When it comes to the digital versus print debate, can’t we all just get along?
Recent innovations in digital magazines are certainly helping the cause.
Mequoda Group recently released the results of a survey that reflect changes in how people read magazines.
Some of their findings:
- 23 percent of respondents prefer reading magazines on their tablets.
- 13 percent of respondents had published a digital edition of a magazine within the past month.
- 57 percent of respondents said they generally preferred consuming content on their tablets.
With the uptick in people reading magazines on tablets, paired with the increasing popularity of general tablet use, Mequoda Group predicts that the majority of readers will prefer digital magazines by 2020. Additionally, 65 percent of magazines now have digital replica editions, and this number is only expected to grow as tablet technology improves.
In the growing realm of digital magazines, one has to ask: How will digital magazines, or print’s digital renditions, innovate going forward? Will the experience of reading a magazine on a tablet ever surpass the tried and true pleasure of reading a print edition?
While digital magazines might not have the classic niche of print publications, digital magazines do hold a stacked deck for providing inimitable user experiences with an unprecedented amount of interactivity. Here are three strategies digital magazine creators can employ to create custom content experiences.
1. Everything Old Is New Again
One of the greatest features of accessing digital publications is the ability to have an archive at your fingertips. With many paid subscriptions of magazines comes access to a limited number of digital back issues and archived articles, a benefit that often encourages subscription buys and renewals.
Looking forward, digital publishers can leverage this benefit by cross-indexing archived issues within a digital edition. Features commonly found on blogs, like recommended articles based on topic or author, can also be employed within digital issues. Plus, this strategy provides more opportunities to showcase and promote related products, like a magazine’s corresponding website or social media accounts.
2. Interactivity Can Trump Tactile
In the digital versus print debate, you almost always hear print defenders argue, “there’s nothing like the experience of holding a physical copy of a magazine.” There are definite merits of having a hard copy (the ability to dog-ear favorite pages, take notes or rip out images or articles to save), and digital publications have a large obstacle to overcome with this inherent print advantage. However, digital publications can bring interactivity to a whole new level. Taking the classic “tap and reveal” up a notch, digital publications can now incorporate elements like slideshows, personal recommendation surveys, puzzles and games, brand mosaics and pop-up stores, to name a few. Interactive features provide unique user experiences for every reader, and help provide a more intimate content experience across the board.
3.Turning Video from Foe to Friend
Incorporating video into a magazine may seem counterintuitive. But if used strategically, video can elegantly elevate user experience. Fashion and beauty publications have started to feature “how-to” videos for the latest trends, and tech magazines now have the ability demonstrate a product’s features clearly and concisely with video. Plus, video opens a new realm of strategic partnerships, as publishers look to the possibility of partnering with thought leaders in certain industries for video content (think presentations, commencement addresses or interviews). Of course, video shouldn’t outweigh smart editorial or high-quality photographs, but it does have the potential to dovetail with compelling creative work to take engagement one step further.
User opinions and behaviors change almost as rapidly as new technologies improve.
Smart content creators should be sure to recognize the unique advantages of both digital and print, and consider how these two platforms can work together to keep users engaged.
[image: Chengyin Liu]
