1. Comment by Russian teen on 13/01/2008
nice sost !
03/09/2006 | Posted by Nick Tatt in Latest thinking | Comments: (2)
When we meet up with publishers and talk about the benefits we provide we are often asked “Why should we bother publishing our print magazine online?” It is often the precursor to a question like “Won’t it erode our subscriptions?” or “We put a PDF online what’s wrong with that?” There are plenty of benefits to publishing an online edition: we’ve put together our top five that apply to regular publications such as newsletters, journals and of course magazines.
Our top reason is based on the global reach that the web provides. Traditional print publications work hard to develop and build their mailing lists, often targeting particular segments of their market to raise awareness and ultimately gain more subscribers. By adding an online edition into the mix allows publishers to it instantly reach new readers. The mere presence of a website allows readers to stumble across it through organic search listing or from a referral from a friend. While this may not be a particularly targeted approach it does provide an opportunity to interact with new readers in a way that is not possible in tradition print publishing.
One of the many benefits of online publishing is the way that website content can be cataloged, archived and cross referenced with ease. In fact to successfully navigate any website its content needs to be structured correctly. This structure allows publishers to gain revenue from their digital catalog in a way that is very difficult in tradition publishing.
Consider how a six month old article might be referenced to in a print magazine. An excerpt may be pulled or a simple reference to the page and issue number it appeared on could be listed. It is a cumbersome way to tie together old content with new and may not actually provide any real value to the reader who doesn’t have the back issue.
Online it’s a different story: with articles correctly referenced and archived it is possible for new articles to be linked to any historic content. Online it is possible to present the content cataloged according to issue, topic, author or tags: just about any reference you wish. In doing so publishers are able to actively gain revenue from their historic content.
Websites allow publishers to get a lot closer to their readers. Interaction with, and between, readers through article comments, forums, surveys or polls creates a new dimension to any website. The freeform nature of reader comments provides invaluable content that in turn has the potential to drive more new readers and help provide more exposure in organic search listings. An active online community also provides publishers with an opportunity to sell on other products, services or events.
An online edition is a perfect platform to promote and develop subscriptions for its print sibling. Readers don’t always wish to consume an entire issue online. The physical act of holding a magazine and being able to pick it up at leisure is still a strong draw for regular visitors. The key here is to ensure that the online editions offer something that the print editions cannot. Getting this mix right ensures that both print and online editions will prosper.
The benefits of a digital archive have been touched on earlier but they are worth repeating. Creating and developing a digital archive gives publishers the flexibility to repurpose content in a variety of ways. It becomes possible to:
Anyone considering publishing a magazine, newsletter or journal online should view our top five reasons to publish online as a starting point only. Simply publishing a PDF of the print version is no longer enough. You have been warned!
Tagged: Magazines
1. Comment by Russian teen on 13/01/2008
nice sost !
2. Comment by toronto printing on 25/04/2008
great post! thanks for sharing!!