Featuring Print Content Online
Print-to-Web & In-This-Issue Approach
& Digital Editions

How do I post my print content online?

This is a question we hear often and the answer depends on how much time you have to post.

The best option is to post all your print articles as its' own online article while the worst option is to just add a link to a PDF or digital edition on your homepage or sidebar (or not do anything).

Most times, publishers end up somewhere in-between but there is a right way and wrong way to approach this regardless in order to ensure you maximize the impact of your efforts.


Why should you care?


Before we dive in, let's discuss why you should care in the first place.


  1. You spend a lot of time creating great content for print. Why not get the most out of it?
  2. It's great for SEO. More content, more chances to rank in Google
  3. Readers look for it online

The In-This-Issue (ITI) Approach

The ITI approach starts with creating a new article for every issue.


It can have a title like "In This Issue - Winer 2019" or "Mansfield Magazine - June Edition" and a description that highlights the content of the magazine like "Read about plant-powered healing at AroMed, Mammoth Mountain in California, the woods, wetlands, and wild place of East Hanover, and more in the Winter 2019 edition of Here in Hanover magazine."


This ensures that every issue has a permanent place to live on your website (an archive) and that Google can deduce the proper keywords for your site over time.


Regardless of whether your'e posting all your print content online, only some of it, or if you just want to post a digital edition, it's still important to complete this step.

What to include in the ITI article

What you include in the ITI article depends on how you choose to post your print content and personal preference. Common elements include:

  • Embedded digital edition or link to PDF (or link to digital edition hosted on external source although embedded is recommended)
  • Editors note or introductory paragraph
  • Table of contents and/or links out to individual articles
  • Online Exclusives and Extras (see below)
  • List of advertisers from current issue

How to Optimize my ITI article on Your Site

  • Make sure it's prominently placed on your homepage
  • Include a graphic in your sidebar for the current issue with a link to the issue so people who don't come to your homepage first can easily find it
  • Create an archive section to list all ITI articles
  • Include link to archives in your navigation

Locable Publisher Network clients can see the implementation video in that section


Online Extras Complement Print Content

Start with your cutting room floor... it's like the DVD or BluRay extras that didn't make it into the move but are interesting to see.

Examples:

  • Extra Photos (Gallery)
  • Video
  • Extra Interview questions
  • Additional recipes

With some planning, you can drive people from your print product to your website but also from the web to print.

See the Audience Development and Content Distribution section for information about promoting your website more effectively in print.

Next Lesson:  The Role of User Generated Content

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