We all know that all digital publications have followed the same basic evolution. It starts with the interest about the technology and the iteration of it to a place where the platform has mass media reach. The thing that gives the platform longevity, is the content shared on it. This is true for all online magazines. We don’t get excited about which platform it is published any more. Instead, its about the content that’s inside it.
To create and run a profitable digital magazine, planning should always be the square one of its content strategy. Without a clear blueprint of the content needed to produce, when and for whom, a title can quickly become a flop.
In today’s feature, Jake Rocheleau shares with us some great tips on how to structure content planning for your magazine, take advantage of digital technology and maximize the reach and impact of online platform.
Align your Cardinal Goals
Before you even consider launching a magazine you have to set your goals in order. What do you hope to accomplish from the launch? The end result is generally a large enough profit to peacefully live on but there has to be more. What are your true passions? In what activities do you derive most of your interest and curiosity?
It can be difficult but sitting down for 10 minutes and create a list of what you’d like to see happen as a result of launching your magazine. Maybe you wish to simply quit your job and work for yourself. Another possibility is adding a small description of your magazine works in your resume or Curriculum Vitae.
You may not be interested for money at all. Popularity and experience can go far in today’s world. Most popular entrepreneurs who run digital magazines didn’t get started because they wanted to reap heavy profits. They started blogging under an idea to get their name out there and generate well-known interest to the public.
You may have similar goals to write just because you hold a general interest in the site’s topic of choice, also called a “niche”.
Define Your Magazine’s Niche
Determining a niche to write in isn’t always simple, though it may come easier for some. A niche is simply the topic which your magazine will be focused on. You may decide to write about fashion, digital trends, business, gaming, or quite literally any other topic.
If you hold a deep enough interest in a topic to launch a magazine and write articles about it, odds are good there’s other people out there interested in reading. Never worry about your market size being too small or too large. Your main concern comes with content.
Keep Plenty to Write About
The quintessential killer of most digital magazines is lack of content. Many will aspire to launch their site and run for 3 or 4 months before ultimately tiring of the process and giving up entirely.
The amount of knowledge you already hold on the topic is irrelevant. With so much information available at just the click of a button even an hour’s time is plenty to research and grow your knowledge. The true defining factor is how passionate you are to research these topics and write about them.
If you are lack of passion, it will illuminate itself through your writing. When picking a niche you’re in it for the long haul so make sure it’s a topic you truly cannot see yourself losing interest in. A good way to start is by limiting a list down to your top 2 or 3 topics.
Follow this up by creating a sub-list of 20-40 article headlines you can write about for each topic. If you certainty can’t find even 20 potential headlines then you know with that’s not your best choice. This activity is a two-fold as in, it does not only helps you define your niche but also gives you a great starting point for 20+ articles to write.
Plan your Growth Strategy
An imperative part of launching a digital magazine is to understand how you’ll be gaining readers. The old adage of “build it and they will come” doesn’t truly work in this sense. A small marketing strategy can go a long way in just a few months’ time.
Google is the best place to start. Research similar communities related to your niche and check out their user base. You may consider registering an account on forums or networks and meeting new contacts with similar interests.
These communities are not only great places to start networking and building a small following but you may find people who are willing to write for your magazine. It can get tiring keeping up with new posts day after day. Knowing you have others of similar interest to fill in for some days will create a relaxing peace of mind.
Utilizing Social Media
Websites such as Digg and StumbleUpon have made it easier for the little guy to market and grow a small following. Create an account for yourself on all of the popular social news and sharing websites. Give them a test run, see if any catch your eye for marketing potential.
It would be unreasonable to run accounts on 30+ networks and market among all of them. Conclude which web applications have the best-suited structure and audience for your magazine and stick to those. Social media is a vast, deep ocean to explore in full.
Building a powerful presence on these communities helps with branding as well. Building a magazine brand is part of the marketing process and it’s crucial for visitors to recognize your name and avatar throughout all your profiles online.
Imagine your Perfect Design
You don’t need to be a professional web designer to visualize a powerful blog theme (although it doesn’t hurt). A fun way to get started with a design is to surf around the web for similar blogs or websites related to your niche. Pick and choose elements you like and make a collective list with back links to each individual site for future reference.
If you know your way around Photoshop or have money to hire a professional designer I always recommend getting a custom design created. However in the early days of a magazine launch it’s not essential to brand yourself. Keep ideas written down for what your ideal design would look like and if you can’t launch with it plan to get creative in a few months after you know this whole blogging thing is for you.
Borrow elements from physical design magazines. Inspiration doesn’t need to come directly out of the Internet just because that’s your medium of choice. In fact, trends in physical magazines can easily be carried over into the digital world.
Another simple exercise you may consider is checking out your local bookstore or magazine stand. Most places such as Borders or Barnes & Noble have open chairs. You can sit down and browse magazines without purchasing them. You may wish to bring a small notebook to take down ideas since you won’t be bringing the physical copy home.