The advent of the internet has changed the way which we access and consume information. While print magazines are still alive, many people prefer the convenience and versatility of online magazines. As a result, many entrepreneurs now use online magazines to generate revenue. If you’re considering this lucrative venture and to create your own online magazine here, you should follow these seven steps to increase your chances of success.
1. Choose a Niche
The first step to creating an online magazine is choosing a niche. You’ll struggle to attract readers if you cover every topic under the sun. Instead, focus your online magazine around a specific topic of interest, also known as a niche. Not only will this help you connect with your audience, but it can also yield new monetization options.
2. Design Your Website With a Magazine Template or Theme
Your online magazine should look like a magazine, not just another website. If your website uses WordPress, you can install a magazine theme. The platform’s official theme repository offers more than 300 magazine themes. Alternatively, you can download one from a third-party developer or vendor. Either way, your website needs a magazine theme or template.
3. Publish Content Regularly
You can’t expect people to read and subscribe to your online magazine unless you publish new content on a regular basis. So, try to get into the habit of creating at least one new article for your magazine every few days. The more pages your magazine has, the more readers it will attract. Each new article creates an opportunity for readers to share it with their friends and family. Granted, some of your magazine’s articles may fail to generate social shares, and that’s okay. It only takes a few high-quality articles to create a viral reaction on social media in, which countless users share it.
4. Include Images
When was the last time that you read a magazine without images? Nearly all successful magazines — both print and online — contain text and images. It’s a simple way to improve the aesthetics of your content while attracting more readers in the process. Statistics even show that articles with images generate 94 percent more views than text-only articles.
5. Follow a Schedule
Stick with a schedule when creating content and updating your online magazine. If you stop posting new articles for a week, readers may choose a different online publication. Thankfully, content management systems (CMS) like WordPress simplify regular content creation. Using a CMS, you can create content in advance, scheduling it to publish at a future date.
6. Establish a Brand
It would help if you also established your online magazine as a brand by using consistent elements that define your publication, including a memorable name, logo and slogan. Whenever you promote your magazine, use these elements to reinforce and grow your brand. Over time, readers will begin to remember your magazine, thus driving traffic and views.
7. Monetize It
Finally, don’t forget to monetize your online magazine. After all, this is the primary objective for many entrepreneurs. However, there’s a right and wrong way to monetize online publications. Pop-up and pop-under ads, for instance, are viewed as intrusive and may hurt your ability to attract and retain readers. Using contextual ads is a more innovative way to monetize your online magazine. Since they are placed directly in the content, they generate a strong response without being invasive or annoying.
Following these seven steps will help you create an online magazine that people want to read here.
