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Circulation
Circulation, or distribution, indicates how many copies of a publication or media content were issued, sent out or delivered to the target group. It is a basic quantitative indicator of the scale of content dissemination – that is, how large a volume of communication material was distributed physically or digitally.
alternative names
- distribution
- number of copies issued
related metrics
units
- Count
Additions, clarifications, extended definition
For print media, circulation refers to the number of copies issued or distributed; for digital publications (newsletters, e-magazines, podcasts) it may refer to the number of subscribers, emails sent or unique deliveries.
Interpretation
High circulation may indicate an intention to reach a broad audience, but only in combination with metrics such as readership or engagement does it show real reach.
Watch out: limits and risks of distortion
- Circulation ≠ reach. The fact that 5,000 copies were issued does not mean anyone actually read them.
- Note the difference between issued and distributed circulation: some copies may remain unsent or unclaimed.
- With digital publications, the number of emails sent may differ from the number delivered (e.g. bounces, spam).
- Comparing different formats (e.g. a print magazine vs a newsletter) without the context of frequency and target group is not advisable.
- For newsletters it is also important to track delivery and open rates.
Where and how to measure
- Print publications have circulation records at the printer, in the distribution list or in stock records.
- For digital publications, measurement is done by email marketing analytics tools (e.g. Mailchimp, Ecomail, HubSpot), CMS systems (WordPress, Issuu, Medium) or internal subscriber databases.
- For podcasts or e-magazines, data on downloads, subscribers or deliveries can be obtained per platform (e.g. Spotify for Podcasters, Substack).
Formulas
circulation (print media) = number of copies printed − remaining unissued copies
distribution (digital media) = number of publications or newsletters sent − undelivered items
Example from practice
A company publishes an internal magazine for employees four times a year. Circulation is 3,000 copies, of which 2,400 are distributed internally to branches and 500 sent to partners. The remaining 100 copies serve for archiving and PR use.
The company also has a digital version of the magazine emailed to 4,500 subscribers. Analytics data shows that 4,320 emails were delivered (96% delivery rate) and 1,850 recipients opened the email.
