How to Build a Magazine Layout Using Blockspare in WordPress

WordPress is a platform that can build any website, thanks to the huge library of plugins. These tools allow you to build any kind of site by allowing to you customize the page layout. And WordPress has no shortage of page-building plugins, like Blockspare.

BlockSpare specializes in blogs, business sites, and magazine designs. It has a huge library of options you can use to customize your site, as well as templates that you can use to get started with.

While you could use the templates as they are, it is never recommended to do so because you risk being identical to other sites that use the same plugin. The good news is that it is easy to customize every aspect of your layout.

Today, I will demonstrate how to build a magazine layout by using the BlockSpare plugin for WordPress.

Why Build A Custom Layout?

Anyone familiar with WordPress will tell you that it has many templates and demo sites that you can use, but putting your unique spin on page design is always a good thing.

Unique designs allow you to stand out from the competition, and more importantly, they may give you the freedom to add any kind of content to your site. Using a template is a great time saver, but it can often feel constricting.

Most templates have cookie-cutter sections that are as generic as they come, and to be fair, they get the job done.

While they are a great starting place for beginners, most sites will quickly ditch them in favor of making their own page designs. Years ago, editing a page layout would be done fully with code, but that isn’t the case anymore.

Today, page builders allow you to drag and drop elements to the exact position you want, thus allowing you creative freedom. This makes them even more accessible to beginners. However, you should take some time to study what other sites are doing.

While you can build any kind of page, there is such a thing as bad page design. Always collect feedback before implementing a page.

What Should A Page Include?

Before you can think about the layout, it is important to consider what kind of elements a page should contain. Naturally, this highly depends on the type of page you are building.

For example, in the case of a landing page, it is intended to highlight what kind of content your site offers. In the case of a blog or magazine, that mostly entails showing your latest or most popular posts.

If you were an eCommerce site, that would mean highlighting deals and signature products. If you were a small business, it might be focused on what services you offer customers. As I said, it depends on the site type.

As such, you should carefully research what other sites in the same field or industry include on a page. The odds are that you will need to include the same elements. Once you have a clear understanding of what you want to add, you can begin worrying about where to add it.

How to Build A Magazine Layout with BlockSpare

BlockSpare provides a huge library of templates you can choose from. Once you choose a template, you can fully customize every element, which includes removing them or adding new ones.

The plugin comes with an assortment of unique blocks for WordPress that include sliders, hero banners, post grids, and more. These are on top of what is already offered in Gutenberg. Overall, the plugin is rather simple to use but highly effective.

Note: If you choose to create a layout from scratch, this plugin changes nothing for you. It utilizes Gutenberg, thus, it is no different than the default. The only difference is that you will have additional blocks to work with.

Step 1: Install BlockSpare

Let’s start by clicking on Plugins and selecting the Add New option on the left-hand admin panel.

Search for BlockSpare in the available search box. This will pull up additional plugins that you may find helpful.

Scroll down until you find the BlockSpare plugin, click on the “Install Now” button, and activate the plugin for use.

Upon activation, you will be asked if you would like to opt-in for email notifications. Feel free to skip this or accept it; it does not affect how you use the plugin.

Step 2: Choose A Pattern

With the plugin installed, you can begin building your layout, and while you can do it from scratch, this defeats the purpose of the tool. Blockspare offers over 150 page patterns (templates) that you can choose from. They are made for all kinds of sites.

With that said, you are free to use any of them you want, and since you can customize them, that means they are all viable, but some just work better for certain site types. Either way, let’s begin by choosing one.

To do so, click on Blockspare and select the Patterns Library option.

The patterns are separated by category. Simply scroll down to the category you think best suits you and take a look at what they have. You may also want to check out topics that are similar to yours to get as many options as possible,

Once you select a category and can view the patterns, you’ll notice that some of them are locked behind the Pro version of the plugin. If you like that pattern, upgrading is your only option.

Once you have found one you like, click on the “+” button to use the pattern.

This will open up a new tab where the pattern will be opened in Gutenberg. You can now begin editing it.

Step 3: Editing the Pattern

Since this plugin relies on the Gutenberg editor, if you are already familiar with it, then you already know everything you’ll need to edit this pattern. Every element on the page is made from a block.

It can be edited, replaced, or even deleted by using the options within Gutenberg. It is worth pointing out that the plugin adds a variety of blocks to Gutenberg, so there are likely some new blocks that you have never seen before.

The best approach is to start at the top of your pattern and work your way down. You’ll need to change the filler text as you go.

