How companies are developing eZines to monetise content

Enter the eZine business model: digital and mobile technology open up a host of opportunities for the publisher to generate revenue and cut back on costs associated with traditional or print media.

Reduce costs

Publishers are able to make higher gross margins on digital subscriptions and unit sales by cutting out printing costs. Using digital channels only also saves them significantly on warehousing and distribution costs.

Designed-for-digital issues

Moving over from print to digital magazine issues doesn't need to be too complicated or expensive, as it turns out consumers still prefer print formats when using digital magazines so publishers can save costs by using the same format of the traditional print design to deliver a digital issue.

Interactivity adds value

If you do decide to add elements that will make your magazine stand out, there are multiple platforms that allow you to add interactivity such as Adobe DPS or Snapplify. 39% of users want some interactivity in the reading experience, and this percentage will only increase as bandwidth gets progressively cheaper and more users are on larger screen devices like tablets. Interactivity options are endless and promote engagement.

FNB launched their digital magazine, Digital.co.za/project/fnb-private-life/?utm_source=Marklives&utm_medium=PR&utm_campaign=MarklivesEzines FNB Private Life, for their customers to download for free, it has effective, easy to use interactivity such as photo galleries, embedded or streamed audio or video, allow for immediate feedback on articles, links and more, developed by Digital.co.za/page/contact-us/?utm_source=MarklivesEzines&utm_medium=PR&utm_term=MarklivesEzines&utm_campaign=MarkLivesEzines Realm Digital.

Paid subscription revenue

There are a lot of free magazines on the market, however some publishers prefer to offer a subscription fee for access. Using retail platforms like Snapplify allows you to sell 3, 6, and 12 month digital subscriptions. Push Notifications to mobile devices make it easy to inform users that a new issue is available to purchase.

Sponsorship and advertising revenue

Magazines that have traditionally been free are able to stay this way if they do go digital. Advertising on online magazines on both desktop and magazine platforms includes targeted search ads to website visitors, banner ads, affiliations to ecommerce sites, advertiser directory links, and more. With the opportunity of digital, advertisers can launch creative campaigns using interactive elements such as hyperlinks, videos, audio, and other HTML5 animations to create memorable advertising that print media could never compete with.

Market readiness

The addressable market is growing in the right direction for digital magazines; in South Africa 91.7% of internet users own a smartphone, and this number shows no signs of plateauing. The market is ready for digital magazines, so the time is right to launch yours.

Digital.co.za/page/contact-us/?utm_source=MarklivesEzines&utm_medium=PR&utm_term=MarklivesEzines&utm_campaign=MarkLivesEzines Contact Realm Digital to help you develop an interactive digital magazine.