- Image via Wikipedia
A good magazine can be a great way to garner blog design ideas and other ways to improve your blog. Read through this post and then be prepared to STEP AWAY from the computer.
Take your notepad, pencil, sticky notes, and a couple favorite magazines (preferably in your topic area) and go away. Take as much time as you need to peruse carefully.
Look at the front cover. Design ideas, color scheme, layout, fonts, etc. Are you missing sub-topics in your niche? See any good post ideas? Great writing inspiration? How is the magazine making money? How are they engaging readers?
Darren gives several additional ideas, including the step-by-step process of how he usually does this analysis. Pick up your own copy of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog and look at page 69 and 70.
Also be on the lookout for topics you might be able to contribute to the magazine. One of things I cover in my Making Money ebook (link to purchase in the sidebar) is how to create query letters, approach magazine editors and try to break into print magazines.
Your challenge today is to look through a magazine or two and to make notes as they come to you.
This is brilliant advice. In my niche Gary Arndt from Everything Everywhere (one of Time Magazines top 50 blog) said he studied travel magazines before he created his blog. What he learned he instituted online. I guess it worked. 🙂 This is definitely something I plan to do before my redesign m=next month.