been in circulation for four years now. In that time, we’ve welcomed nearly three quarters of a million readers and just shy of two million articles read. Last year, we grew to a record 343,000-plus unique readers. To put that in perspective, it was once explained to me that Splash – arguably the most iconic paper magazine from our industry’s “heydays” – topped out at just under 160,000 annual readers. Obviously, today’s technology allows The Watercraft Journal’s readers to effectively keep a copy of our magazine in their hip pocket at all times (over keeping their paper copy of Splash on top of the toilet tank), making accessibility a whole lot easier, but that’s how evolution goes. Today’s readers want immediacy. They want the newest news, the inside info, and the best event coverage right now. And unlike paper, The Watercraft Journal delivers.
And how is that? Because there are no other online publications, blogs or digital outlets that maintain any sort of comparable reliability, professionalism or readership. By either divvying up an already intimate niche of enthusiasts, or just by failing to reliably publish on a steady and dependable schedule, those attempting to be our competitors fail to access the vast majority of personal watercraft enthusiasts, thus failing their responsibility to present their supporting advertisers before the widest audience of self-identifying PWC enthusiasts as possible. And as a paying advertiser, you want your brand and products before the widest audience of potential customers as possible, don’t you? Of course you do.
At the first of every month, we publish “By The Numbers” primarily as a tool to inform the many companies within our industry who either have yet to consider advertising on The Watercraft Journal, or those currently considering joining our continually-growing family of supporting advertisers. For those who do come to enjoy the benefits of working with WCJ, they find measurable and evidenced results. In fact, so much so that we have written testimony of avid WCJ readers purchasing the latest models from both Sea-Doo and Yamaha upon our recommendation, as well as several of the products we’ve reviewed, from new runabouts all the way down to riding boots, gloves and battery chargers. More than any other magazine in our industry, advertising on The Watercraft Journal results in proven sales.
January 2017
January 2016
A Proven Rate of Growth
Growth over a year is worth evaluating. While different news and different article topics might draw in various ilks of readership, there is a constant: upward momentum. If you can see our continued skyward trajectory, you’ll know that The Watercraft Journal has yet to stop growing. Our new readership percentages are growing despite having been around for a few years now. And we want you to notice how for being the height of winter for most of the Northern Hemisphere, we are continually outperforming our previous year’s Spring season – and that is reason to take note. On every level, The Watercraft Journal is welcoming more and more readers, and at an accelerated, exponential rate. No other magazine is growing as quickly as The Watercraft Journal and that’s just the beginning.
January 2016
Total number unique readers: 24,221*
Total number of articles read: 57,448
Percentage of new readers: 60%
January 2017
Total number unique readers: 27,490*
Total number of articles read: 51,565
Percentage of new readers: 63%
*This number is considered equal to an individual sale of a single copy of a magazine.
The Reason We Stand Alone
The internet is a funny thing. When you prove yourself as steady as clockwork, people tend to return more often and regularly. As we publish industry news, product reviews, ride reports and more – more regularly than anywhere else – we’ve learned that PWC enthusiasts have come to depend on new and interesting content every single day. And that means we’ve got a responsibility to deliver. Unlike anybody else, The Watercraft Journal maintains a strict publishing schedule of developing and publishing new and informative content about its advertisers and their products, as well as the industry and sport as a whole.
News articles published in December 2016: 27
Feature articles published in December 2016: 10
Total feature word count: 10,283 words
News articles published in January 2017: 28
Feature articles published in January 2017: 8
Total feature word count: 10,236 words*
*When this number is translated to print publication standards equals a 102-page magazine. Please note that this number does not include an average of two uniquely-written news articles published daily.
Bringing WCJ Before Social Creatures
Many companies chose to use their social media accounts (be them personal or for business) as their sole outlet to accessing new and interested customers. Plain and simple, this is lunacy. Why? Because the people following said accounts already know who you are, and unless they are feverish return customers, you’re not getting the influx of fresh, new customers that a company needs to thrive. That’s why you need The Watercraft Journal. We are your bullhorn to the largest audience in the world. By offering our content freely and easily – whether it’s via a desktop, a laptop or a portable device, anyone can read our content. And with our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and weekly newsletters, we bring our content directly to them. And that’s a huge part of our success!
January Facebook likes: 20,367
Top Five countries: United States, Australia, Canada, France, Japan
A Better Solution to Your Problem
The personal watercraft industry is an intimate one. You want to get your brand and product out in front of as many would-be customers as possible, but how do you do it? You go to the one media outlet who welcomes over a third of a million annual readers. We’re looking to surpass every major forum in the way of readership and expand our reach well beyond that of our core industry, helping to introduce more companies to the world of personal watercraft for our readers. Again, we’re a resource. And to be one, you need to act like one. And now more than ever is the time to get your company and products on The Watercraft Journal. To inquire more about advertising with The Watercraft Journal, please email [email protected]
