Archive for the ‘business strategy’ Category
Saturday, April 23rd, 2011
Adoption of mobile editions of magazines is at a tipping point, finds a recent survey of 200 niche publishers commissioned by the Specialist Media Show. The sample was biased towards smaller companies, but still 19% stated they already have mobile app versions of their publications, showing that they are approaching a tipping point. Prof Barrie Gunter of the Dept of Media and Communications at University of Leicester weighs up the statistics and advises publishers to hedge their bets, combining print and digital editions. Here are the main insights: (more…)
Tags: digital publishing, mobile apps, niche paid content, paid content, research, specialist media show, University of Leicester
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content, news
1 Comment »
Monday, April 11th, 2011
Specialist publishers are increasingly realising that their business is more about gathering together a like-minded community than about creating niche content. So it comes as little surprise to see the emphasis placed on live and online events and networking in the research recently commissioned by the Specialist Media Show among 200 publishers, with a bias towards smaller, independent specialist markets. Below are my top five insights. (more…)
Tags: e-learning, live events, networking, new research, online networking, specialist media show, virtual events, webinars
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, events, news
1 Comment »
Saturday, April 2nd, 2011
Early results from a survey of specialist media businesses show that independent publishers are actively experimenting with digital, but believe printed magazines will be around for the next decade. The InPublishing/Specialist Media Show research polled the views of around 200 specialist publishers on paid online content, live events, apps, digital editions and social media. It measured what they were doing right now, and what their plans were for the next 2 years to extend their media brands across print, events and digital. The respondents were primarily MDs and publishers in consumer and b2b specialist markets, typically under £10m turnover. However, what they lacked in resources they are making up in ambition and innovation. Confidence is good, with an attitude of experimentation that more mainstream media businesses would do well to watch. Here’s the highlights of their digital expansion: (more…)
Tags: digital editions, online paid content, research, specialist media show, specialist publishers, virtual events
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content, marketing, news
1 Comment »
Sunday, March 27th, 2011
Live trade events are great - and essential for cementing new business relationships, but for small media owners, they can be high risk, and in today’s busy world, getting people physically in one space on one day can be challenging. I’ve written previously on how virtual events can complement live exhibitions and conferences, and the extent to which they can provide inspiration, discovery of new suppliers, networking and peer learning, in “Can a virtual trade show replace a live event?“ This article prompted a very lively debate on the Specialist Media Network on Linked-in, with contributions from Ben Greenish, James Ormiston, Graham Ruddick and Ben Heald. The conclusion seemed to be that a multi-channel approach was the answer, with virtual events sitting somewhere between a good b2b website and face to face meetings. So I was very interested to chat to Neil Fagg at Confex about his recent innovative launch, Virtual Event World, and what he has learnt in its first few weeks: invaluable to any other media owners planning to test the virtual event waters: (more…)
Tags: Ivent, Neil Fagg, Specialist Media Network, specialist media show, StandOut, virtual event world, virtual events, virtual seminars
Posted in b2b, business strategy, events
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Sunday, February 27th, 2011
Most business to business publishers are wrestling with how to generate revenues from their online content. The realisation that news, even in a niche market, is unlikely to command a subscription from a reader has led many to develop analysis and data services which have greater value. Case studies from Emap, Incisive and Strategy Eye at the Paywalls conference organised by The Media Briefing on 24 February provided a useful structure for planning online b2b content. The hierarchy goes from free commodity content to that which is valued in the thousands… (more…)
Tags: curated content, Emap, Incisive, pay walls, VRL, workflow
Posted in b2b, business strategy, content
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Sunday, February 13th, 2011
Many publishers are considering putting their magazine content into apps , to tap into the worldwide audience on Apple devices and increasingly android too. But how to work out what to charge for and how to grow revenues? Action Sports publisher Factory Media seems to have hit on a winning formula. They are the latest Media Pioneer, for their impressive 26% growth in app revenues. Here’s my take on the key reasons for their success: (more…)
Tags: app editions, app subscriptions, Factory Media, magazine apps, Media Pioneers, Specialist Media Network
Posted in advertising, business strategy, consumer, content, marketing
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Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
There’s been much coverage of the ideology of paywalls for online content, particularly for newspapers, but less has been written about the practicalities of making a paywall work and how a publisher can create a winning strategy. So congratulations to Pete Kirwan of the Media Briefing for the first thorough attempt at a paywall handbook. Here’s my abridged version of the practical issues for publishers. (more…)
Tags: first click free, freemium, Media Pioneers, metered access, micropayments, online subscriptions, paid content, paywalls, specialist media show
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content, implementation
4 Comments »
Sunday, January 16th, 2011
Over the last year, through my consultancy work, and running the Specialist Media Show, I’ve spoken to many specialist publishing businesses who are rapidly taking their publications into digital, events and other new businesses. There seems to be a new mood of optimism, of engagement with the new opportunities, and many who experimented in 2010 are now seeing their reach and revenues expand. So here are my top five tips for ambitious consumer specialist or business to business publishers, who have big plans for 2011. (more…)
Tags: advertisers, media brand, social media, specialist media, Specialist Media Network, subscriptions
Posted in advertising, b2b, business strategy, consumer, content, events, marketing
2 Comments »
Friday, December 31st, 2010
What were the hottest topics on this blog in 2010? I’ve listed the top ten most-read articles on digital publishing. Paid online content featured highly, and the practicalities of creating digital magazines and curating third party content also proved popular. Plus my rant on why specialist titles do better with independent publishers. Here’s the full set: (more…)
Tags: curated content, digital publishing, independent publishers, online content, paid content, Penmaen Media, specialist titles
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content, marketing
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Saturday, December 11th, 2010
It’s been a helter skelter ride this year for publishers working out their digital strategy. Apps have come from nowhere to a core part of the publishing toolkit in just a year. Murdoch finally implemented his paywall and had some sort of success with it. Digital editions are being reborn with the ipad and other tablets. And social media has made editors think again about how they broadcast their content and manage contributions from their readers. Joakim Ditlev of Zmags asked me to come up with some predictions for 2011; these are inevitably biased towards specialist publishers as my main constituency. Be interesting to review them in twelve months time… (more…)
Tags: digital magazines, local content, mobile subs, social media for publishers, specialist media
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content, marketing, opinions
1 Comment »
