Content That Works

The cover of a magazine—its colors, words and images—determine how quickly a reader will pick it up off of a newsstand or coffee table. With this in mind, editors and designers look for an inspiring or provocative shot to grace the cover—something that represents what the audience wants to see or read about the most, or speaks to a particular demographic. So what happens when there are two (or more) equally compelling stories that are cover worthy? When faced with this dilemma, some editors are choosing multiple covers for one issue.

Nothing makes me want to close my browser tab faster than a website littered with graphics, ads and text all jammed in there together, filling up the entire page. Like with print, using white space online is crucial -- especially since web readers' eyes are likely to be taxed more from reading a web page than a printed one.

Associations can use focus groups as a valuable research tool. They are often used to test new initiatives or concepts with a sample group of members before rolling them out to the association. Before your association dedicates the time and resources to a focus group, be sure to review our five tips:

State your goals
It's important that you are clear about what you want to accomplish with the focus group before you start the project. Get input from key decision makers and use their input to structure the development of the focus group.