7 Tips for Designing a Magazine to Promote Your Small Business » Succeed As Your Own Boss (2024)

With the growing trend of technology, a lot of people believe that the need for magazine printing has reduced. However, that is far from the truth! There are a lot of people who still enjoy reading magazines. There’s just something about a printed issue that an online magazine fails to offer. Well-established and upcoming businesses require a magazine to showcase their products or services. Along with this, a magazine is also a fantastic way to reach out to new and potential clients. Additionally, with a single magazine issue, you can reach out to a wide range of customers at one go. In short, publishing a print magazine is a sure shot way that will help increase sales for your business.

The way you design your magazine plays a very important role. If you want your magazine to stand out, then the design has to be spot-on. Wondering how you can design the perfect high-impact magazine? From nailing the cover to using clever fonts, these tips for designing a magazine will ensure that you create a truly stunning magazine.

7 Tips for Designing a Magazine to Promote Your Small Business

1. Nail the Cover

The cover is the first thing people will see. There’s no point in having amazing content inside when people are not even going to open it. This is why it is so important to have a cover that automatically catches the eye. In simpler terms, your cover acts as an invitation to the readers. Designing a magazine cover to attract readers does not necessarily mean that it has to be loud or gaudy. A simple and minimalist cover can have just as much impact.

Here’s are some things to consider while designing a magazine cover:

• Include a catchy heading.
• Use strong sub-headings that gives insight about a particular story or article in your magazine.
• Feature a number of smaller sub-headings that give an overview of the major stories in your magazine.

Using headings and sub-headings placed along with apt photographs and the right amount of white space is the simplest way to create a classy cover.

2. Add Pops of Color

Adding color to your magazine is a sure way to ensure that your magazine looks attractive. However, if you add too much, it can end up looking ghastly. You need to understand how to use colors wisely and balance them across your magazine. Sometimes, even a single pop of color can make a page look attractive. Imagine a page with a black and white theme and a single pop of color. It’s simple but looks highly attractive. In all, it is important to remember that while color adds life to your magazine, it is important not to overdo it. Take your time to understand what colors will work the best and apply them in a subtle yet appealing manner.

3. Perfect Content Pages

Apart from the cover design, the next thing that readers notice is the content pages. Your content has the power to make or break your magazine, so make sure that it is functional and easy on the eyes. Readers should be able to understand and articles or sections within articles with ease. For instance, if you have a lot of content to display – don’t stuff it all on a single page; spread it out and opt for two-pages instead. Trying to stuff a lot of content on a single page will make your magazine too difficult to read. Plus, a good magazine content layout is incomplete without enticing images and excellent typography.

Usually, magazines follow a standard grid format. However, that does not mean that you have to stop your creativity from flowing. Content placement for magazines is entirely different from books. Just make sure that the content pages are well-structured and well-styled.

4. Be Clever with Fonts

Apart from attractive images and typography, your content majorly revolves around the text. The type of font that you pick will play a huge role in how the design of your magazine turns out. While choosing a font, the headline and the body of the content can have two different fonts. You can always opt for a stylish font for the headlines which will immediately grab the attention of a reader. Similarly, for the body of your content, you can pick a simple yet modern font. Make sure that the fonts that you choose for the headline and the body are easy to read.

5. Use Infographics

Infographics have the power to immediately grab the attention of a reader. An infographic is much more convenient and exciting to read. Instead of long paragraphs, you can combine pictures and text to give your magazine an extra punch. Typically infographics are used to break down intensive and complex text, and present it in the most understandable manner possible using the help of images. Additionally, infographics are way more interactive compared to text-heavy articles. Apart from the content, you can use a wide range of styles for your infographic.

6. Be Consistent

Once you have decided on the font, layout, and design – stick to it. If you try to change the design or layout for every new page, your magazine loses its identity. Mixing too many elements and styles will give your magazine a more jarring look. Make sure that you are working around the font style, typography, and colors that you have chosen.

7. Look for a Dependable Printing Company

Finally, look for a dependable printing company. This is probably one of the most important aspects of designing a magazine that will be high-impact. Without a reliable printing company, your magazine might not turn out the way you had imagined. The right printing company will allow you to get custom magazine printing done at a reasonable cost. Moreover, apart from saving time and money, a good printing company also makes sure that you get reliable on-time delivery.

These 7 tips for designing a magazine will help you create the ultimate magazine for your small business. By spotlighting your product or service and demonstrating your expertise, you will be on the way to more leads, customers and sales.

About the authour: Adam Smith is a marketing director at Mixam who loves to motivate entrepreneurs and startup holders. He writes for magazines and blogs on topics pertaining to leadership and success. While not at work, he is either on vacation or binge-watching series on Netflix.