Starting with this issue (April 2008), the Pallet Enterprise will be available for FREE as a Web-based, digital magazine. This is a revolutionary new way to experience Pallet Enterprise content. It is the first major trade magazine in the U.S. forest products industry to offer this technology to readers.
While other magazines publish content online, this is the first online publication in the U.S. market that mimics the functionality of the print magazine. More than just a PDF or posting articles on a Web site, the digital edition uses Adobe Flash technology, which allows for the user to have a reading experience similar to a print magazine with the benefits of a Web-based version. It is really the best of both worlds wrapped up into one.
Here is a question and answer article that will help you understand how to use and get the most out of our new digital edition product. It is our most exciting change in years, and we hope that you love it.
Q: What makes the digital edition better than print?
A: The digital edition may not be better than print. It is just different. Print is still the best format if you like to read the Pallet Enterprise in the bathroom or some other remote place. But the digital edition provides improved functionality and faster service. You will probably be able to receive the digital edition any where from 1-3 weeks faster than the print edition. It also offers the potential for Web links, audio and video to be imbedded in the magazine. Those options are not currently available with the print edition. Read below for more benefits.
Q: What are the benefits of the digital edition for subscribers?
A: Here is a detailed list…
• Readers will get the issue much faster than the traditional print publication. In some cases, up to three weeks faster.
• Content becomes truly interactive where readers can go directly from the magazine to related content on the Web.
• Sign up as many employees as you would like. You no longer have to fight over a copy with other people in the office.
• Readers can search the articles using the keyword feature.
• Issues will be archived allowing readers to conveniently search multiple issues for information.
• Ability to forward articles or entire issues to friends.
• The digital edition offers a completely new experience that provides for video, audio and animation possibilities. These new features will be coming soon.
• Available for free worldwide to qualified readers.
Q: What are the benefits of the digital edition for advertisers?
A: Here is a detailed list…
• Direct links from your ad in the digital edition to your Web site.
• Link pictures of your equipment directly to videos or other information given readers more information at the initial point of contact.
• Allow reader to directly contact advertiser via e-mail link within the digital edition.
• Ability to imbed audio or video files directly into your ad.
• Detailed tracking information on the activity connected to your ad.
• Connect your ad with your online promotion and market campaign. Drive traffic directly to your site without having to pay for referral clicks from search engines.
• Faster delivery to the reader than traditional postal mail. Get out your message fast!
• Wider global distribution than print publication since IRI is launching a free digital delivery offer to any qualified company around the globe.
• Ability to develop special sections that are targeted to various audiences in the forest products industry.
• Competitive pricing for print advertisers.
Q: Are you getting rid of the print edition?
A: No, Industrial Reporting Inc. (IRI), the publisher of this magazine, will continue to publish the print editions and will make the digital edition free to any qualified recipient around the globe. Print remains a vital part of our magazine product. This is simply another great way to encounter Pallet Enterprise content.
Customers that want to reduce paper clutter and positively impact the environment can request to only receive a digital edition. This allows them to access the same great content without all the added waste and cost of mailing a print version. Qualified subscribers can sign up for both if they would like.
TimberLine magazine, the sister publication of Pallet Enterprise, is also being made available as a digital edition starting with the April issue.
Q: What about international subscribers?
A: The digital edition is available for free to any qualified foreign company or entity. In order to qualify, you must fit the domestic subscription requirement outlined on the Pallet Enterprise Web site. There is no limit to the number of individual digital subscriptions that a company or single entity can have.
If you currently have a paid print subscription, you can choose not to renew and to simply receive the digital product. Sorry, we do not provide refunds for current paid subscriptions. To find out more about this, contact our circulation department at circulation@ireporting.com
Q: Is there a cost to advertise?
A: While the digital edition is in the ramp up stage, IRI is rebating the full cost of the ad in this new exciting product. Initially, your ad will appear just as it does in the print version. And it won’t cost you a dime.
As the product gains traction, IRI expects to charge for ads in the new digital edition, which offer significant value to advertisers. The digital edition is not free for IRI to produce. However, IRI has decided to subsidize the product in its launch phase. New advertising options and exciting marketing opportunities are in the works. You will be hearing more about this later in the year as you plan your media budget for 2009.
Enhanced features such as audio, video or targeted links are not free from the start due to the high cost involved with adding these elements.
Q: Does it really mirror the usability of a print magazine?
A: Yes, the digital edition is a complete publication with the full look and feel of a print magazine. You will be impressed with the ease of use and readability of this new edition.
From page flipping to zoom in and out features, the interface is very user friendly. Readers will be e-mailed an issue notice each month. All they have to do to download the digital edition is click on the link in the e-mail. No additional plug-in software is needed since most computers today come equipped with Adobe Flash.
Q: Will it take long to download?
A: That all depends on your Internet connection. Produced using Flash technology, these editions should be easy to use and download for readers with a high speed Internet connection (DSL, Cable, T-1). It could take anywhere from 2-5 minutes to download the entire issue depending on the speed of your machine and your Internet connection. The entire issue will download in the background as you view pages.
Our suggestion is to let the issue download while you are away from the screen and to come back in about five minutes. It takes generally about 20 seconds for the first few pages to fully download. Thus, you should have a fairly efficient reading experience as long as you flip from page to page and don’t try to go to the back of the magazine when the issue first starts to download.
Setting your cache to store documents will help with retrieval if you ever go back to an issue. You must have a live Internet connection to access the digital edition even if you have already accessed it in the past.
If you have to access the Web using a dial-up connection, we suggest signing up for the e-mail alert and simply clicking on individual article titles that appear in the email. It might take too long for a dial-up user to download the entire publication. The downside to this is that you will lose out on the functionality of the digital product, which includes links, pictures, audio, video, etc.
Q: What about the Enterprise Insight?
A: The Enterprise Insight e-newsletter offers an advance look at the upcoming issue as well as other industry news and information. It was launched late last year. This free e-newsletter is going to be combined with the new digital edition. If you already receive the Insight, you will automatically receive the update notice of the digital edition. You don’t need to do anything other than to click on the digital edition link in the Insight.
Q: What do all the buttons at the top do?
A: When you first click to open the digital edition a browser window will pop up with a command bar at the top. The issue will download in a page flipping format below. The command bar has the following options: Tools, Archive, Thumbs, Contents, Advertisers, Print, Zoom, Search, and Page Navigation.
The “Tools” command option allows users to forward the issue to others or download the entire thing as a PDF. Warning! PDF downloads take a long time. The archive command brings up previous issues.
The first issue being produced in this new format is the April 2008 issue. The “Thumbs” button creates a quick view thumbnail version of every spread of the issue. The “Contents” and “Advertisers”commands bring up the article contents and advertisers names in that issue. All the other commands are fairly intuitive.
Readers can search for specific terms by using the electronic search option. Also, readers can zoom in and out by clicking on the individual pages. If you click on the article title on a page, the system will generate a copy of the article in a text only format that can be manipulated to enhance viewing. This includes changing the font size, translating the article into a foreign language or connecting the content with a social networking site.
Q: How do I sign up for the digital edition?
A: It is easy and free. You can either go online at www.palletenterprise.com/digitaledition or call 800-805-0263. Note that if you already receive the Enterprise Insight e-newsletter you do not have to sign up. You will already receive the digital edition update announcement as part of that e-newsletter.
