Someone recently told me, “I’ve lived here my whole life and never knew about some of the things you have featured in Michiana Life. How do you find your stories?”
The challenge is never about finding stories, instead the big question is which ones do we choose for a particular issue. We often have so many choices that it is difficult to narrow it down to just one for a particular feature.
A key part of the consideration is always whether or not a story fits with our demographic and our primary objective — to showcase northern Indiana and southwest Michigan as one of the greatest places to live in the world.
The next question we ask is: Does this fit our target demographic? Although we feel each issue will appeal to just about anyone, our primary readers are likely females, over the age of 35, in households with mid- to upper-level income.
While newspapers and television focus on everyone, magazines have to have a much more focused niche, even special interest publications like ours.
But the good news is that the options for stories are limitless.
We want every story to be a slice of life for this region.
Vyagra Falls is a perfect example.
Consisting of four doctors and two pharmaceutical sales representatives, the group has built a following that transcends music. Are they the greatest band ever to play? Of course not. Are they even any good? That sort of becomes irrelevant. The important thing is they are unique to our region and are using their music to raise money for charities and good causes. This group truly showcases the diversity and character of our communities.
In the end, people are interesting and there is no shortage of good stories here. These stories create rich layers that get woven into the fabric of Michiana Life, the real one and the magazine as well. v