Bliss goes blogging as it offers readers their own diaries

Emma Rigby,, Revolution UK 04-Oct-04, 08:00

LONDON - Bliss magazine, Emap Elan's teenage monthly, is offering its 300,000 readers the opportunity to run their own internet diaries.

The publisher has joined forces with mobile specialist Mobrio to provide access to the company's personal diary or blogging service, the Zpace, on the Bliss website.

Bliss readers will be able to effectively set up their own website without any prior technical knowledge and upload photos from their camera phones via MMS or email. They can post journal entries via SMS or from a computer and browse their friend's sites over Wap. Users can also personalise the appearance of their site choosing the layout, colours, fonts and page styles.

After a 30-day free trial, users can subscribe at £2.99 a month to continue the service, said Julian Swallow, CEO of Mobrio.

Carmel Hayes, development director of Emap Elan, said: "The launch of Bliss Blog is a perfect fit with our strategy of rolling out unique interactive tools and services for our readers."

Commercial and business development manager Katrina Wallace added: "Bliss readers are very web savvy. Sixty percent of bloggers are teenage girls, so Blissmag.co.uk had to get involved. With the bliss office blog, we are giving readers an insight in life on a magazine. We then offer readers the chance to set up their very own online diaries, where they can share their thoughts and really have a voice."

Swallow commented: "They have a highly interactive participative site. They already have chat and interviews with the editor on the site -- we see blogs as the next thing readers require."

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