Have you noticed the increasing number of magazines that are going online instead of having hard copies?

There are obvious advantages to this for the publishers

• reduced costs of printing and layout
• longer deadlines can be allowed - without having print times, the magazine can be prepared closer to publish dates
• the ability to refer to older articles with a link so readers can access multiple articles on a topic with ease
• greater ease at measuring popularity of sections through website statistics

Online magazines also use up less paper and energy in the printing process, which is why many of these online magazines announce they are green. Of course, there is the energy of establishing, running and visiting a website but this has a smaller impact than cutting down trees, making paper and printing on that paper.

On the other hand, there are some advantages to a hard copy magazine, too, and publishers need to consider which group of advantages best suits the needs of their readers.

A hard copy magazine:

• is easy to read anywhere - in the bath, waiting for an appointment, while using a treadmill or exercise bike, sitting in the park with the kids
• is easier and quicker to read than onscreen information
• can be ripped apart to store valued sections (e.g. a recipe or craft pattern) - of course, an online magazine can always have these sections printed!
• has a feel and smell that some people enjoy
• arrives in the mail as a treat for subscribers - a nice change from bills and ads!

So which do you prefer to read? Which do you think is the better option moving forward? If you were to start a magzine, which way would you present it?

Filed under: Going green, Online Promotions, Save Time Online