As digital publishers, one of the greatest drivers of online magazine success is engagement. Engaged readers are happy readers, who are more likely to read on, return and subscribe to your digital magazine.

Leading publishers like the FT, Telegraph and LA Times use engagement to acquire new readers and drive increased revenue through digital subscriptions. At the core of reader engagement is great content, around this digital magazine publishing platforms provide features to build and enhance your core content. 

In this post we explore some of the platform features - available in YUDU Publisher - you can use to drive increased levels of user engagement.

Content Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks are a powerful tool for driving magazine engagement in the digital realm. Content hyperlinks are multifunctional and can be deployed in a number of ways to enhance user experience:

• Providing additional information - adding a hyperlink to your digital magazine is a great way to enhance your base content with additional information resources. Readers can further explore areas interest that were referenced in your magazine articles.
• Improving navigation - hyperlinks are a powerful way to provide ease of navigation for readers of your magazine content. For example, by adding hyperlinks to you contents section gives readers the ability to instantly navigate straight to their article of choice.

Depending on your digital magazine format, there are different ways to implement content hyperlinks:

• Overlay the content - if your magazine is a digital replica of your print magazine, converted from a PDF, you can overlay the images with hyperlinks to achieve the desired outcome.
• Add the required HTML - if your magazine is a digital first design you can add hyperlinks direct to the content in the form of an HTML <a> href Attribute.

Pop-Up Content

Adding pop-ups in your digital magazine content introduces an interactive element you can use to capture attention and elevate engagement to all new levels. They are incredibly versatile and can include include virtually any content type of your choosing - video, images, animations, live tours, forms.

Used effectively, content pop-ups create unforgettable user experiences that bring readers back time and again, fostering loyal and deeply engaged subscribers.

Social Sharing

We all love to share interesting content with friends and family, and it doesn't just have to be a funny GIF or the latest meme. By adding social sharing capabilities to your digital magazine you create an additional layer of engagement for readers.

When reading an interesting article, or finding a new product, your readers have the capacity to instantly share their discovery with friends, family, and followers. Not only does this amplify the reach of your magazine content, it allows your users to transform their reading experience into a social interaction.

Depending on the publishing platform you use, their are two ways to integrate social sharing functionality:

• Embed social sharing links directly in the content - if your digital publishing platform supports content hyperlinks, you can add social sharing capabilities directly within your magazine content.
• Add social sharing buttons in the navigation toolbar - a lot of digital publishing platforms will have an interactive toolbar where you can include social sharing functionality.

Digital Magazine Archive

Creating a digital archive of your past magazine publications builds a space for your subscribers to re-engage with their favourite content.

A digital magazine archive is also a great way to demonstrate value to new subscribers. You use it as a mechanism to differentiate from print subscriptions, or simply as a value add for all new customers. So, when signing up to a digital subscription, readers can get immediate access to the complete back catalogue of your magazine publications.

A digital magazine archive is a really powerful tool for nurturing new subscribers and converting them into highly engaged readers who recognise the value of your content. From here, it's a short step to them becoming life-long readers and advocates that bring in all new readers.

Multimedia Content

Adding multimedia content to your digital magazine will bring it to life. You introduce an entirely new dimension that offers subscribers a richer, more exciting and unique reading experience that is simply unrivalled by traditional print or static digital magazines.

Here are few ideas in which you can use multimedia content to drive engagement:

• Add video - pair your content piece with a video that adds value for the reader to enrich their experience and provide a deeper engagement.
• Add audio - it's increasingly common to see magazine articles paired with their audio transcription - giving subscribers an alternative medium through which to consume your content.
• Include a 360-degree product view - if you're reviewing a car, computer, or clothing; embed an accompanying interactive product display to give the reader a unique experience.
• Provide value add content - you have limited real-estate in a digital magazine, but a pop-up allows you to add in value add content that doesn't take up additional space.

In this article, we have only started scratching the surface on how digital magazine publishing platforms can be used to increase reader engagement. Each of the platform features outlined in this post can be combined with countless content strategies to increase magazine engagement.

Stick with us to discover more in future.

Blog cover image by Brooke Lark on Unsplash