In the space of few days I was notified about completely digital versions of some of my favourite magazines. The terrific Australian 'mook' Dumbo Feather, is offering a free trial of one of their recent issues, and the US based ReadyMade magazine is offering a 'tree-free' version of their latest issue. Great to see the world of magazines evolving.
Then Springwise tell me about issuu, where you can create and publish YOUR OWN MAGAZINE. I'm in publishing nirvana.
What issuu really does is take your run of the mill pdf file, and make it a flip-the-page style digital file, which you can then share on their website, or embed on others.
See for example the Media Kit created by MMP Communications which they then embedded into their website, the case study booklet by AdWalker or Network PR's monthly newsletter. But what about also using it for your clip books, brochures, white papers, portfolios etc etc?
To test it out, I took a pdf version of the Slice tour on our website, and converted it into an issuu file, then posted it to our facebook page. Admittedly the text is too small, and you need to zoom in, but more usability testing will further refine the interface. The great thing about the file though is it adds interactivity to your website, and allows people to access graphic information without having to download a pdf file. Also by sharing the information on the issuu website and inviting comment, you've created another tool in your web 2.0 arsenal.
Issuu describes themselves as "the place for online publications: Magazines, catalogs, documents, and stuff you'd normally find on print. It's the place where YOU become the publisher: Upload a document, it's fast, easy, and totally FREE. Find and comment on thousands of great publications. Join a living library, where anyone finds publications about anything and share them with friends."
But hey, don't be shy. Just get on issuu, give it a whirl and see where your creative comms juices take you. It's free after all!
Tracking the media, monitoring the message
