Publish Your Own Community Magazine

Back in the day, print media was king. There was a wide array of community magazines from which to choose. But like most things, there are pros and cons with the way things used to be.

Nowadays, more people are turning to online resources for their information needs but that doesn’t mean print is obsolete or irrelevant. Published magazines have an organic feel about them: they provide a sense of connection and belonging that you can just’t get from reading something on your laptop screen or phone screen.

Publishing a community magazine also lends itself well as an organisation builder and fundraiser as well as being a tremendous marketing opportunity for local businesses who want to stay connected with their customers.

Here are some of the benefits of publishing a community magazine:

○To help your members feel like part of a team

○To provide them with information, entertainment and ideas to help them improve their lives

○To help build your brand and promote your business, as well as helping local organisations/businesses.

○By publishing a community magazine they’re helping their local community grow.

○It makes good business sense to stay connected and involved in what your customers are doing. People like to know what's going on in their area so when you publish a community magazine you're letting them know about your events/specials etc., and vice versa.

○By publishing a magazine you’re building brand awareness for local businesses and organisations.

○If your members are part of a community group/church/school then chances are they already have their own newsletter or other printed media but there is still a need for something that lies outside of the organisation to be published. A community magazine helps fill this gap.

○Local businesses can advertise in your magazine, giving them great exposure to a community that they may not reach themselves.

○It gives community groups and organisations a dynamic way of keeping members informed of what’s going on.

○Community magazines are usually printed at least once a year, so there is ample opportunity for advertising which means more funds for your group/organisation. The cost of this can be shared between members or paid for by the group and then distributed through the magazine as a fundraising opportunity.

○A community magazine is a great way to showcase your local talent. It can be sourced from within your group, members of the community or you may want to approach local artists and businesses for submissions. A good example of this would be having an article submitted by a guest speaker at one of your monthly meetings or a listing of art work/jewellery made by members of the group.

○By publishing a magazine your community will feel like they have their own voice and that you really care about what they have to say. It also gives them something to talk about as they share it with friends, family and work colleagues.

○Your community magazine will be a great talking point, give something for people to do once they finish work and help them feel like part of a team.

So what do you need to know to publish a magazine?

1.Where and how many copies you want to print

If you’re going to go it alone then the more copies you can have printed, the more money you can make! But if you’re putting together a volunteer team then start with as few as 10-30 copies just so that everyone involved has a chance to see how much work goes into producing one before making their mind up about producing more.

2.How you’ll pick up copies

It’s important to have a plan on how you’re going to get the magazines from your printer to your customers. Maybe your group/organisation will do it or maybe you'll have a few friends who are willing to take one for the team.

3.Design of your magazine

There are free and paid for design templates out there so make sure your magazine is consistent in feel with other publications in the area. It could also be worth having a consultation with an experienced graphic designer if you need some help getting started.

4.Publishing schedule

You can choose to be more regular with your magazine than others or you can publish within a specific time period. The format of the magazine will help decide how regular you want to be but would generally advise if your group/organisation meets maybe once a month, then it’s probably best to have it published once every two or three months.

5.How much the cost will be for each copy

Make sure everyone knows what’s going to happen with the money they pay for their magazines, whether subscription based or if there’s a donation box in your meeting/event room accepting voluntary contributions.

6.What information you want to include

○The best way to decide what goes into your magazine is by asking yourself what your members/subscribers would like to see in it. They’re your target market so make sure you understand their needs and ensure the information is relevant and timely.

○You might choose to advertise special events or promotions that are happening at venues or businesses in the area. This will help local businesses continue to grow while also maintaining a strong connection with the local community.

○As a community magazine you may choose to cover the issues that your members are concerned about. These could be local issues, elections, crime, health and the recent budget cuts etc.

○You can include articles about local events or activities. A good example of this would be how to get involved in a community group or church and so on.

○You can include articles about your group/organisation, their history and how they were formed. Also how to get involved in more voluntary activities and ways of fundraising for the group/organisation itself.

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Conclusion

You may be the person who wants to start their own community magazine, so we would like to thank you for taking your time to read this eBook.

We hope that we have helped you with encouraging you to take action. If you have any questions that are not covered, please visit our website: www.communitymagazineworldwide.com

Also feel free to email us if you need any further help: sales@communitymagazineworldwide.