Levi KeswickWhat makes a good business magazine the best business magazine? (It’s not just the smell!)
In the digital age, I appreciate magazines that aren’t just recycling the content they post to their website. I don’t want to read a magazine full of blog posts!
It has to be something different. And the print design has to be great too!
Before we dive in, have you ever been curious as to what goes in to making a magazine?
An Introduction to Magazines For Entrepreneurs?
These days, if an entrepreneur is looking for a new business magazine to read, the challenge is that there are so many out there. It’s impossible to read them all. (And get a business at the same time!)
So how do you go about choosing which is the best business magazine?
Why Do People Still Read Business Magazines
In a world where the internet has everything, why do people still read print magazines?
Well, print is still desirable sometimes.
If you wonder why a magazine might be interesting for you, ask yourself this: Is it targeted at the audience you’re aiming to reach?
For example, if you’re a plumber trying to reach the homeowner market, you might consider a magazine like The Reader’s Digest.
While the audience you’re targeting might be digital early adopters who are actually more likely to read digital magazines on smart devices, the people who read The Reader’s Digest are more likely to read it on a paper magazine at home, in the doctor’s waiting room or in the dentist’s chair.
A magazine’s home page will tell you who its audience is. If you’re not in that audience, is there a chance that you could venture outside your usual network to reach that audience for an online connection or an offline presentation?
LinkedIn users, for example, take an active role in connecting with people they don’t know. The power of print magazines is that they can break you out of your usual digital social circles and even in to new social circles which you might not otherwise be exposed to.
If you take this approach, you might find the person on the other end of a printed magazine and make a conversational connection which results in a personal referral to someone you’re trying to communicate with.
For example, you might see something in the magazine, call the 800 number and have a respectful discussion with someone about your business. You might be able to do that because you can see pictures of workplaces and people who work there. Your telephone conversation might lead to a business contact or website follow up.
In a world where everyone gets real time push notifications about everything, sometimes it can be fun to get a real physical magazine in your mailbox. It’s like getting a beautiful present!
What Makes A Good Business Magazine
There are so many business magazines out there that it can be difficult to choose among them. What makes a good business magazine the best business magazine?
The business magazine is written with the entrepreneur in mind.
It tells stories of entrepreneurs who are succeeding.
The stories contain ideas, not just information.
The stories are inspirational.
The stories provide a sense of kinship.
The stories are not fluffy – they have substance, and they suggest action items you can take immediately.
The magazine has a link to something other than the website. This can be a pattern, a printable, a free membership, a flyer, a sticker, a business card or a bookmark.
How To Choose A Business Magazine That Appeals To You?
If you’re looking to read a business magazine, here are some ideas to consider:
What language is the magazine written in?
What kind of photos are there to go with it?
Is the magazine targeted at the audience you’re aiming to reach?
Is the magazine’s website better than just a little blog?
How does it engage the reader?
Who is the person on the magazine’s cover?
Is there an interesting article that interests you?
Do you have a favorite column?
What kind of business magazines can you recommend to me?
If the magazines display well, they are higher quality. If you can see photographs clearly, they are printed to a higher standard.
If the magazines are heavily criss-crossed with sticky notes, they aren’t meant to be read and they’re only there to shock you with their retro look. The magazines that do that are probably the best for your coffee table!
Remember that there might be more than one right answer for each question!
How To Start Reading A Magazine
When you start reading a magazine, you often can’t just jump right in to an article.
Instead, start on the first page and read the introductory blurb about the magazine and the article, including the headline, pull-quote (quotation from the story that is used as the editor’s take-away to get you interested) and the kicker (the ending comment in a headline).
This is a great way to get an idea of what the printed magazine is all about. The article might set the tone for the rest of the magazine.
How To Get The Most From A Magazine
Sometimes when we’re reading a magazine, there might be something in it that we disagree with.
That’s okay! It happens!
However, maybe we disagree about the editorial content, not about the details of a specific entrepreneur’s experience.
This can be a valuable perspective. It’s one thing to read something and think, “That was helpful,” and it’s another to read something and think, “I’m glad that somebody else had that experience and could write about it.”
If we can disagree with the editorial content, and take it as just an opinion, we can keep the magazine in our minds, keep its stories in mind and remember what we’ve learned from it. We can use that as a teaching tool.
It’s up to us to take that and apply it to our own business.
That makes the magazine experience invaluable.
Forbes
This product was recommended by Charli Burbidge from Petz
This may seem like your cliche type of answer, but there is not another magazine out there like Forbes. It is both a business magazine, but also just a great read, perfect for someone who wants to be in the know, but not get bored of an article half way through. Everything that is included is fascinating, and really something I enjoy reading. It may be a classic, but it still has that cutting edge stuff that you need to know about, as well as the more old school enterprises and those that are household names. If you are an entrepreneur and do not pick up Forbes, well I think you are doing yourself and your company a great disservice. It could really help you out a lot!
Boat Mag
This product was recommended by Daniel Foley from DanielFoley
A Big part of being an entrepenaur is inspiration and innovation, and for me, i like to look at culture magazines as a way to find inspiration. The best out there at the moment is Boat Mag, which uses a different city as inspiration for each issue. The journal provides different movers, shakers, and inspiring people from these location, which is great for any business leader to have as a way to keep up with worldwide trends, and gain inspiration from all over the glober
CEO Magazine
This product was recommended by Karla Johnson from LACOSTA
My suggestion is for entrepreneurs to read CEO magazine which is an inspirational magazine. The magazine includes executive interviews from high profile CEO’s. These interviews are a great way to get insight as to how to succeed in that specific industry. Additionally they cover interesting business stories and news having to do with entrepreneurial topics.
Fast Company
This product was recommended by Melanie Musson from AutoInsurance
This magazine is geared for young entrepreneurs who are looking to build a solid foundation quickly. It’s full of up-to-date information including the latest innovations and trends. The content will inspire new entrepreneurs and challenge those who have been in the industry for years. Learning from others is an important part of success, and this magazine provides a space to learn from experts across the world.
