They say the only time you should ever look back is to see how far you’ve come. If that’s true, then we’re thankful for how far Vettes of Atlanta Magazine has come in the past 18 months.
Most of all, we’re thankful to you, our enthusiastic and supportive compadres, for choosing to ride along on this journey. Honestly, without you, we probably would have parked it in the back of the garage and thrown a tarp over it long ago.
On the 10th of January, 49 BC, Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon river with his army. This action ultimately led to Julius becoming Emperor and the rise of the Roman Empire, which lasted over a 1,000 years.
On the 10th of January, 2020 AD, we published our first article, and, well, let’s just say we’re still waiting on the whole Empire thing to happen. But with that said, we remain optimistic for at least a toga party in the end.
In the meantime, we thought we’d serve up some highlights, share insights, and layout the future of your magazine. The photos we’re using for this piece are among the most popular of the 1,187 images we’ve used for our 135 articles.
It’s Niche To Meet You
The concept of a digital-only magazine for Atlanta Corvette enthusiasts sounded like a fool’s errand to the naysayers when we first launched. We fully knew the multitude of technological hurdles facing an online magazine.
Yes, we knew that a print version would be easier to distribute, monetize, and more palatable in the beginning. From our way of thinking, the technologically advanced eighth-generation Corvette needed an equally advanced medium for its savvy enthusiasts.
We also knew from the inception; this magazine would have a very narrow focus. We wanted to be a magazine devoted to America’s Corvette lifestyle with a focus on Atlanta’s Corvette clubs and events.
Of course, it is going to attract a niche group of readers. We knew that, in fact, we were banking on it.
You Live Where?
After 18 months, hopefully, you’ve learned about us, and we’ve certainly come to know you. Our magazine’s family is richly diverse in age, gender, and nationality.
Currently, our newsletter is reaching over 25 countries and most US states. The website’s reach is even more globally encompassing.
This close-knit core has many members that haven’t missed reading a published piece in over a year. Some have read all 135 articles, which is quite a feat in itself and worthy of a “Best in Show” trophy.
Over the 135 articles we’ve written, approximately 114,750 words which would take the average adult 7.65 hours to read them all.
Once A Week Publishing
A wise man once said, “Change will always happen, but when you apply direction to change, that’s when it’s progress.” For the past year and a half, we’ve released articles every Tuesday and Friday.
Some of the early readers will remember we released new content THREE times a week. Ok, that was a bear to do, but we were just getting off the ground, and we needed content in those early days.
Late-night candle burning was required.
Our direction in the future will be to only release on Fridays at 9:00 am. We want to progress into deeper storylines with more substance, and that takes time.
We see the direction we want to take the Magazine in this change, and hopefully, it’s progress.
Talking Pictures
We’ve set our sights on breaking into the YouTube space with our own channel. In many ways, this is the logical next step for us.
YouTube is a platform that allows us to tell the lifestyle story of Corvette owners in a fresh and more powerful way. It will bring our words to life.
Every minute, more than 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube. The platform has over 2 billion users, almost one-third of all people on the Internet.
We hope you’ll take a moment to peruse our channel’s offerings once we start. Also in the works is a merchandise line and possibly a forum platform.
Mission Accomplished
There were only two absolutes when we sat down to start Vettes of Atlanta Magazine. The first was with the content itself.
The articles had to be centered around the lifestyle of the people who owned America’s Sportscar. Other car magazines focus on the mechanical attributes of the car.
We want the stories of those who drive them.
The second point was on the platform of choice. We wanted the first automotive magazine written and developed primarily for mobile devices.
The font size, color contrast, loading time, and article length are just a few of the obstacles. Our efforts have paid off, with each new article now getting several thousand downloads, over 80% of which are viewed on mobile devices.
Thanks & More Thanks!
As we take this moment to look back over the past 18 months, it strengthens our resolve for the future ahead.
A future only made possible because of your words of encouragement and engagement. Sincerely, thank you so much for riding along.
Now take hold of the grab bar because we’re getting ready to hit another gear!
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