• by Tony Silber , Staff Writer, November 4, 2021

A press release from Ragan Communications found its way to my inbox this week. It tells a story that’s worthwhile to both publishers and communicators.

First, the publishing perspective.

Ragan, a 50-plus-year-old company based in Chicago, covers the PR and communications space, with websites, conferences and awards programs for both internal communicators and externally focused PR executives. It announced the launch of a membership group aimed at the external communicator called the PR Daily Leadership Network.

The network, which joins a similar and already existing membership group for internal communicators, will offer training, advisory, resources and events, plus daily insights, all tailored to that segment of the Ragan market.

Most important, it’s a revenue-producing organization — big brands pay to join. There is some exclusivity, which drives demand. Members of the PR Daily Leadership Network have to be accepted by a Ragan-appointed selection committee, the press release states. Demand is created, reputation is enhanced, and Ragan gets the membership fees.

The network ties into Ragan events and awards programs, thus serving as one spoke in a mutually supporting multi-pronged array of products aimed at the served market. If you enter the awards programs, for example, you get a break as a member of the network.

Here’s the whole point: This model offers a fundamental lesson in publishing that goes back decades, but isn’t often done effectively. Don’t just be an information provider. Don’t depend just on advertising or old-school subscriptions. Surround a market with related products that support each other. Go beyond websites, events and awards. Create affinity groups and conduct exclusive research. And then reap the marketing efficiencies, the strengthened relationship with the audience, the brand loyalty, and the revenue.

The communications angle? PR pros are trained to create pitches that resonate with their media-brand targets, that is to say, journalists. In this case, this one did.

Full disclosure: I was employed at Ragan Communications until the end of September.