Traditional publishers and marketers alike see digital
publishing as a huge opportunity. We've been living in the information age for
quite some time, and the digital world is still evolving at breakneck speed.
According to 2018 data, 45.3 percent of U.S. consumers read a digital magazine
in the last 30 days, making high-value curated content more in demand than
ever.
Online magazines enable print publishers to gain access to
the massive audience of digital natives eager to discover their content. Online
magazines can be incorporated into the content marketing mix of small and
medium-sized businesses. This high-quality, in-depth format has the potential
to increase brand awareness and drive more customers into the sales funnel.
Online magazines are used by many marketers and publishers to:
View reader analytics: You have no way of knowing what
happens once your paper collateral or printed publications reach the hands of
your readers. You can get detailed analytics with an online magazine on the right
publishing platform. Analyze how long readers spend reading your articles and
which pages they spend the most time on. These metrics provide you with
immediate feedback, allowing you to create more impactful content with each
issue.
Create new revenue streams: An online magazine can assist
all types of publishers in creating new revenue streams. Print publishers can
attract new digital media subscribers. They can also make money by
strategically placing digital ads.
Marketers frequently use online magazines to promote
products or services as a form of in-depth content marketing. They may provide
entertainment or useful information to their target customers while also
promoting their products and services.
Industries Benefiting from Online Publications
Online publications are used by businesses in a variety of
industries as part of their content marketing strategy. Among these businesses
are:
Traditional publishers include: Publishers who have long
produced print magazines that their readers enjoy can now reach new audiences
in the digital realm. An online edition can be a great freebie for print
subscribers or a separate subscription for digital natives.
Universities and colleges: Schools can use digital magazines
to communicate with alumni or for general marketing purposes. These assets,
which are updated on a regular basis, can deliver campus news to alumni,
students, professors, donors, and other stakeholders.
Sports leagues: Those in the sports industry can use a
monthly newsletter to keep fans up to date on important team news, or a digital
magazine to produce exclusive content for season ticket holders.
Hotels, resorts, and state and local tourism commissions can
use digital magazines to cover popular events and local attractions and
encourage readers to visit.
Associations: Industry and trade associations like to keep
their members up to date on industry news, upcoming conferences, and other
initiatives undertaken by the organization. An online magazine is a great way
to keep members interested.
Steps to Creating an Online Magazine in 2022
1. Determine Your Digital Magazine's Objectives
First and foremost, what are you hoping to achieve?
The first step in any project is to clearly define your
goals. An online magazine, like any other publication, requires you to make
decisions about the type of audience you want to reach. This includes how you
want readers to interact with your content. A digital magazine seeking
subscribers, for example, will function differently than an online piece
designed to sell a product.
Regardless of your primary goal, defining your voice and
overall brand style is an important part of starting an online magazine. This
is frequently accomplished by developing style sheets or brand standards.
Decide on and stick to an overall tone for your online
presence early on. When you're successful, you can assemble a reliable team to
help you carry the load while staying true to your brand.
2. Figure out what makes you unique.
How can you create a strategy for long-term success through
valuable differentiation? A sustainable online magazine business requires a few
key elements. Most importantly, you must figure out how to stand out in a
crowded digital media landscape.
Will your content or creative elements be one-of-a-kind?
Will your marketing strategies be distinct? Will those elements be useful to
your target audience? These are questions that we must all ask. The content we
create must be appealing and useful to readers in order to entice them to
return and subscribe.
Once you've identified your value proposition and tested it
with a subset of your target audience, it's critical to find an engaging
platform to host your content.
3. Create a budget and calculate your ROI
Your budget will vary depending on your goals for creating a
digital magazine. If you are a traditional publisher who already creates
content for a printed periodical, digitizing it will necessitate the use of a
publishing platform, some related technology, and technical skills. If you're
starting a digital magazine from scratch, you'll need to budget for an
editor-in-chief, writers, designers, and other content creators.
Once you have your content, the platform you choose is the
main cost differentiator. On a shoestring budget, you can publish your magazine
as a PDF for free. However, you'll still need to find a way to host it online,
so this method isn't truly free. Other low-cost publishing platforms may retain
ownership of your work or display their own advertisements within your
publication.
4. Choose the Best Platform
Every publishing option has advantages and disadvantages. It
is ultimately up to you to determine what is best for your brand. While price
is important, it is also necessary to strive for an impactful experience that
will keep your readers returning for more.
