Finding free magazines for business owners can help any size business, from a small home-based operation to a multi-national corporation, be more involved in their specific industry without involving their budget.
Types of Magazines
There are two basic types of magazines that business owners may be able to get for free: trade publications and consumer publications.
- Trade Publications: These business-only magazines cannot generally be purchased by a casual consumer, and they often contain specialized information geared toward people involved in the industry. For example, a medical trade publication would be more likely to discuss upcoming medical conferences and cutting edge techniques rather than offer general fitness tips that would be found in a consumer health magazine.
- Consumer Publications: These magazines are the ones most often found in bookstores and on newsstands. They offer tips, advice, and articles to consumers who may not have any other connection to the associated industry other than their personal interest. For example, a consumer travel magazine would likely discuss great getaway ideas and travel tips instead of the potential merger of two airlines.
Business owners who want to take advantage of the publishing world to stay ahead of the trends in their industry should regularly read both trade and consumer publications. There are magazines available for all industries, from travel, real estate, and culinary arts to beauty, health, writing, finance, and agriculture. Trade magazines can help business owners expand their expertise, while consumer magazines can help them understand the issues their customers are interested in.
Finding Free Magazines for Business Owners
There are several resources for business owners to find free magazines.
- Free Subscriptions: Many trade publications offer free subscriptions to business owners who can demonstrate their connection to the industry.
- Trial Offers: Limited free trial offers can help business owners determine if they want to purchase a new magazine subscription without financial risk.
- Related Purchases: Some magazines may offer free subscriptions if business owners purchase a related subscription or associated products.
- Professional Organizations: Many trade publications are put out by professional guilds, unions, and organizations and are free for registered members in good standing.
- Alumni Organizations: Similar to professional organizations, many alumni organizations sponsor publications for related industries that business owners can get for free if they are alumni members.
- Donations: A trade organization may offer free magazines for business owners who regularly donate to charitable causes related to the industry, such as construction magazines for contractors involved with Habitat for Humanity.
- Advertising Partners: Business owners who regularly advertise with a particular publication may be entitled to free subscriptions.
- Online Offers: Many websites offer a range of free magazines and other discounts business owners can investigate. Websites with free offers for both trade and consumer magazines include:
Why are These Magazines Free?
Publishers offer free magazines for a variety of reasons. If the magazines are being provided to business owners, those reasons may include:- Attracting Advertisers: A business owner who is familiar with a publication is much more likely to pay for advertising.
- Expanding the Client Base: Business owners frequently provide magazines for their customers to read, which in turn may increase subscriptions for the magazine.
- Tax Breaks: Publishers may be able to declare tax deductions for free magazines provided to businesses under charitable or educational clauses.
Using Free Magazines to Boost Business
Once a business owner has several types of free magazines, they can use them in a number of ways to boost their business. Offering complimentary magazines for clients to read in a waiting area helps build a sense of friendship and caring between businesses and consumers, as well as making consumers feel more at ease while waiting. At the same time, business owners should carefully read all the relevant publications to stay abreast of trends, news alerts, public opinion, and popular ideas that can dramatically impact their business. Finally, using the money that no longer needs to be spent on subscriptions and instead placing advertisements in those magazines not only helps keep the publications free, but also has the potential to attract hundreds of new clients specifically interested in the magazine's - and business's - content.
Free magazines for business owners can help expand their business in many ways, and there are many options for finding free publications so businesses can indulge in extra subscriptions without extra expenses.
