The startup turning smartphone shots into monthly magazines is now going beyond the personal photo album. Recently’s new social network, Followers, allows photographers, Instagrammers and businesses to publish and monetize their own monthly or quarterly publications.
Recently started in 2015 as a way to automatically print camera roll photos into a coffee table-worthy magazine, but with this week’s announcement, users will soon be able to use the program to monetize photographs or promote a business. Using the new platform, businesses or individuals can privately invite their followers to subscribe to their magazine or add a public link to their social media and web pages.
Followers allows creatives to expand their reach into a tangible format, Recently says. The new platform will take a similar approach to the automated personal magazines by streamlining the design, subscription and distribution process. Along with Instagrammers and photographers, Recently said the new subscription option can also be helpful for musicians, brands and even schools.
“At Recently, we believe in the power of print to augment and accentuate digital creativity,” said Recently co-founder, Scott Valins. “Traditionally, this level of quality publication was only available through large scale publishing processes, now anyone can create beautiful magazines, helping to differentiate themselves in an increasingly ephemeral online world.”
Recently says the photo printing industry has grown by 11.7 percent over the last five years, yet most are time and labor intensive. Recently automates the process with software pulling shots from the camera roll and a single-tap publish option.
The Public Followers program, which gives users a custom link to publish, is currently only available through invitation by applying at the Recently website with a name, email, and Instagram user name. The option to privately invite subscribers will be available to all users in the free iOS Recently app on January 1, according to the Recently website.
