Lessons Learned: Going Digital

Managing your organization’s magazine is challenging.

Especially today when print prices are rising and it seems everyone is searching for a digital alternative. The need for a great digital option is becoming even clearer and you may have already tried a few, such as:??

• Posting a print-style publication as a static or page-flipping PDF — not too bad on desktop but pinching and scaling are so frustrating for mobile readers.
• Building a website with standardized spots for photos, heads, and copy — easily readable online and on mobile, but there’s no room for creativity.?
• Sending a way-too-long email — easy to distribute, but people lose interest scrolling through

But these solutions can leave your audience wanting more. Readers love magazines because of the pacing, design, and flow they bring. When trying to go digital a lot of these characteristics tend to get lost.

This exact problem was starting to arise at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) regarding their 60-page print magazine. Print and mailing costs were rising, but members love their gorgeous spreads, photo essays, infographics, and long-form stories.? Their perfect solution had to allow them to:

• Retain the beauty and flow of print
• Be flexible enough to let each story and issue different
• Maintain readability and style no matter what device a reader is using to view
• Mitigate expenses

Fortunately, we’ve seen this predicament before so when PHS came to us for help finding a solution — we already had one. Offering an innovative alternative that combined both our technological and creative expertise, allowed the team at PHS to feel confident in the new change. ??

When you look at the final product here, you’ll see the new digital magazine hits all the benefits of print that PHS was most worried about losing. Their stunning photos are able to be displayed without losing any quality. The flow of content is varied as you scroll through the piece. Different styles and elements add interest to each story. The dynamic nature of the technology allows it to be easily viewed on whatever device readers use. Finally, going digital means shorter timelines for production.

Changing a publication in any way can be a challenging feat — but exploring all your options, and working with a team that understands both print and digital, can help ease some anxiety. Email [email protected] or give us a call at 267-468-7949 to learn more about how we can help transform your digital publication.