ILM East: Michael Silberman’s Vision for Magazines’ Digital Future
What does a popular urban magazine franchise tailored to the digital world look like? New York Media’s GM of Digital, Michael Silbmerman, shared his vision at ILM East 2012, and it includes healthy doses of synergy (with the core print product), utility and verticalization.
The website and related digital properties still drive much of their identity from the core brand, but are native supplements, not merely extensions, of print. NY Magazine has expanded deeply into verticals, with fashion galleries (an early “anchor ad category”), Vulture celebrity site, various niche blogs (its highest traffic driver) and a shopping section built on original editorial content.
In addition to the rich editorial, restaurant listings feature menus from MenuPages (which the company bought in 2008 and sold to SeamlessWeb last fall), online ordering through Seamless and reservations through OpenTable. NY Magazine is now expanding categories beyond just dining. Silberman said that deep listings content adds balance to the site by helping readers “solve problems.”
NY Magazine also runs an aggregated, curated weekly deals product (“the best of NY”) that’s integrated into its robust email newsletter business, but is now considering sourcing its own through a partner.
