For over a decade, JUST Cars has been recognised as the magazine enthusiasts buy to advertise, purchase and simply admire cars. The publication has a circulation in excess of 60,000 readers, many of whom engage in car forums, clubs and shows.

Passion is the driver

JUST Cars has cultivated an online community that complements its existing offline presence, says National Clubs and Events Manager, James Goode. “When I came on board two years ago, we were just doing the big car shows, which might attract 30-40,000 people. Then we realised that the people consuming our products are the guys who get up at 4:00am to get the bargains at the local swap meet. That’s the dedication we wanted to tap into.”

To actively engage in this niche community, JUST Cars offered free listings for clubs and forums both online and in the print magazine. The result, according to Goode, was, “a great sense of community involvement. It was important to support these groups, and they in turn supported us. It wasn’t about necessarily putting a dollar value on it.”

A staged online migration

National Operations Manager John Lazzara carefully considered where potential readers, car buyers and sellers are gathering online, identifying that it's often more appropriate to engage with enthusiasts on existing forums outside JUST Cars. 

Lazzara says that while the print version of JUST Cars is well recognised, it has only been in the last year that the value of the website has started to be appreciated by advertisers. “Up until recently, people just saw online as a nice add-on, but now we’ve built the content up, they’re getting more value out of it.”

Social media spread

The JUST Cars website currently maintains an active social media presence with a Facebook page, video content and a blog, which all work to foster a sense of community. Lazzara says that of all these components, blogging was the one that advertisers and users took longest to embrace. “Our market is a little bit older and probably not as net-savvy, so for them to actually blog took a little bit more work and encouragement,” he says.

Still, the blog grew surprisingly quickly, increasing website numbers and delivering excellent search results. “Advertisers started seeing the benefits of demonstrating their expertise by writing blog posts on the JUST Cars website,” says Lazzara.

Moving forward

JUST Cars sees their print and online identities as complementary channels of the brand. “We’re committed to delivering a user experience that allows people to consume what they want, when they want and how they want; whether through magazines, auto events, websites, mobile devices and/or online social networks,” he says.

Of the move online, Lazzara says JUST Cars will continue providing a sense of community. “The classic and collectable car market consists of buyers, sellers and dreamers. Advertisers and clubs are as much a part of the tribe as the consumers. Our role is to produce a platform where these people and groups can connect. For many years we have supported car club events with our magazine. Digital channels allowed us to up the ante, by providing free 'Club Sites' and an online directory. We’re seeing growth in digital usage and stability in magazine sales, so we know we’re on the right track.”

www.justcars.com.au