Point Zero Magazine

Point Zero Magazine - Issue 1

There is a new magazine on the block, called Point Zero Magazine. It is published by Point Zero Media, a conference and exhibition producer. The magazine itself, however, has little to do with event or conference production, instead being touted as “…the only online magazine resource dedicated to Web 2.0.” (From the site). Despite some initial credibility concerns, I decided to go ahead and take a look at issue number 1.

The registration form was simple and staight forward, granting me immediate access to the magazine. The online interface came up, a slick interactive flash presentation that was easy to figure out and navigate. The issue itself is obviously professionally produced, and looks just like you would expect a magazine to look like, with clear graphics, table of contents and print style masthead.

The articles are targeted to enterprise users, focusing on brand management and using social media as an advertising platform. In other words, the usual fare to be found in this space. The articles are well written and professionally produced, and worth looking over though I didn’t see much that I would call new or innovative. Overall I found this magazine to be just that: another magazine. There is little to make it stand out from the pack or make it to my “must read” list.

Now for the bad news: for a Web 2.0 magazine, there is virtually no web 2.0 integration, both on the site or in the publication. The site’s header graphic consists of a bunch of social media icons that link to Point Zero’s various profiles. There is little else on the site to integrate social media into the experience. The same story continues in the magazine itself. The only social media links that I could discover within the publication were the same icons, shown but once, at the bottom of the editor’s letter. There is a “share” feature in the magazine viewer that isn’t too bad. Clicking the envelope icon at the bottom right of the viewer window brought up a standard “Add this” box that allowed me to twitter the specific page I was viewing.

Overall, I think that there is room in the market for a magazine of this nature, but if it is to be truly successful and valuable to both enterprise and consumers alike, Point Zero Media is going to have to start thinking outside of the traditional publisher’s box and really get some serious Web 2.0 action integrated into the magazine. Make it easier to share the articles, by way of making the share options more obvious. Provide a space for discussions on the articles, again with the caveat that this needs to be easy to spot and use. In other words, the mechanism could be there, but I couldn’t see it at a glance. And we all know that in the online world, a glance may be the only chance you will get to communicate with your audience.

Sorry guys, but I have to say that my verdict is this: Standard. The feel is one of a standard digital magazine with some Web 2.0 stuff added just because that’s the way we do things now. If you can kick it up to the next level and transform your Web 2.0 magazine into something that is truly Web 2.0, then you will have something worth putting on my “must read” list.