Posts Tagged ‘digital editions’
The digital divide: business vs consumer publishers
Sunday, May 15th, 2011Business and consumer publishers are both grappling with the challenge of digital media, but their emphasis is very different, according to a new survey of 200 publishers commissioned recently for the Specialist Media Show. I’ve summarised below the five main divisions the research highlights between B2B and B2C digital publishing strategies: (more…)
Tags: digital editions, digital publishing, mobile apps, paid online content, research, virtual events
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content, events, news
Paid content: new research on what publishers can charge
Monday, May 2nd, 2011With all the speculation about paid content, we’ve been missing some hard facts about exactly what publishers are managing to charge for and the type of business models they are testing out. Recent research commissioned for the Specialist Media Show polled the views of around 200 publishers, split between consumer and b2b, and with a bias towards independent businesses with under £10m turnover, typically operating in specialist markets. They show active experimentation with a range of paid content models and pricing approaches. (more…)
Tags: digital archives, digital editions, mobile apps, research, specialist media show, tablet editions
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content, marketing
The wild digital frontier of subs marketing: pioneers required
Tuesday, November 30th, 2010In the last couple of years subscriptions have been a safe haven for publishers from the volatility of the newsstand, and the unpredictability of advertising. The world of traditional print subs hasn’t changed that much; the tried and tested principles of pricing, payment method, acquisition and renewal techniques still apply; the universal truths of DD and number of renewal efforts still hold and change comes only slowly. However there is a new digital frontier emerging which doesn’t respect the old rules. Many subs marketers are less comfortable with the more experimental, wild west of digital editions, single issue pricing, bundling with online content subs and mobile apps. Here’s some insights from the recent Wessenden report on subs marketing (sponsored by CDS Global and in partnership with InPublishing) that may guide pioneering digital subs marketers: (more…)
Tags: digital editions, mobile apps, online subs, paid-for content, subs bundling, subscriber packages, subscriptions
Posted in b2b, consumer, content, marketing
How to find new readers through specialist retailers
Thursday, September 30th, 2010A big challenge for specialist magazine publishers is reaching a niche audience - newsstand is expensive and wasteful, search is time-consuming, and direct mail can be costly. So I’m impressed with the solution of Songlines magazine, the latest winner of the Media Pioneer awards, who have developed partnerships with retailers to find new readers through what they buy. Songlines is a guide for world music fans, and the print edition includes a sample CD of new artists. Their masterstroke was creating a digital sampler edition with highlights from the latest issue, which includes sample audio tracks of featured music and links to buy on Amazon. They also get links back to the sampler from Amazon from all their world music pages, which is a great way to introduce new world music fans to the magazine, and expand internationally. Read more about the Songlines story on the Specialist Media Show website. I believe this approach could work for other specialist publishers: here are the key questions to ask and steps to take: (more…)
Tags: Amazon, digital editions, Media Pioneers, partnerships, Songlines, specialist retail, subscriptions
Posted in consumer, content, marketing
6 new specialist digital publishing tricks from K9 Media
Saturday, September 11th, 2010As Content Director for the Specialist Media Show I’m always on the look-out for innovative specialist media businesses who could be winners of the Media Pioneer Awards. Their stories are always inspiring, as they take advantage of technology and their deep understanding of their markets to uncover new ways to grow their revenues. Ryan O Meara, MD of K9 Media, who creates content for dog owners, is one such inspiring publisher. You can read the full story of his “back to front” publishing business on the Specialist Media Show site, but here are six new digital publishing tricks that (forgive the pun) even old publishing dogs can learn from: (more…)
Tags: digital editions, K9 Media, Media Pioneers, online subscriptions, paid-for content, specialist media show
Posted in consumer, content, marketing, news
10 tips for effective digital magazines
Friday, September 3rd, 2010Digital magazines are beginning to move up the priority list of many publishers. Partly a backlash from free online web content, but largely driven by the growth of mobile devices, not least the ipad. There is a special quality to a carefully designed and packaged magazine, a curated, guided experience rather than the random meandering on a typical web-site. Traditional print publishers are exploring digital editions as options for international subscribers or simply readers who want instant access. Most suppliers are soon going to find a cost-effective solution to the flash vs html5 apple device issues. However, a simple facsimile of a print edition misses the point - they are hard to read on screen, and impossible on mobile devices. I’ve been working with a niche b2b publisher and researching some examples of best practice in digital magazines on a limited budget: here are my top 10 tips for an effective digital edition: (more…)
Tags: digital editions, digital magazines, ezines, Specialist Media Network
Posted in b2b, consumer, content, implementation
How specialist media owners see their future: realistic optimism
Saturday, July 24th, 2010I’m cheered by the optimism shown by specialist media owners who responded to the survey we ran with Fusion Communications for the Specialist Media Show. They are well aware of the dramatic changes coming in their industry, but seem to be pragmatic and forward looking in their responses. 117 senior managers from b2b and consumer specialist media took part, across a range of businesses from one-title independents to mid-sized publishers with 6-10 titles. I’m referring to them as publishers, but most have print, digital and live events in their portfolio. What struck me is the gradual diversification of revenue sources: (more…)
Tags: content, digital editions, events, Fusion Communications, media brand, mobile apps, online subscriptions, paid-for content, publishers, Specialist Media Network, specialist media show
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer
Bright future for specialist media: build audiences; develop many revenue streams
Sunday, June 20th, 2010What is it that unites specialist media businesses, whether they serve consumer or professional audiences, in print, events or digital or some combination of the three? Listening to the speakers in the “future of specialist media” session at the Specialist Media Show conference, I’d say the common thread is building a specialist audience, with particular interests and information needs, then finding many ways to create revenue streams around that audience, from supplying content, facilitating connections online or at events, and creating opportunities for advertisers to reach that audience. Here are the highlights of the presentations from Phil Redwood of Fusion Communciations, Miles Galliford of Subhub and Riva Elliott of PMA media training: (more…)
Tags: content, digital editions, editorial team, Fusion Communications, Miles Galliford, paid-for content, Phil Redwood, PMA Media training, revenue sources, Riva Elliott, specialist media show, Subhub
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content, events
How publishers can make digital media pay: digital editions, mobile, ipad, video
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010In the last year, the opportunities for specialist publishers to place their content in new formats has exploded. Instead of just web content, there are now multiple opportunities to package content in different ways, using video, links, and interaction to engage readers. Smartphones and e-readers are making these more portable, eroding a key differentiator between PC and print. But how on earth can content publishers make these new digital media pay, when the cost to create and distribute on new channels is still high? At the Specialist Media Show conference last month, delegates heard from four specialist media owners who believe they have found ways to profit from digital media: the Spectator, Circle, Advanstar and Factory - here are their top insights: (more…)
Tags: Advanstar, Circle Publishing, content, digital editions, Factory Media, mobile apps, Specialist Media Network, specialist media show, Spectator
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content