The Most Common Types of Digital Magazines
Consider what's available before deciding on a platform for
your magazine. There are numerous digital publishing solutions available, each
with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. You have the following
options for creating digital magazines online:
Flash publications: Flash magazines were once a popular way
to provide rich, engaging digital viewing experiences. They provided simulated
page flipping in addition to multimedia content. Flash magazines are now a
thing of the past, thanks to Adobe's announcement that it would be phased out
by 2020.
PDF magazines: Publishing your magazine as a PDF is the
cheapest way to go digital. This could be as simple as selecting "publish
as PDF" in your document design software. This method, however, has some
drawbacks. PDFs are not mobile-first and impede the user experience. Because of
their fixed layout, mobile viewers must frequently master a "pinch, zoom,
and slide" finger dance to view them. They also provide little analytics
beyond the number of downloads of the document.
Publishers with a loyal readership who are willing to
download a separate app to view content can create a stunning mobile-first
experience with their digital magazines. While they require a significant
amount of effort to develop, the payoff is substantial. Publishers have the
ability to control the digital experience, include multimedia content, use
targeted advertising, and engage their readers through notifications.
Flipbook magazines, also known as digital replicas, mimic
the traditional print experience. Documents appear in print and provide the
satisfying experience of flipping pages. They are a mid-range cost solution
that elevates the experience above that of a traditional PDF. They also offer
publishers improved reader analytics.
HTML5 magazines: HTML5 magazines use the same coding as
websites, allowing for a responsive design. Text and graphics will reflow to
any screen size, providing an excellent user experience from any location. They
can be hosted online and do not require any downloading. They also provide
detailed analytics and incredible design flexibility.
Differences Between a PDF and a Flipbook
The PDF format is a popular way to share digital content. It
is inexpensive and simple to personalize, but it lacks overall impact. A
standard PDF leaves much to be desired in terms of interactivity, and reading
on a mobile device can be extremely frustrating. We've all experienced the
agony of pinching to zoom on our phone screen.
Furthermore, once a PDF is downloaded, it can no longer be
tracked as the experience moves offline. PDFs can leave you feeling cold in an
age when data about your readers is so important.
Flipbooks provide a more functional solution by allowing you
to digitally recreate the feel of a print magazine. This is ideal for desktop
use and also works well on tablets. Still, like the PDF, it can be difficult to
use on a mobile device because pinching to zoom is frequently required.
As a result, PDFs and standard flipbooks are less expensive
options that allow you to control the published content. They may fall short in
terms of impact and usability.
5. Make a Content Strategy or Plan
Some brands that plan to enter the digital publishing space
are already producing content fit for an online magazine. There are excellent
resources available to assist you if you are stuck or require assistance before
creating your publication.
You can easily find content writers online, and there are
sites that will connect you with great writers eager to contribute. Stock
photos and videos are also great ways to improve the visual appeal of your
website or magazine. Some of our favourite images come from Unsplash, Pexels,
and Pixabay.
You'll have mastered the art of content creation before you
know it, and you may even need to expand your team of editors and designers to
help you maintain your growing online magazine. We have faith in you!
6. Plan the Layout of Your Magazine
It will be easier to manage your magazine if it has a
predetermined structure. You'll always be aware of the number of articles and
pages of content required to fill each issue. You'll also have some recurring
topics that you'll need to cover. Divide your table of contents into relevant
sections for your reader, such as "Current Events," "Arts and
Culture," and "Sports," or whatever makes sense for your niche.
Determine the number of articles or pages that will fit into each section.
It's also a good idea to sketch out every problem. Consider
how the left and right-hand pages on each spread will interact if you're making
a flipbook-style magazine. Set page limits or word counts to help you better
manage multi-page articles and how they'll appear in the final layout. You
could have pre-set slots for splash images or full-page ads.
If you intend to create an interactive magazine with a
responsive design, the finished product will not resemble a traditional print
edition. Users will move around by scrolling or swiping from left to right.
Each article will fit on one page, which the reader will be able to scroll down
indefinitely. As a result, you are not required to meet a specific page limit
or word count with each article. They can be as short or as long as needed to
cover the story thoroughly, and pictures can be placed wherever you want.
Your main concern with a responsive magazine will be
structuring the publication so that there are enough articles. Because each
piece will take up only one "page," regardless of length, you'll need
a wide range of individual articles to fill out the publication. You should
also consider ad placement and how it affects the flow of your articles.
Advertisements can take up the entire page or appear as thin columns between
two articles.
