Content: Web vs Magazine and how they work together.

First let me begin by saying that Inc.com has so much free content on their site it’s hard to track and make sense of it all. The articles and stories on the homepage are different from those published in the print edition. But you can find some of them under the magazine tab on the site. The homepage contains about 20 short articles that average 350 words per topic. The article links include eye-catching photos as well as attention getting titles. The cover story in the November issue tops out at approximately 5000 words. It’s clear the printed articles provide more depth than those freebees on the homepage. These short articles, are written by Inc.’s editorial staff and hand-picked entrepreneurial experts. At the end of each one, the author’s picture appears along with a short bio. This brings credibility to the content.

Timely information appears on the homepage, everything on this page has been posted within the last week. Related articles scroll across the bottom, encouraging further investigation. The special section at the end of the homepage is very interesting. It contains links to all sorts of fascinating visually appealing media. Currently you’ll find, pictures of the world’s coolest offices, videos of 30 entrepreneurs under 30, and 50 top picks for business travel. The menu that runs below the Inc. logo is filled with business topics. Under each menu you’ll find several articles that have been written within the past two years. These articles have been pulled from the site, their e-newsletters and the physical magazines. Inc.com has a blogs tab and bloggers provide new content about once a week. Their Ask.Inc tab also creates a fair amount of new material through questions and answers. Tools, Guides and Inc.TV provide readers with additional information to help them on the road to small business ownership.

The content in the magazine is organized differently than online. They have sections like, Editors Letter, Content, Launch, Street Smarts, Get Real, Innovation, The Goods, Legacy, Case Study and Strategy. Each edition boasts 4 in-depth feature articles. Most of these sections are not available on their site. In many instances Inc. uses the magazine to drive traffic to Inc.com. Page 10, of each issue highlights the items on the website. It consists of 12 blurbs that encourage readers to log on. The November issue actually dedicated 2 pages to promote the web and their social media networks. Every 10 to 12 pages in the lower left hand corner the reader will see a •|com symbol along with a little prodding to check the website. Inc. Magazine and Inc.com distribute an enormous amount of timely, accurate, easily accessible content to their readership. I’m sure this is the key to their success.