Don Nicholas

Founder & Executive Publisher

Don Nicholas serves as Executive Publisher for Food Gardening Network and GreenPrints. He is responsible for all creative, technical, and financial aspects of these multiplatform brands. As senior member of the editorial team, he provides structural guidance, sets standards, and coordinates activities with the technology and business teams. Don is an active gardener whose favorite crops include tomatoes, basil, blueberries, and corn. He and his wife Gail live and work in southern Massachusetts surrounded by forests, family farms, cranberry bogs, and nearby beaches. Don is also the Founder of Mequoda Systems, LLC, which operates and supports numerous online communities including I Like Crochet, I Like Knitting, and We Like Sewing.

Articles by Don Nicholas

8 Things to Do in Boston When You Join Us at the Intensive This Spring

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

8 Things to Do in Boston When You Join Us at the Intensive This Spring

Learn how to increase your subscription revenues while riding the duck boats, or taking in a show, shopping in Quincy Market, and eating at world-class restaurants in Boston, Massachusetts. Spring is one of

Protected: Executive Council Update: How to Write a Winning Spotlight

In two of our recent executive advisories, we reviewed how to use the concepts of Six Sigma in subscription marketing and testing (read here) and then creative offer testing for

Multiplatform Publishers and Editors Landing at Different Publications

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Multiplatform Publishers and Editors Landing at Different Publications

The multiplatform and digital publishing industry experiences a lot of professionals on the move due to the high level of change that exists consistently within it.

Make the Internet Your #1 Source of New Magazine, Newsletter and Membership Sales

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Make the Internet Your #1 Source of New Magazine, Newsletter and Membership Sales

Join the hundreds of publishers who have dramatically increased subscription revenue and profits using the Mequoda Method Your opportunity to learn the strategies that are guaranteed to increase your subscription publishing revenues

Publishing Websites Make Changes on Audience and Content Needs

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Publishing Websites Make Changes on Audience and Content Needs

Publishing websites have experienced significant changes over the years as subscription websites have evolved along with technology. Digital publishers making strides to provide the best website to their audience keep

Protected: Executive Council Update: How to Write a Winning Library Preview

In our last two executive advisories, we reviewed how to use the concepts of Six Sigma in subscription marketing and testing (read here) and then creative offer testing for subscription

Audience Development Strategy Connects Closely with Monetizing Users

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Audience Development Strategy Connects Closely with Monetizing Users

Savvy multiplatform publishers keep an eye out for ways to optimize their audience development strategy when new opportunities arise. Today we're sharing news on publishers who are adding new elements

Digital Publishers Are Developing New Product Focuses in 2018

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Digital Publishers Are Developing New Product Focuses in 2018

Digital publishers continue to take steps into new territory for developing content platforms and revenue streams. Others look to changes that are merely tweaks to optimize current programs. Today we

Protected: Executive Council Update: Six Sigma for Offer and Creative Testing

“Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving,” said David Ogilvy, known as “The Father of Advertising” the “Original Mad Man”. Even our best performing Gold Members—who publish on multiple

Membership Websites and Digital Subscriptions Gaining Popularity

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Membership Websites and Digital Subscriptions Gaining Popularity

Digital publishers will continue to establish and evolve their membership websites as products, tools, and software options lead to successful revenue streams. Today we're visiting publishers who have made new

Usability Testing: 5 Heat Map Tracking Tools to Watch What Your Visitors Do

If you want to know why your website is, or is not performing, start conducting usability studies. A/B tests are great for content, but when it comes to seeing how

How Digital Publishers Make Website Changes in Search of More Revenue

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

How Digital Publishers Make Website Changes in Search of More Revenue

Successful digital publishers are taking the opportunities around them for the betterment of their publications and websites. Today we're looking at organizations that are using website technology to advance their

Are Linkless Mentions Important for Publishers?

Audience Development Strategy

Are Linkless Mentions Important for Publishers?

Should you be trying to acquire linkless mentions? You may have heard the phrase "linkless mentions" rolling around in social media and your email inbox over the last year or so.

