Disclaimer: Aside from getting a copy of the magazine for free, I was not compensated in any way for this review, nor was I asked to review it; this is of my own volition.

I just received a free copy of the new magazine Social Media Monthly, courtesy of Laura Tellado. This is a print magazine (yes, a social media magazine that exists in print form) that has lots of content about social media. Being that this is one of (If not the only) print magazine that discusses something in new media, I felt the need to look at it.

What it is

The magazine describes itself as a “Review and analysis of the Social Media Evolution.” Founded by Robert Fine, the magazine itself has a collection of stories related to social media, from news about new applications or websites to interviews with major players of social media (The launch issue features an interview with Empire Avenue Creator Duleepa Wijayawardhana.) There are no departments in the magazine, but I assume this is because of the youth of the magazine.

What I like

Some critics may denounce SM Monthly on the grounds that it’s a print magazine, but I feel that this is one of its strong points. This gives social media a sense of authority that it really needs at this point. Furthermore, this also lets people who don’t know much about social media get to know it more…instead of messing around all over the Internet looking for information, they can buy the magazine at their friendly neighborhood newsstand.

As for the magazine itself, the graphics are very nice, as is the content. The table of contents looks rather interesting, and reminds me of what Windows 8 is going to look like. The article on Instagram is interesting as it’s more of a photo essay that shows what the iPhone app is capable of. Ads are present in the magazine, but they are thankfully small enough such they they are still noticeable, but don’t distract from the content. I also like how just about every app has a QR code. 

What could be improved

One thing I keep wondering about as I read the magazine is who exactly is this aimed for? Is this aimed for people who want the latest news in social media, new techniques in effective social media, or something that provides general information and news (Which in my opinion is the better choice, as it gives people more access to the magazine.) A magazine such as this should aim to please everybody who works social media, from community managers, to SEO/SEM writers to analytics specialists, to social media newbies who have no clue what any of this is. Basically the social media equivalent of Popular Science.

As a more nitpicky thing: If it were me, I would put the author’s social media information (e.g, Twitter name, website, email) on the author’s byline, rather than at the end of the article. That way, readers can check up on the person writing the article, and it makes it more likely that the author will get something out of it, such as a new Twitter follower. 

What I want to see

As the magazine builds in readership and clout, I’d hope to see established departments alongside features, to help the magazine be organized. Departments will help get readers with different SM specialties as well, since they know what they want to see.

Here’s some ideas:

• Major Player Interview – I like the interview with Duleepa, and I’d love to see at least one person get interviewed per month. It could be the founder of a new social network, A person getting a lot of fame through social media, or a social media rockstar (ugh) that could share their tips and techniques.
• Tips and Tricks: Speaking of techniques, I propose a department for doing something with social media, like a how-to for things. This also helps people just getting into social media get started with things like campaigns, hosting a community, or writing content.
• Gadgets: Social media people love their gadgets. The magazine could review some of the newest gadgets and how they help with social media. Apps can also be reviewed as they are the front line of social media for these gadgets. My only caution is to stay away from overly emphasizing one gadget or company (cough…Apple…cough) because that does get annoying.
• Have departments on techniques for the different areas of social media (Analytics, community, etc.) They could also be news as well.

The bottom line

Overall, for the first issue, the magazine is quite polished. I think it’s a great start to making Social Media more accessible to the general populace, and helps newcomers see where to start for learning about social media. I’m definitely subscribing to it. At the very least, it’s a tax write-off.

Social Media Monthly is currently available at $6.99 an issue at newsstands. Subscriptions are currently $29.99 ($39.99 for Canada and $79.99 for other countries) for 12 issues, this will be raised to $34.99 on June 30th, so be quick. All subscriptions include access to the digital version of the magazine.