Starting a magazine is easier than ever. Today, business owners have access to many different graphic design tools, and there are plenty of magazine printing services ready to help you print your publication. Furthermore, businesses of all sizes in all industries have much to gain from starting a magazine. The main benefit of distributing a magazine is that it increases brand awareness and reach. If you send your magazine to the right people and place it in areas with high footfall, you are potentially exposing your business to thousands of people. The more people are aware of your business, the more likely you will make sales.
What Are the Benefits of a Printed Magazine?
You might be wondering, “What are the benefits of a printed magazine instead of an online publication?” Well, there are several benefits:
Tangibility
Printed magazines are tangible. There is something really satisfying about flicking through a physical magazine, especially if the content is printed on high-quality paper. Furthermore, many consumers are seeking physical marketing materials as they succumb to digital fatigue. For example, one survey found that almost half of respondents actively seek downtime from internet-enabled devices.
Easy-to-digest
Printed media is much easier to digest than digital media. In the age of animated banner ads and pop-ups, reading content online can be a challenge. A printed magazine, on the other hand, does not contain any irritating distractions, making it much easier to digest information and enjoy the reading experience.
How to Start a Magazine
Starting a magazine does take a considerable time investment. However, the benefits of creating a high-quality magazine in your niche make the time investment worth it!
Research
First, you should research your niche. Take inspiration from other publications in your industry, explore different cover designs, pay attention to the design elements of other magazines and take note of any colour palettes and font styles that jump out at you.
During the research phase, you should also consider what your customers would want from your magazine. For example, should you include compelling offers to grab people’s attention? Should you include interviews with industry professionals or partner with other companies to increase your reach? Conducting in-depth research will give you a clearer picture of how successful magazines are formed.
Content and Layout
Once you have done some research, it’s time to start planning the magazine content and layout. Most magazines have an eye-catching cover, a compelling headline, an introductory paragraph, body copy, bylines, pull quotes and captions for images.
If you don’t feel like you have the expertise to write effective copy for your magazine, consider hiring a freelance copywriter or a marketing agency to write the content for you. Writing about your own business can be surprisingly tricky, but a professional copywriter will be able to help by writing compelling copy that keeps readers engaged.
Design
Next, you need to design your magazine. Again, if you don’t feel like you have the necessary expertise to create a high-quality magazine, consider hiring a graphic designer to craft a visually stunning magazine. On the other hand, if you do feel comfortable designing the magazine yourself, graphic design platforms such as Canva provide dozens of templates you can customise.
Printing a Magazine
Once you have designed your magazine, it’s time to find a reliable online magazine printing company. The good news is that there are dozens of magazine printers to choose from, so you shouldn’t struggle to find a reputable company to print your magazine.
To get an accurate quote from online printing companies, you will need to fill in a quote form containing your printing requirements. First, you will be asked to choose the size. Most online magazine printing companies will allow you to print your magazine in A4, A5, A6 and various square sizes. Some magazine printers will also allow you to print your magazine in a custom size if needed. Once you’ve picked the size, you need to select the paper type. Most printing companies will offer silk, gloss, uncoated, natural and recycled paper, although some may offer more paper options.
Next, you need to choose whether you want your magazine printed in colour or greyscale and choose your preferred orientation: landscape or portrait. Then, you need to choose paper weight for the interior pages. Magazine interior pages are typically between 80 and 90 GSM. However, you can choose thicker paper if you prefer. After that, you need to decide how you would like your magazine to be bound. The vast majority of magazines are bound using stapled binding. Finally, you need to choose the paper type, weight, colouring and cover finish of your magazine cover. Depending on the online magazine printing company you choose, you may be able to get your magazines delivered to your door in as soon as one week.