Audience Development Through Personals, Opinions, Videos, and Mobile

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Audience Development Through Personals, Opinions, Videos, and Mobile

We begin with The Huffington Post, which has shuttered one of its audience development tools to focus on other ones. MediaPost reports, "The Huffington Post announced it would discontinue its

Protected: Executive Council Update: Changes coming to your site’s internal search functionality

The ability to efficiently and effectively search for desired content while visiting a website is functionality that most users expect. Most sites offer some type of internal search feature, as

Partnerships, Acquisitions, and New Focuses for Multiplatform Publishers

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Partnerships, Acquisitions, and New Focuses for Multiplatform Publishers

Multiplatform publishers continue to reinvent and reenvision their organizations. Today we're visiting stories from such publishers who are focusing on changes to usher in new opportunities.

The Most Important Magazine Website Design Element Most Designers Forget

The keys to magazine website design are function and familiarity, not bells and whistles. I'm always surprised by how many publishers want to reinvent the wheel when they launch a new

Publishing Websites Add Products, Recommendations, and Subscription Options

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Publishing Websites Add Products, Recommendations, and Subscription Options

Many changes come to publishing websites. Some of these changes include more diverse ways of generating revenue while others focus on new plans for building bigger audiences and driving more

Digital Publishers Hire New Editors, Creative Director for 2018 Growth

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Digital Publishers Hire New Editors, Creative Director for 2018 Growth

It's not surprising to see some changes taking place for the digital publishers at Hearst, as it makes Rodale part of its own. However, that's not the only news of

How to Write Better SEO Meta Descriptions in 2018

Audience Development Strategy

How to Write Better SEO Meta Descriptions in 2018

It was a very informative 2017 for all of us search-optimized publishers. Google has recently given us some insights into how they use seo meta descriptions within search results. Thanks

Content Publishers & The Efficacy of Article Formatting With Social Media

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Content Publishers & The Efficacy of Article Formatting With Social Media

Content publishers using social media for distributing information want the most for their time and effort. We have seen Google and Facebook turn attention to publishers by offering article formats

Multiplatform Publishers Increasing Unique Views, Frequency in 2018

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Multiplatform Publishers Increasing Unique Views, Frequency in 2018

A 2018 resolution for most multiplatform publishers is to increase unique users, overall traffic, and revenue this year.

Protected: Executive Council Update: Double Your Email Capture Rate (ECR) to Boost Overall Revenue

Converting Website visitors into email subscribers is a key metric driver of your Haven System. If your Email Capture Rate (ECR) is 2% or lower, you should initiate the ECR

Mequoda’s Top 10 Subscription Website Publishing Posts of 2017

Mequoda’s Top 10 Subscription Website Publishing Posts of 2017

Our most-read subscription website publishing posts of last year show a continued interest in building profitable subscription websites and improving their speed and ranking. Last year, publishers focused on increasing profitability

Subscription Website Installations & Website Redesigns as New Years Resolutions

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Subscription Website Installations & Website Redesigns as New Years Resolutions

Publishers are seeing how launching a subscription website is a great way to expand revenue streams. We've known that for years and we love seeing these launches continue.

10 Most-Read Digital Magazine Publishing Posts of 2017

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

10 Most-Read Digital Magazine Publishing Posts of 2017

Our top-read digital magazine publishing posts of last year showcase ways you can start a digital magazine from scratch and how to ensure it’s success We’ve studied digital magazine publishing efforts

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Digital Publishers Expand with Acquisitions of Assets, Technology

Last year ended with a major push by digital publishers to position themselves differently in the digital landscape. Some acquired companies that make them relevant to a broader audience, while

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

10 Most-Read Audience Development Posts of 2017

Our top-read audience development posts of 2017 give valuable insight into email and copywriting best practice methods. We've put together our most-read audience development posts from 2017 on the Mequoda Daily.

