An interactive digital magazine helps to increase readership and engagement

There is never too much information out there for parents dealing with the challenges of school and day-to-day family life. In response to that need, Back to School magazine, which evolved from a print version entitled 'Every Child Magazine', a guide to starting school, was launched.

Challenge

Due to the high cost of print, but also because of the potential of digital features to attract advertisers and readers, especially when it comes to being versatile about content, the publisher, DigiMags, made a definite decision to find a cost effective digital vehicle for delivering content to parents of every child at primary school.

Solution

The publisher set out on a quest to find a suitable solution that would provide a simple workflow for adding, moving and modifying pages at any point. Also very important was the ability to be creative with page layouts, distribute the digital magazine to every device, and analyse metrics.

Edition Digital fit that bill perfectly and gave the publisher confidence to produce striking and imaginative content for their readers. In the publisher’s own words, “Interactive detail, videos and mobile versions can be made in seconds freeing valuable time for content creation. Animation really helps the magazines stand out in a crowded marketplace, so having the freedom to test new ideas and show the work the way WE want it shown, is invaluable. The latest version takes this to another level with comprehensive animation tools, flexible customisation options and in-depth user statistics.”

From a design perspective Edition Digital is flawless which gives us
confidence to produce more striking and imaginative content for our readers. 

- Ben Brewis
Design Director, Digimags

Distribution & Engagement 

BTS showcases articles from prominent figures in education, literature, finance and nutrition, with an emphasis on making everything easier for parents to digest and understand. The magazine is published four times a year - at the start of every school term - with one additional special Xmas issue, all of which are freely available at the magazine’s Folio page and also a branded iOS app. The magazine is primarily targeted at mums, dads and guardians who have shown an interest in parental advice and primary school education.

DigiMags, the publisher of Back to School Magazine, is cooperating with schools across the UK, who help promote their site and apps in both their newsletters to the parents and their school websites. Subscribing to the magazine is made very easy on the magazine’s website and also within the magazines themselves, by using a simple subscription form.

Outcome

Back to School digital magazine is immediate, versatile, creative, unique and forward thinking digital magazine. In combination with good content, this is the recipe to increase readership and engagement (since going digital, BTS doubled the number of new readers).

Last but not least, interactivity and animations helped attract more advertisers to come aboard, which enables the publisher to continue improving and expanding the magazine, and, ultimately, succeeding in their mission to make parents’ lives just a bit easier.