Case Study: Crack Magazine x POP
3 min read

Case Study: Crack Magazine x POP

How Crack Magazine used the AM:DM Messenger format to delight their most loyal followers with curated music updates at an average open rate of 94%.
Case Study: Crack Magazine x POP

How Crack Magazine used the AM:DM Messenger format to delight their most loyal followers with curated music updates at an average open rate of 94%.

In January 2019, music-focused independent news and media platform for contemporary culture, Crack Magazine, set up a Messenger channel using POP.

They decided to brand and name the channel AM:DM. The premise was simple. Five curated music-related news items, weekly, on Monday morning, straight to their audience’s Messenger inbox.

The insanely high average open rate of 94% for their AM:DM broadcast campaign is firmly rooted in the consistency of their campaign.

The format, timing, and quality of the broadcasts have been consistent throughout. As a result, Crack Magazine’s audience is accustomed to the weekly news updates. This ensures consistently high open rates.

The challenge of creating a successful subscription-based Messenger service

As with any other platform, there are certain challenges you’ll face when trying to set up a successful Messenger channel based on recurring broadcasts.

First of all, there’s the question of how you’re going to onboard people onto your new messaging service. To market their new AM:DM channel and get people subscribed, Crack Magazine posted the following on their Facebook page and Instagram feed.

Crack-Magazine-AM-DM-Promotional-Facebook-post

By branding their subscription-based Messenger service in a specific, unique way, they were to bring it to life. The evocative name is catchy, and describes exactly what the channel is and what it will entail.

Crack-Magazine-AM-DM-Promotional-Instagram-post

Both posts included a direct link share to the Crack Magazine Messenger channel which asked users if they wanted to subscribe to the AM:DM weekly updates. But promoting AM:DM and getting people subscribed to the channel was just one of the challenges Crack Magazine faced.

Next, there were several jobs to be done in order to make the service a success. Some things the team needed to take care of:

Easing users into the rhythm of you sharing your content

That subscribers could expect a broadcast every Monday morning was already established in Crack Magazine’s promotional efforts.

The only thing left to do to get people accustomed to the rhythm of these updates was to consistently send out the AM:DM broadcast at the same time. This eased people into the idea and led them to expect their week to start with some curated, high-quality content.

Crack-Magazine-AM-DM-Broadcast-at-set-times

But it’s not enough for people just to expect an update. You don’t want your audience to passively consume your content. Best make it as engaging as possible.

Adding elements of interactivity

The format Crack Magazine uses for their AM:DM flows is simple and consistent, yet interactive and engaging, without expecting too much of their audience.

Each week, the AM:DM update consists of an initial music mix, playlist, or other timely and relevant musical content. This is followed by a ‘Next’ Quick Reply button, which triggers the next item.

Adding-interactive-options-to-the-AM-DM-flow

Instead of blasting their audience with the full list of 5 pieces of content, they coax people to interact with their Messenger flow. This way, people can ‘unlock’ more content by engaging with the flow.

Finding the right balance between introductory copy, visuals and content

It’s not a good idea to write long diatribes or full-blown reviews in a chat conversation. People expect short and choppy content in chat. The introduction to each piece of content is a short teaser of what end-users can expect.

Pushing-click-through-rates-with-teaser-introductory-copy

These descriptions vary in length, but rarely exceed two sentences. They’re meant to provide a snapshot or a snippet of the content that’s linked to.

Teasing your audience with a bit of enticing copy is what keeps your click-through rates up, and unsubscribe rates low. Crack Magazine has done this expertly, something which is reflected in the 94% average open rate of their AM:DM campaigns!

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