Ten years ago, apps and responsive website design weren't even on the radar of a webmaster, and website analytics weren't nearly as dynamic as they are today. Websites back then
A couple of years ago, Don outlined the attributes of a premium content subscription: not a website itself, but the thing that customers buy – the content subscription.
In updating this
At Mequoda, we call any promotional email that features a single product or membership a Spotlight. When you're designing a promotional email, it's best to ask yourself: "how can I
Back when many current print journalists were beginning their careers, their job descriptions looked very different than they do now.
Yes, the basic idea of being a journalist is still the
“Mad Men” may have died, but in the digital age, advertising's been born again. In fact with a 21st century propensity for growing new tentacles, the conventional ad is evolving
Although we work with many established legacy publishers, we also work with publishing startups. In fact, these startups benefit from our years of work with legacy publishers teaching them how
Aggregating great content is just as valuable as creating great content
Content aggregation is often given a bad name, because it’s often done incorrectly.
The best content aggregators approach the process
These days, when people talk about newsletter best practices, they’re usually referring to free email newsletters, used as a marketing tool to drive inbound traffic to websites. But because some
Magazines are designed to be read from front to back. They have covers and a table of contents. Magazines are arranged in a series of articles. Portals are not meant
PR is so different now than it was even five years ago, nevermind ten or twenty years ago. Because major news outlets still require press releases, we still publish them,
Pricing psychology is fascinating. A couple cents can change someone's mind about purchasing a product, no matter what the total cost is. For example, some people are more willing to
Digital-only magazines have had their ups, downs, and (in some cases) its “in-betweens.” While some digital magazines have remained powerful and influential after going digital, others have since been discontinued. And
Magazine covers matter. As Samir Husni (aka Mr. Magazine) states in a recent article on Poynter, “The power of the magazine cover in print has always been significant...High-profile people, it’s
If you’re experienced in online copywriting, you know that “you” is generally considered to be one of the most effective copywriting power words, ranking right up there with free, new
Follow these landing page guidelines for your vanity URLs so that people can both remember you and find you organically
You know the importance of landing pages, but it's completely possible
In recent years, publishers have been testing paywall pricing, and for good reason. Hearst, for example, tested a paywall that changed based on what the reader was consuming. Instead of
If your magazine doesn’t have a consistent social media presence by now, then you’re light years behind the competition. It used to be a struggle to get buy-in from the
The web lets publishers create a wide variety of products more affordably than ever. That is good news, but it carries a downside: we aren't experts in creating every digital
If you've considered starting an online magazine, or are a legacy print magazine considering going digital, you've asked this question: How do online magazines generate revenue? And the answer is
It’s amazing to look back to just a year or so ago, when digital magazines were still something of a novelty. Today, it’s a given that print publishers will soon
Magazines are designed to be read from front to back. They have covers and a table of contents. Magazines are arranged in a series of articles. Compare that with other
Email subject lines are just one part of the email delivery equation. Emails are delivered to inboxes based on subject lines, content, and reputation. In some cases, engagement is even
As you know, having an online portal for your information is essential for growth. Using the web to publish and distribute content and not just serve as an extension of
Digital magazine publishing software is important; which option are you using?
Publishers have been trying digital magazine publishing software during the last few years in hopes of creating the best digital
The answer many people give to the common question, “What is a web magazine?” is often incorrect by our definition.
Some may say that a magazine’s website is a web magazine,
Everything we've read as observers of social media and publishing communities tells us that most marketers don't get a click rate on a Tweet of more than one percent, and
Isn't most content online an advertorial these days? With so much conversion architecture built into websites, aren't we always trying to convert visitors into subscribers, or get them to click
Audience development personnel have a very specific, and incredibly important job, within an organization. Writing an audience development job description and then finding the right audience development staff can mean
The steps to facilitating an effective roundtable discussion with roundtable discussion questions
Have you ever run a roundtable discussion?
Throughout my years in publishing, I’ve taken part in countless roundtables. During some,
On content-driven, information-rich websites we use press releases for more than the basic announcement. We also use them to release free white papers because we know they offer more opportunities
Since 2006 we have held these fourteen guidelines as the most fundamental principles of the best website design.
Every website is unique to its own audience, so you can't include things
Multiplatform publishers can generate revenue from users, from sponsors, or both. Consumer-focused portals that are sponsorship-based ask users to pay – not with money, but with time and information. They
In 1926, a long-form print ad for the U.S. School of Music was written by John Caples, and the headline read, "They Laughed When I Sat Down At the Piano,
While the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) began as a tool for self-discovery, it has become a widely used tool for building high performance teams in organizations. It provides users with
Successful website homepage design allows visitors to achieve their goals
Is your website properly designed to meet the expectations of your visitors? Often times websites encourage visitors to take an additional
In-person, live events can be a fun and profitable revenue stream for any multiplatform publishing company. When passionate people are committed to a topic, they want to go to the
How would you like to increase your subscription revenues by almost 60%?
It can be done, and it’s not magic. All you need are a paid subscription website, a couple of
“Hello, sailor. Can I buy you a drink?”
“Do you come here often?”
Of course these silly pick-up lines are good for a laugh, but do you know how to really introduce
Some people accuse me of being an academic wonk. At Mequoda we're often forced to make up our own lingo because you can't pioneer an industry to the digital shores
Over the years of attending in-person publishing events, we noticed a trend where a solid portion of the speakers invited to present are vendors and consultants, and a decent number
In the words of David Ogilvy, "a good advertisement is one that sells the product without drawing attention to itself." And when selling a web magazine, one of the best
Before we get into content marketing podcasts, let's talk about podcasting in general. Podcasting has had a culture that has been behind the scenes lurking in the background for well
Magazine pricing strategy has certainly evolved over the past decade. Back in 2013 we still believed that universal pricing was the best way to handle print, website, and tablet products.
When website users are asked whether they like pop-ups, they say no. They'll say they hate them. They'll tell you they're the most annoying things on the Internet. They might
There's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all content management system. The best CMS for a magazine should be built with a publisher in mind. After all, you have a different
Our clients publish in many different niches: food, investing, archaeology, environmental infrastructure, natural health and clinical pathology among many others. When they first come to us, they have nothing in
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