What is the best way to Start an Online Magazine with WordPress (In 3 steps)
Through the model of membership, you can launch an online magazine - and still maintain your autonomy
Content that is edited and written for the web is very popular. And it's not hard to see why - it's among the most effective means to communicate ideas and opinions. However, if you've ever thought of starting an online magazine that will share interesting articles (your own and others') but you're not sure be certain of the format it should take.
In this post we'll discuss the reasons you might want to build your magazine on WordPress. Then we'll show you how to start an online magazine using the membership model in three steps. So let's go!
Site Example: The Canary
Canary HTML0 Canary is an awesome model of an online publication built using the model of membership. It's built on an independent host, WordPress + , is 100% membership-based, and is completely independent. It's not constrained by advertisers or third-party platform rules.
As a result, The Canary has won tons prizes for its material, which focuses on ideas and major developments that affect the freedom of speech, equality, democracy, and fairness.
Inspired? Us too!
What you should consider before you Start an Online magazine using WordPress
Editorial content is an effective medium for sharing thoughts and opinions on different issues. It opens up important conversations on issues that matter to all of us.
Freedom
We'd also never suggest publishing anything that falls outside the realms of courtesy and kindness.
Butthese times, you don't have to be radicalized, or politically active to be at risk. Unintentional misunderstandings can put you in violation of your hosts' terms and conditions.
Also, advertising pressure may affect the quality of your content even if you've not breached your host's terms.
That being said, when you build your publication on self-hosted, decentralized WordPress and ...
- Your site isn't at risk of being subject to the possibility of being de-platformed, since you own your site and its contents.
- It is possible to keep control of your customer data. This means that if you need to move your data to another platform, you'll have the option of a free backup. There are no fees, hassles or waiting periods.
- As with The Canary (above), you make your money through memberships. Although you are able toinclude advertisements in your mixture, it doesn't have to. So you won't have to fret about how advertisers can influence the content you use.
Scalability
Membership sites give users the chance to invest into your customers by permitting them to join as contributors. In addition, this can aid in building the content library, but it lets your customers feel heard. Also, people who feel they are heard will stay.
By using the membership model, you can also expand your publications by providing courses. As an example, in addition to providing great material and the opportunity to make contributions to the community, you can also offer the readers courses that will help them enhance their writing skills. And that's a win-win for all.
How to Start an Online Magazine (In 3 Steps)
In this video we'll teach you how you can start your own online publication using the plugin. So you'll need to have an existing WordPress site already in place. If you do not have one yet, there's no need to worry. It's easy.
Read this article by our colleagues at WPBeginner to get started (button below). Once you reach the section titled "Step 4: Add Content To Your Site" Now you're all set to begin .
READ >> The Ultimate WPBeginner's Guide to How to Make A Website by 2022
Step 1: Create Your Membership Tiers and Rules
Let's start with the core of your site's members' tiers. They determine the amount your customers pay for and the content they have access to. It is recommended to start with two levels. In this way, users will have a few choices.
Begin by going to > Memberships > Add New:
After that, you'll have to fill out some sections. Beginning with a concise name and a description of what you can expect from the tier. Then, set your price.
After that, go to membership options. This includes settings such as the terms of registration, access rights and price boxes. Customizing some of these settings will assist in helping improve the checkout experience for your new visitors.
After you've finished, save your completed work. Repeat the process repeatedly as often as you need. After that, you are able to move on to rules by going to > Rules. These govern which users can be able to access which content.
For example, we wanted to establish a policy so that only users in the same membership level can gain access to a specific category. We'll therefore select the category to be our protected contentand define that membership level as our Access Terms:
Make sure to save your rule. Repeat the procedure to add each additional condition that you wish to include.
Step 2: Create Informative Courses
Like I said, education courses are an excellent way to support an editorial web site. Helping writers improve their skills can be beneficial for your site , as it will result in higher quality content as well as a more engaged audience.
To get started, head to the Courses tab and then Add New:
In this section, you'll be able to enter some information about your course , and then set up some of the settings. For a more in-depth review of your options, check out our comprehensive tutorial on courses.
It is recommended to start with courses for beginners. The majority of users who'd take advantage of such courses online will likely not be experienced in writing for an online publication.
Step 3: Begin an Affiliate Program
A membership site gives several benefits. But, it is possible to .
Affiliate programs allow you to find independent partners (affiliates) to promote your site. The affiliates you recruit will receive the commission each time a person they refer joins your publication.
As you can see, affiliate marketing can be a successful model to expand the reach of your advertising, while retaining your independence.
In the event of a crisis, there are many options to start your own affiliate business. We suggest our companion software Simple Affiliate. The tool is integrated directly into and offers a ton of options, such as:
- Cookieless commission monitoring
- Fraud detection
- In-depth reports
Start by signing up for an account, following which, you'll need to install and activate the plugin. After it's set up, go to :
Make sure that the slider in the first choice is set to the "on" place, and then click the Update Options option. That's it! Easy Affiliate is now connected to . The only thing you need do is head into the Easy Affiliate dashboard and set up your program.
Affiliate Marketing Use Cases
The strategy of affiliate marketing is a viable option for your business in by a number of different ways, including through outside affiliates and contributing affiliates.
External affiliates can be almost any person - editors of magazines from other publishers blogger, bloggers, social media influencers and podcasters. Their affiliate links would link directly to your magazine from wherever they placed it in their articles. If one of their readership users subscribed to the magazine using the link of an outside affiliate an affiliate could be paid a fee.
The affiliate's unique link is attached to"subscribe" "subscribe" button. Every time someone subscribed to read the remainder of the article, that contributor would earn an income. This is a fantastic incentive to top-quality writing!
The Takeaway
Editorial writing is a unique kind of content. It is a great way to spark thoughtful discussion among the users who develop their abilities. A membership site can help to connect authors and create communities.
- Create your membership tiers along with the rules to go to them.
- Develop informative training courses that will you support your authors.
- Set up an affiliate program that will promote your affiliate program to members who are interested.
Have you got any queries regarding how to begin an online magazine using WordPress? Tell us via the comment section in the bottom of this post!
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