Going from Print to Web Means Creating Added Value

(Photo by Jeff Samoray)

During an interesting conversation I had recently with a magazine editor, she mentioned a problem common to many organizations: finding ways to create an online presence for a publication. With some degree of frustration, she admitted that her bosses think the best way to do this is to slap a PDF of every issue on their website.

This approach isn’t effective because it’s just electronic duplication – a PDF alone doesn’t provide added value or give readers an incentive to visit your website. With blogs and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter constantly grabbing for our attention, organizations need to take a more creative approach to attracting and retaining readers.

Here are some more creative ways to place a printed publication online:

Web extras
There’s only so much space in a printed piece, but the web is nearly infinite. Editors often have too much copy for a given story. The material might be great, but there’s just no place to put it. In those instances, try creating some compelling sidebars that can be placed online as “web extras.” Are you featuring a piece about your hospital’s new healthy lifestyle campaign? Send readers to your website for some healthy and easy-to-prepare recipes.

Audio and video clips
For your best feature stories, encourage your writers to get audio or video recordings of their interview subjects whenever possible. If the person recorded is compelling, then you have an intriguing web extra. Have you interviewed a doctor about a new robotic surgical device? Send your readers online to view a short video of the surgeon demonstrating how it works. Got a story about an author who just published his first novel? Create an audio clip of the author reading a selection from the opening chapter.

Of course, the writer will need to get permission from the interviewee before hitting the “record” button.

Photo slideshows
Again, there's only so much space within a printed publication. If you can fit just a couple shots from that reel of great pictures taken for your cover story, place the rest online in a photo slideshow. I once wrote about a hospital that held a photography contest for its employees. The hospital framed the best photos – most of outdoor scenes – and displayed them prominently on a patient floor. The photos were stunning and the patients loved them. Only a few could be printed in the publication – the rest were ripe for display online.

QR (quick response) codes
Let’s face it – your readers are becoming more accustomed to reading newspapers, magazines and other publications on their smartphones. If you’re not capitalizing on smartphone technology, know that others are. Many publications offer QR codes for readers to scan with their devices for online extras. Binghamton University Magazine does just that. For example, on the back cover of the Spring 2011 issue, a QR code directs readers to an online registration page for the university’s fall 2011 homecoming celebrations.

Have you tried other ways to create an online presence for your publication? Have you used some of the strategies listed above? What kind of results have you achieved? Please let me know in the comments.

About the Author: Jeff Samoray is an award-winning copywriter and editor who specializes in health care and medical writing. Follow Jeff on Twitter and LinkedIn and visit his website to learn more about his writing, editing and creative consulting services.