An article on the concept of marketing a digital magazine, with some practical examples of how it can be done.

Introduction

For years, print magazines have been the dominant form of media, but in today’s digital world, everything is changing.

Magazines are now published online and attract hundreds of thousands of monthly readers, with hundreds of thousands more visiting them regularly.

If your magazine’s target audience is already digitally engaged, then marketing to them won’t be difficult. But for those looking for a new magazine to follow, how do you entice them to subscribe?

To answer this question, let’s dive into the concept of digital magazine marketing and examine the types of content and approaches that work for online magazines.

Marketing A Digital Magazine

As the name suggests, a digital magazine is accessible anywhere, anytime and on any device. This makes them ideal for international audiences, where readers can access content on the go.

Unlike print magazines which are bound by physical print runs and deadlines, digital magazines have no limits to how many times an issue can be republished. This freedom encourages experimentation, resulting in a diverse offering of content that appeals to as many readers as possible.

The opportunity to try new things and be more creative is one of the key differentiators between digital and traditional magazines. The latter is limited by the print run and often needs to follow a set formula to be accepted by readers.

Why Mobile-Friendly Websites Matter For Digital Magazine Marketing

Accessible on mobile devices, including tablets and smartphones, a mobile-friendly website is crucial for any digital magazine.

With many people having moved to digital nomads who work remotely, the demand for mobile-friendly websites has soared. According to Google, 82% of global web traffic comes from mobile devices, and that figure is rising.

Odds are your target audience already uses mobile devices. With the explosion of smartphone sales, it’s easy to understand why. According to Statista, by 2020, there will be approximately 4.9 billion mobile phones worldwide. That’s 75% of the global population!

Even if you’ve published your magazine on desktop computers, you can’t afford to ignore the importance of having a mobile-friendly website. This matters because mobile-friendly websites mean your potential audience can access your content no matter where they are, on the go.

The Role Of Content In Digital Magazines

As a publisher, you might already have a content team which creates engaging and informative articles for your magazine.

But you need to ensure these articles translate well into digital form, otherwise, your efforts could go to waste.

For example, let’s say your magazine specializes in real estate and you’ve published some fantastic articles about buying property and making an investment. But now you want to republish these articles for digital consumption. Without a mobile-friendly website, your articles might become frustrating to read on a mobile device.

When a reader clicks on an article from your magazine, they expect to see a clear and concise piece of content. But if your article is poorly designed for mobile use, then it could become difficult for the reader to understand the point.

It’s therefore critical to create a strategy for your content’s digital publication. Think about the platforms you and your team will use to publish and the devices these platforms support. For example, if you’re going to use WordPress for your magazine’s website, you’ll need to make sure your theme is mobile-friendly. You might also want to consider using a tool like Compiler to create a single archive of your content that can be used across platforms. Doing this efficiently and creatively can make a significant difference in your magazine’s reach and attract a new audience to your publication.

Making A Statement

With so much freedom and flexibility, it’s important to establish a clear identity for your digital magazine. This is doubly important if you want to successfully market your product. What does your magazine represent?

One of the first things a potential subscriber will see when they visit your website is your magazine’s cover shot. This is an opportunity to make a bold statement and grab the reader’s attention. In the same way a stunning cover can attract readers to a traditional magazine, a unique cover can do the same for a digital magazine.

Along with the cover shot, you can use additional images to create a cohesive theme for your site. This might include images of people using your product, landscapes that represent your magazine’s theme, or a mix of both.

Where Should You Post Your Magazine’s Content?

After you’ve established your magazine’s identity, you can consider where to post the content. Based on your target audience and the type of content you’ve published, you can decide whether you want your content to be educational or entertaining.

If you’ve published content in a traditional magazine which was aimed at a more general audience, then your digital magazine should reflect this. You might publish articles for educational purposes, but you could also have fun topics and content to entertain your audience. This is completely up to you.

The decision should be based on your goals for your product. Are you looking to establish yourself as an authority in your niche? Do you want to attract a more general audience? Is one topic while the other is entertaining you?

If you want to attract new subscribers and gain a dedicated audience, then educational content might be the way to go. You could establish yourself as an expert in your niche, educate your audience about the value of your product or service, or both.

Creative Approaches For Digital Magazine Marketing

With so many options for online publication, it’s important to think outside of the box when creating a marketing strategy for your product. Even if you’re following a traditional formula, you can still use creative approaches to attract more readers and build a dedicated audience.

For example, let’s say you’ve researched the best way to sell a property online and developed a case study based on this information. But rather than just publishing this article on your website, you want to republish it for digital consumption. Here are a few creative ideas to consider:

• Publish the case study on a blog and include a link to your website in the blog’s content. By doing this, you’re not only driving traffic to your website but also providing a forum for prospective customers to ask questions and engage with you.
• If you’ve published a series of articles on your website, consider making a standalone article out of each one. This can draw in new readers who might not have discovered your website before. It also allows you to provide more value to existing subscribers by regularly delivering high-quality content to them.
• If you’ve been covering local news, consider creating a round-up of the week’s top stories, curated from newspapers, blogs, and social media. This can be a quick and easy way to provide your audience with content that is interesting, informative, and/or entertaining. Plus, you’ll be able to add a bit of celebrity by including well-known journalists and authors.
• If you’ve been publishing regular podcasts, consider making one into a standalone article. The content can be structured in a similar way to a case study and include a mix of video, audio, and written content. Adding a podcast to your website can also provide you with content which you can use to promote your product or service.
• If you’ve been publishing a lot of short stories in your traditional magazine, consider making a standalone article out of each one. This will give you content which is ideal for digital consumption and allow you to experiment with different formats and devices, such as e-books and audiobooks.
• If you’ve been publishing regular columns in your traditional magazine, consider making a standalone article out of each one. This will give you content which is ideal for digital consumption and allow you to experiment with different formats and devices, such as e-books and audiobooks.

The key for any successful product or service is to find the right niche, establish yourself as an expert in your niche, and build a community of like-minded individuals. For real estate professionals, for example, a digital magazine which focuses on property investment might be the way to go. But if your niche is more of a lifestyle magazine, then perhaps an entertainment-focused website would be more suitable.

The decision is entirely up to you. Think about what your target audience wants and needs and establish a digital magazine which serves these consumers well.