Older magazines like Fashion, Big Beautiful, and Radiance are out of print and seem to struggle to keep the online magazine going? You can imagine that with a name like Emme, her now-defunct Vogue magazine would have had some staying power, but it wasn’t. Radiance had a 16-year streak that came to a halt in December 2000.
I think of the growing number of aspiring plus-size models and the number of experienced plus models who seem to be running around the other models for every spread and runway out there. Who is going to highlight them all? Are they destined to become an internet model? If we continue to see images of real women in the media (good and bad), will this be a growing problem or a huge opportunity? The demand is certainly greater than the supply, so of course, I see it as a huge opportunity. Here are just a few ideas I’d like to share with you if you’re considering publishing your magazine:
* If advertising is your only source of income, think again. I’m pretty sure that most, if not all, plus magazines today are close to bankruptcy as they rely heavily on advertising. It makes sense why most of them are available online. Putting your eggs in one basket is never a good idea when it comes to investing in stocks or a company or even in clients. Product reviews, sponsored articles, and an affiliate program are just a few ways to diversify your income if done correctly.
* Refresh the business model for magazines. While it’s great to get support from other big companies, there are ways you can use your creativity and apply different business models to keep your magazine going and stand out from the crowd. For example, some magazines do exceptionally well because they offer premium content to their readers. I know of a magazine that provides consulting services where the magazines themselves are offered as a perk. There is also another magazine that offers a bonus CD with interviews with very successful entrepreneurs as a bonus for your subscription. Can you also apply that to your magazine? Absolute! Think about what your readers would pay a few bucks extra to access…
* Make use of your resources. There are plenty of models as mentioned before that would love to be featured and get a cover. Why don’t you give them that chance? If you keep up with the plus fashion, you know that the lines are always out for full-bodied models. Attend model calls to network and you might just get your very own cover model. Some writers and editors are just as passionate, if not more passionate about the plus-size community than you are. Why not highlight their work and have them contribute regularly to your magazine? There are photographers and fashion directors eager to launch their photoshoots. Do you have room to give them such a chance? If so, why not? You have to be proactive in making your magazine for the people, by the people. After all, they are the ones who invest in it every month.
* Spread the word about your magazine. Do you reach out to bloggers and PR staff to spread the word about all the great things you’re doing with your magazine? Many business owners spend a lot of time creating content, but not enough time on marketing. Don’t let your magazine flop because nobody knows about it. Join the Unleash Your Magnificence & Marketing online workshop to get the inside scoop on how to spread the word using marketing techniques that have been proven to work. Today’s technology makes it so easy for you to tell everyone about your magazine, even before you’ve written a single article! It doesn’t matter how good your magazine is, if no one knows about it, it’s worth noting. Make marketing a priority.
* Provide valuable content. Probably the main reason most magazines don’t survive is that they simply don’t offer unique and exciting content. How many online magazines have you read with the same story as People Magazine or TMZ? Celebrities are fun to watch, but some stars in the plus-size community would be honored if you shined the spotlight in their direction. There are stories told every day that you can tap into if you just listen to the market. It takes a little research and a lot of networking to access popular stories. Why not, do the extra legwork to bring your readers something new? Where do you find valuable content? Well, when was the last time you took a survey or sent an email to find out what your readers would like to learn from you? How many testimonials have you received lately telling you what they liked about your magazine? If you don’t get feedback, chances are you aren’t creating something worth talking about. Social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and blogs make it easy for you to identify what interests your readers. Bring those interests together in a beautiful package and give your readers content they’ve been waiting for.
