E-zine, online magazine, webzine and digital edition all mean the same thing and they all translate to great exposure for your organization.
Major publications and even daily newspapers have been adding online editions. Many have been killing off their print editions altogether to eliminate the cost of printing and postage.
The time is now to create a strategy for an online magazine or e-zine. (Ask us for help!)
Two Options for an E-Zine
- Using a user-friendly service like Constant Contact (ask us for help!) send your newsletter via an email containing your articles and related graphics.
- A more effective communications strategy is to publish your online magazine articles as pages on your Web site or a special e-zine site. Use the email newsletter for quick summaries that link to the full articles on your site. This will help draw readers to your site, where they can interact with your organization in many ways.
Elements of a Successful Webzine or Digital Edition
The Internet is all about technology, but a successful online magazine is more about content. (We’ll deal with the technology options separately.) Except for the cost of paper and postage, an online publication shares much with its print precursor.
What are the key components of an e-zine?
Editor: Somebody has to be in charge. Once you’re up and running, the title of e-zine editor could be added to an existing staff member. Or hire a webzine consultant.
Schedule: It’s called a “periodical,” right? Whether it’s weekly, monthly or even quarterly, you won’t meet your communications objectives without committing to a regular publishing schedule.
Content: On the Internet, frequency is more important than volume. It’s better to publish monthly with just three articles than to put your e-zine online quarterly with 12 stories. In addition to newly developed content, consider recycling articles from your print publication (after reviewing for accuracy, of course).
Length: Online readers are in a hurry. As a guideline for the length of an e-zine story, use 500 words (the length of this article), unless it’s highly technical information.
Editorial Calendar: Plan your stories several issues in advance. Use your organization’s calendar as inspiration for your e-zine story ideas, such as an advance article on your upcoming annual meeting or something relating to the season or an upcoming holiday.
Voice and Editorial Review: What does your organization stand for? What does your audience want to hear from you? Consider creating an editorial board to ensure that you’re publishing content that’s consistent with the image of your organization.
Readership: Build readership with a “subscribe” button on your home page (and a link in your existing print media) and send an email newsletter to your subscribers when you publish a new e-zine issue online.
At Jonathan Lehrer Communications, LLC, we have the editorial, strategic and technical expertise to implement a online magazine that will enhance your image and broadcast your messages at a reasonable cost. Contact us to learn how to create an online magazine or webzine.