7. Select Design Elements and Develop a Brand Strategy
The headshots that appear on the covers of some of the most
well-known print magazines obscure a portion of their own logos. This is
because these publishers have mastered branding to the point where people don't
even need to read the title to recognize it. While your publication may not
need to stand out on the shelf as much as a print edition, digital magazine
design is equally important. A unified visual style will assist readers in
connecting with and remembering your brand.
Your visual identity will convey what you stand for and who
your content is intended for. Develop a brand strategy that includes a brand
book of rules for all of your designers, writers, and editors to follow in
order to send the right message every time.
Consider the fonts, colors, photography style, and graphic
elements you want your brand to be associated with.
Aside from design elements, your branding strategy should
include language usage guidelines, such as tone of voice and word choice. Even
the most multimedia-heavy publication will be propelled by well-written,
consistent content. Even if your team is hundreds strong, make sure it all
sends the right message and feels like it was written by one person.
8. Consider Some Typical Magazine Revenue Models
You're probably starting an online magazine because it has
the potential to be profitable. A high-quality digital periodical can be a
cornerstone of your content marketing strategy if you're a marketing manager at
a small business. You are expanding your customer base by attracting an
audience. If you publish articles as your primary business, you have several
options for monetizing your content. Among your alternatives are:
Subscription Model
You can charge your audience a monthly or annual
subscription fee in exchange for access, just like print magazines. The most
profitable publishers provide a variety of subscription tiers and options. The
most expensive all-access plan may grant readers access to digital
publications, exclusive videos, and additional content. Some subscription plans
may combine print and digital versions, allowing readers to access both. Other
options may only provide readers with access to the digital version.
Advertising Model
Advertising is another way to monetize your content. Because
there is no friction in accessing free magazines, they often have a larger
readership. Some people regard the internet as a source of free information and
may be unwilling to pay a subscription fee for something they can obtain for
free elsewhere. Advertisement is the primary source of revenue for publishers
who do not require subscriptions. Ad sales alone generated $9.68 billion in
revenue for periodicals publishers in 2019.
The right brands will pay a premium to get in front of the
right people. Publishers cultivate fertile ground for advertisers by
cultivating a niche, loyal audience. They can directly embed ads or create
sponsored articles that combine high-quality content with brand or product
mentions.
Paywalls
If a reader must have a subscription to view your magazine,
they will almost certainly encounter a paywall the first time they try to
access your content. A paywall is a barrier that allows your publications to
rank in search engines while preventing readers from viewing them before
paying. They can pay for individual article access or a subscription for
unlimited access.
You can also set your paywall to appear only halfway through
your magazine. This allows readers to sample your content before asking them to
pay to continue reading. You can also set the paywall to activate after a
certain number of issues or articles have been viewed.
Magazines as Lead Generation Tool
Content marketers are unlikely to make a profit from their
publications. Instead, they use helpful articles to persuade customers to
purchase their products or services. Within that strategy, a digital magazine
could be considered premium content. Prospects can still access it for free if
they provide their email or contact information in exchange. This strategy is
long-term in nature. The content itself can help them progress further along
the buyer's journey, and the marketing team now has contact information to send
them more marketing materials.
9. Make a Digital Marketing Strategy.
You must consider distribution after you have created your
magazine. What will your target audience think of it? How will you build a
devoted following? A solid marketing strategy for your publication should
include the following five steps:
Get ready for the launch: First, determine how many
downloads you want in your first month. Consider who is most likely to read
your publication and announce it where they are most likely to see it. Tease
your launch on your website and social media channels if you already have a
following. Look for press opportunities to raise awareness of your new
magazine.
Create buzz: As soon as your magazine goes live, gather
reviews to keep the momentum going. Email blogs and reviewers in your niche and
request a review. If you've created a standalone app, request that your users
leave reviews and ratings on the app store.
Promote through all channels: Incorporate links to your new
publication into your email newsletter. Share excerpts from your articles on
social media to entice your followers to read more.
Allow your readers a sneak peek: While your current
customers or followers may be your first subscribers, your magazine should also
assist you in growing your audience. Find a way to give new visitors a sneak
peek in order to increase the likelihood that they will subscribe.
Use reader analytics: Using detailed data, improve each
issue you publish. Examine how long your readers spend with your content and
which articles are the most popular. Using this information, you can create the
magazine that your readers enjoy interacting with the most. By meeting the
needs of your audience, you will increase loyalty and continue to find new readers.
10. Consult with an Industry Expert
Internet content is rapidly expanding, as is competition for
readers' attention. Now is the time to move beyond a PDF and embrace an
interactive online magazine experience that truly captures the attention of
your audience.