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Major Publishers Go Head First Into Video for Audience Development

Using video for audience development is more commonplace for major publishers today and this is leading to big audience gains. Today we're visiting stories on two major publishers and how

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

10 Most-Read Multiplatform Publishing Posts of 2017

Our top-read multiplatform publishing posts of last year talk about creating strategies to increase revenue and value for everyone involved. Multiplatform publishing strategies were a hot topic in 2017, and

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Digital Publishers Acquiring Companies & Launching New Sites

Digital publishers have had a busy year and it has been one for the record books. There have been a variety of acquisitions and mergers, even beyond the major deals

Audience Development Strategy

10 Ways to Improve Magazine Content Marketing

You probably remember the good old days when there was this thing called "article marketing." It involved marketing your articles, most often by re-publishing them as guest posts on external

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Audience Development Evolves with Industry Standards, Engagement

The evolution of audience development comes through the evolution of online tools, social networks and communities. Today we're looking at some recent news for audience development, including a set of standards

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Multiplatform Publishing Companies Promote and Focus on the Important Details

Multiplatform publishing companies that have made the digital landscape their home are able to experience advantages that other traditional publishers have not. Doing this, however, requires having the right people

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

How and When to Clean Your Email List

It's not uncommon that when we talk to a group of niche publishing professionals, and we end up in a big discussion about cleaning your email lists. In today's Strategy Spotlight,

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

More Subscription Website Growth Leads to More Model Offerings

Growth in subscription website publishing continues in the digital landscape because of its success as a revenue stream. Today we're looking at the evolution of subscription offerings and how digital

Protected: Executive Council Update: Google Security and HTTPs

At the beginning of the year we were informed by Google that they were ramping up its campaign to improve Internet security. After a brief grace period sites that Google

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Digital Publishers Continuing Acquisitions as Lending Grows

Last week we reported on one of the biggest media acquisitions we've seen in awhile as Meredith Corp. bought Time Inc. for $2.8bn including debt. Today we're visiting some other

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

The Latest Audience Development Strategies Consider Chatbots, Video

Video has been a tool for audience development and a medium for premium content for years. However, the popularity of this medium continues to grow and new insights are discovered

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Multiplatform Publisher Meredith Buys Time Inc.

Today we're reporting on a major publishing acquisition involving a couple of major multiplatform publishers; The acquisition of Time Inc. by Meredith Corporation. We also look at some thoughts on

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Digital Subscribers are a Focus for Changing Publishers

New offerings and products are often utilized by publishers working to increase numbers of digital subscribers. Today we're looking at two publishing that have been placing added focus on their

5 Ways Top Subscription Websites Optimize for Search

5 Ways Top Subscription Websites Optimize for Search

Magazine publishers have been giving away their content for decades in an effort to attract new subscribers. In online publishing, ad-driven subscription websites have an additional incentive: Increasing the eyeballs

The 3 Best Subscription Website Systems That Make Money Online

When you charge a fee to access the content within a subscription website, the site needs to provide specific and immediate benefits to your subscribers. Are you doing that?

Digital Magazine Publishing

5 Ways Web Magazines are Better than Print Magazines

Don't scoff—we truly believe that web magazines can be the ultimate platform for periodical content for most magazine publishing brands. The problem is that, as we've covered in prior weeks,

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Media Companies Make Acquisitions for Greater Audience Expansion

We report on the acquisitions of media companies when they happen because they can mean significant changes for the industry. Today we have three recent acquisitions to share.

Audience Development Strategy

Content Marketing for Magazines: What Readers Want vs Google

If you're not serving the needs of your readers and Google, then at least half of your content marketing efforts are failing. When you publish content on your free website Portal,

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Content Publishers Partnering With Social Channels for Greater Reach

Content publishers at Hearst, Time Inc., and Bonnier are creating new partnerships with Alexa, Twitter, and Skype, respectively We're seeing some of the biggest content publishers utilizing partnerships to build upon

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

What is Magazine Media?

I was having a conversation with a client the other day, when he asked me "what exactly is magazine media?" See, in the niche magazine publishing business, you'll find that

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Multiplatform Publishing Organizations Reel In New Talent

Hearst, Vanity Fair, and Porter Magazine are multiplatform publishing organizations bringing in new employees for focused change One of the most consistent changes we've seen throughout the digital landscape is the

Why You Should Fire Your Digital Publishing Services

Multiplatform Publishing Strategy

Why You Should Fire Your Digital Publishing Services

You need a magazine consultant that acts as a general contractor, and a content management system that does, too. In the past I've divulged what to look for in a magazine

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