Magazine Review: iBlog
Before I share this review of iBlog Magazine, I'm going to be honest. When I first heard about iBlog Magazine, I thought, "Great. Another fluffy publication with articles on how mom bloggers make millions of dollars with actual actionable tips. Just another way to make money on the backs of those who want to get into blogging." I didn't sign up or even check out the publication. I didn't feel I could possibly benefit.
Then, I attended the Mom 2.0 Summit in May, and I was gifted an issue in my swag bag. It had some pretty good articles in it, and most of what was written was information I was pretty familiar with. Many of those interviewed were my colleagues or friends. I thought the publication was professional, but I wasn't convinced that it was something I needed.
Just last week, I attended the Shareasale Think Tank event. This small conference gifted me with another issue of the magazine, this one being their "Money issue." It contained articles pretty much all about how to make money, what other bloggers are making, and how to maximize what I'm already doing to stop leaving money on the table.
That's my kind of publication.
I went through the entire issue and highlighted, made notes, and created a to-do list. Since last week, I have done 5 of 35 "to-do's" that I needed to do from advice given in the magazine, and I have already seen a difference in my earnings. I am excited to try the other items to see how they make a difference.
My opinion of iBlog magazine has been completely changed. The interviews aren't fluff. The articles contain actual, doable advice, including everything from how to post photos to Facebook to maximize exposure, to what you should NOT be doing on Pinterest, to how to improve your blogging processes, to what other bloggers are doing to make money. Ads are kept to a minimum. Every page in this last issue had something to take away for me -- an experienced and full time professional blogger.
If you're not already making a full-time living blogging, you can likely learn even more than I did from this magazine. Who else can benefit? Social media managers, online authors, or anyone who uses blogs or social media to increase their reach.
After I came home, I looked up the magazine online and I subscribed to a full year for less than $80. This included access to all the back issues I missed for viewing online, unique articles, the Boost dashboard (which contains social media headlines to help me keep in the know on new happenings), and more. The billing is set up to be paid all at once, even though the actual price comes out to $5.99 a month (which is what the magazine is worth without all the extras.) You can also sign up for the digital-only magazine for $3.99 a month, or take advantage of their limited free content.
Here are some free articles you can read to see if you might like it:
- How to Create Videos Without Showing Your Face Using Screencast Videos
- Do You Have What it Takes to Succeed as a Blogger?
- The Lazy Blogger’s Guide to Blogging Consistently
- Pinterest Business Account or Personal? Which is Better?
As someone who doesn't mind paying money for tools that actually help grow my business, I think the iBlog Magazine is a great find. I look forward to browsing back issues and seeing what new advice they can give to help me stay on top of my social media game!
*I was not compensated for this review. Opinions are my own.
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