Each pattern is different, but you will usually see the same elements in each one. However, the order and design will be completely different. As such, this guide is in no particular order, I am just going to cover the more unique elements in my pattern.

In the one I chose, you’ll see the Advertisement bar. While you may think this is a unique block, it is just a regular image block that has been reshaped to fit the template. You can replace the advertisement image with your own.

And don’t forget to change the page it links to with your affiliate link.

Note: The pattern I chose had several advertisement banners. You’ll need to edit each one individually. You may also opt to remove some of them, as they can be annoying to users.

At the top right of my pattern are the social media share buttons. The only thing you’ll need to change about them is the pages they link to, which is done in the settings section. You can also choose to add additional platforms.

If you do not want a platform to appear, simply delete the link in the settings, and the button will disappear.

One of the unique blocks in this plugin would be the Latest Post Flash block. This is a post carousel that will swap between your latest posts. It will show the title of the post as well as the featured image. If there is no featured image, it will appear as a white block.

The block works automatically, meaning you just need it added in the position you want it. You can customize its appearance by adjusting the settings. This includes the background color, font, margins, and so forth.

The other elements you will find in most patterns include a Post Carousel, Post Grid, Post List, Category List, and so on. In most cases, these page templates give you a near-infinite number of possibilities when it comes to displaying post content from your site.

Each one can be edited by clicking on the block and editing the settings. This will give you control over which posts are displayed, the order they appear in, and so on. If at any point you want to remove an element, simply click on the block and click on the Delete option.

Just keep in mind that this will cause other blocks to change location to fill the gap it creates. If you want to add a block, click in between the blocks where you want it to appear, and use the “+” button to add a block.

And that covers the basics of using Blockspare. It is nearly identical to using Gutenberg, so most users already know what it takes to edit a block. Once you save and publish the changes, the page will go live.

Additional Page Builders to Consider

BlockSpare is not the only option you should consider. It is great if you like Gutenberg, but if that is not your jam, consider using a different tool. Here are some of the top picks you can use to build a magazine or blog layout today.

Elementor

Elementor is perhaps the most well-known page builder for WordPress. It utilizes a drag-and-drop editor where you can place elements exactly where you want them. You can even use it to edit existing pages in WordPress.

The editor is also available directly inside WordPress, so no need to leave your site.

Elementor also comes with a huge library of template page designs that you can use to give yourself a head start. Similar to BlockSpare, each one is fully customizable, so you have complete freedom when it comes to the design.

Elemetor is free to use, but many of the templates and some elements are locked behind the Pro version. With that said, you will have no issue building a magazine layout using the free version, so be sure to give it a try.

Kadence WP

Kadence WP is a great page builder for WordPress that focuses on enhancing the Gutenberg editor with a variety of additional blocks. And perhaps even more importantly, it utilizes AI to help speed up your page creation.

The AI can be used for two purposes at the time of this post.

The first is to help you generate text for the pages you are creating. You can tell it the tone you want it to use as well as the length it should be. Just be sure to do a manual review, as AI text generation still leaves a lot to be desired.

The second use is that AI is used to generate the patterns that your site can use. These are found in the pattern library, and it works similarly to what Blockspare offers. Pick a pattern and edit it as you see fit.

SeedProd

SeedProd is another excellent page builder to consider using in WordPress. It utilizes a drag-and-drop editor that allows you to place elements wherever you want them. As such, you can create any kind of page layout you want.

It is compatible with most major plugins for WordPress and even includes a WooCommerce page builder for stores.

When starting, SeedProd provides access to a variety of templates that you can use. These pages are high-quality and work for many sites. You can easily customize them inside of the editor by selecting the element and editing the content.

You can also drag it to the desired location within the editor. This makes it far easier than page builders that rely on Gutenberg. While Gutenberg is great, it can also be a bit difficult to use at first. With SeedProd, it is always easy.

Don’t Accept Limitations In WordPress

The best part of WordPress is that everything can be customized, however, it often requires you to find the right plugin for the job. WordPress is home to thousands of plugins that give you the freedom to add anything you want to your site.

As such, if you ever run into a limitation, consider changing the tool you are using or find a plugin that specifically addresses that issue. Just be mindful that some plugins do not play nicely with one another, which can lead to compatibility issues.

As such, you should always create a backup of your website before installing a new plugin. Or even better, create a test environment where you can safely install different tools and see how they interact with everything else.

I hope you found this tutorial helpful in learning how to create a layout using Blockspare.

Were you able to find a pattern that fits your website? Which new block did you use the most?

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