Where do I start? The past couple of months have certainly been transformative for our publication as we continue to evolve, support more clients, and create engaging content for more readers than ever before.
The first change our readers might notice is our new look. We recently welcomed experienced designer Jon Alansnack to the team. Jon brings years of high-level, professional design experience and has introduced a vibrant, eye-catching, and engaging new look and feel to Portfolio North, which I am extremely excited for everyone to see.
With Jon’s appointment also came the opportunity to create a new media pack. We engaged market research agency MMC Marketing and Research to crunch the numbers, find out more about our readers and what they want to see, and learn what our partners and advertisers want from us.
Our readership is now 177,000 readers per month across print and online, our website traffic is up 55% year-on-year, and our news app has been used 200,000 times since its launch last year – and these are just some of the highlights.
Our individual stories are performing incredibly well too. Our two latest business interviews reached 55,497 and 61,859 views at our last count. If you’re looking at booking advertising space in a magazine, make sure you ask about the numbers on the business interviews first. I’ve done my research, and I’m confident that ours will be more than theirs.
As for our readers, we’re reaching more business leaders than ever before. 88% of our readers are in senior professional roles and above, targeting investors and high-net-worth individuals across Yorkshire and the North East. Our readers are mainly between 25-45, meaning we’re reaching young, dynamic, enthusiastic business leaders. Our distribution is incredibly targeted, and I am incredibly pleased with our readership and the results we achieve for our clients.
We also kicked off a summer of events, partnering with local businesses to sponsor a variety of fundraising, sporting, and networking events, including Yorkshire Children’s Charity, the Yorkshire Commercial Property Awards, West Nautical’s Pro-Am golf day at Matfen Hall, and Mediaworks golf day at the iconic Close House.
We’ve also launched two brand new supplements. Our exclusive Wine and Dine Club celebrates the best places to eat and drink across Yorkshire. This will be an exciting mix of recipes, chef interviews, and recommendations wrapped up in a handy separate magazine for readers to keep. We’re also gearing up to launch The Yorkshire Business Titans – The Top 50 Leaders Shaping the Future – a year-long campaign where a panel of judges will highlight the business operators who are making a real difference. Both will launch in 2025, so if you’d like to be involved, please get in touch.
I say this every time, but our content just gets better and better. We’ve got a range of news from across North and West Yorkshire in our news section, all provided by our PR Hub members. We’re hearing from Northern property experts Bradley Hall and from construction experts CASTLE. Our Portfolio North PR Hub team has created a step-by-step guide on creating great content, while we interview the CEO of Yorkshire Children’s Charity, Charlotte Farrington, in our Behind the Enterprise feature. Sean Donkin, CEO of one of the country’s fastest-growing hospitality operators, Inn Collection Group, shares his Lessons in Life and Business, while Screen Alliance North opens the doors to the screen industry. We discuss why Leeds is a dynamic powerhouse driving innovation and growth in the UK economy, while Host & Stay shares its expertise on how to elevate sustainable practices in holiday home management.
In our lifestyle section, our very own explorer and bookworm Anna shares her regular Watch, Listen, Read column and her experience of exploring Harrogate. We interview retail experts Jobson’s of Alnwick on 130 years of Barbour, and we share the best places for a northern staycation. In this edition, you can uncover the investment of art, while our social media expert and resident foodie Charlotte interviews four of Yorkshire’s nature influencers. We share recipes from San Carlo and unveil a range of the most exciting, authentic, and luxury hotels to visit and dine.
Phew – I think that rounds it up!
As always, thank you to the team, our supporters, readers, partners, followers, and subscribers.
I hope you enjoy our new look and the fantastic content in this edition.
Cassie
