The Swindon Advertiser is setting up its own dedicated magazines team to develop a number of new in-paper and standalone products.

Editor Mark Waldron is currently putting together a three person team, with the aim of extending the newspaper’s brand to new readers, opening up new advertising streams and driving sales of the main paper.

The niche magazines will cover topics such as fashion, leisure, health, beauty and homes, and appear either as in-paper supplements or be on sale separately.

A new post of magazines editor is being created, as well as that of a writer and sub-editor/designer. All the Advertiser’s magazines are currently produced by its features team or the studio.

Mark said: “We have made massive improvements over the past three years in the supplements we produce but have gone as far as we can within our current set-up.

“By creating our own magazines team we can increase the quantity and improve the quality of our niche publications.

“A significant investment is being put into this new team but it will provide us with three key benefits – giving readers additional reasons to buy the paper, increasing awareness of the Advertiser brand among new readers and allowing us to tap into fresh revenue streams.”

As well as producing a range of regular and one-off magazines, the new team will be responsible for all other commercial features supplements, including the award-winning Wiltshire Business magazine.

The magazines team will initially consist of three full-time members of staff, with freelance writing and photographic support, and work closely with the advertising department at the Newsquest-owned title.