For people with a passion for writing, the creative arts, and entrepreneurship, an online magazine is a perfect venture. Imagine writing what you like and having your pieces read by thousands of people online. Starting an online magazine can be pretty straightforward, but sustaining it and making sure that it gets a steady number of audience can be challenging.
You already have an online magazine, but you are wondering why you have a few visitors despite your projections. You might even think that you are doing things right, but at this point, you need to think again. Maybe you have missed some crucial details. Or perhaps you have overestimated your projections. Nevertheless, here are some reasons why your online magazine is not yet a hit:
Reason #1: a Lack of variety in content
Yes, you already have a target audience, but that does not mean that you will need to stay niche all the time. A little variety in the mix will do your magazine good (this is where BuzzFeed has succeeded). So now and then, come up with topics not strongly related to your main plan but relevant to the interest of your target audience. For instance, you are running a travel magazine. Instead of writing about places to visit, why not write something about how freelancers can make money while traveling? And while you are at it, create a variety in the formats of content. Start with videos and infographics.
Reason #2: Your publication lacks authority
Some online readers veer away from magazines that look sketchy and questionable. While some magazines have good content, they tend to look dodgy because of their lack of authority. You can gain traction with your audience if you get to bring in a thought leader in your niche. This is where you need to include guest blogging in your strategy. Citing the same travel magazine sample, you can invite a well-known travel writer or vlogger to write a piece about their trips and experience. That way, people know or who are following this personality will be drawn to your website.
Reason #3: You’re not active on social media
People are online consumers, and they spend a lot of time on their social media accounts where they can get their daily fix of information. Thus, it is worth investing your time in coming up with a social media campaign to boost your presence. You can share snippets of your article online and leave a link that will lead people to your website. Come up with social media content that will engage your audiences, such as quizzes, trivia, and contests.
Reason #4: You’re not using SEO
One of the prime rules of running a website is to make it discoverable. When your website is easily discovered, more people will be able to visit it. Make it easy to access by using simple domain names. Moreover, a comprehensive search engine optimization (SEO) campaign will be necessary to amp your digital marketing efforts.
Creating a New Strategy
Your goal as an online publisher is to share valuable pieces of information. And to make that happen, you need to make sure that your website is easily accessed. A comprehensive branding and online advertising strategy should do the trick.
