Using Microsites to Promote Your Publication

What would you say is the best way to promote your digital publication?

There isn’t exactly a top ten list of most effective methods to promote a digital edition. If there were, several of the methods Nxtbook Media account managers share with our clients would be on it. (Need some examples? Contact a representative and ask about circulation strategy.) Newsletter banners, homepage graphics, flipping icons in emails, and social media alerts are easy ways for publishers to start spreading the word. But for those who really want to commit to broadcasting their digital edition, a microsite might be the way to go.

Take this microsite for the Red Bulletin. Viewers are immediately engaged with a loud, brief video showing the publication on an iPad. From first sight viewers know the Red Bulletin is a digital publication available on the app store. As you scroll down, the microsite advertises the edition with compelling copy, large graphics, and interactive features. Each bite of content pushes readers to go to the app store and download the publication.

Fortunately, Nxtbook Media’s connection with Talefoundry makes it easy for publishers to pursue this level of promotion without having to find additional staff or a design agency. Talefoundry specializes in white-labeled custom marketing content, including microsites. Designers can work closely with you and the Nxtbook team to achieve the exciting, compelling microsite design to gain traction with your readers. If you would like taking your promotions beyond your current website or email list, contact your account manager.  

Perspective and What it Means

In this year’s FOLIO Digital Edition supplement, John Parson writes, "Both ZMags and Mygazines have largely turned away from branded apps in favor of HTML and HTML5 for their iPad editions." Though Parsons doesn’t say why, the gist of the article is to look at some of the potential technical advantages of HTML5 technology, so one could draw the conclusion that’s why these digital companies are doing is.

And, in my opinion, it would be a false conclusion.

Thus far, self service digital publishing companies haven’t succeeded getting apps on the iPad, and the limitation isn’t technical. Rather, it’s that Apple doesn’t relish making it simple for just anyone to get their content online. And, because a developer’s account is required, it can’t be done cheaply enough to support the pricing provided by these and other vendors.

Technology is only half the coin. The half that Parsons neglected to acknowledge were the business realities of both the vendors and Apple.

What a New Haircut can Teach You About Publishing

I was flipping through the latest issue of Modern Salon – because I enjoy hair styles and this digital magazine is chock full of great styles, hair tips, and products – when it struck me: creating digital magazines is like the hair style business. I can bring my iPad to the salon, show my hairdresser this page, and ask for the same style. But at the end of the day, I’m not going to walk away looking like Anne Hathaway. A cut and restyle doesn’t magically make me into the successful, beautiful actress.

Similarly, publishers can come in with their iPads and downloaded Wired app. We even encourage publishers to come in with ideas of new and innovative things to try. The deal is, adding features for the sake of having features won’t make you successful or the next must-have for your industry’s audience. But, like a good haircut, a fresh look can earn you a few extra stares.  In a market where magazine app expectations are shifting to optimization and increased user experience, where the tablet hype makes it hard for some publishers to achieve differentiation in a highly competitive and fragmented business, it’s important to evaluate whether your company is simply adopting a new cut or if it’s getting the style that fits your publication.

So, by creating an app, are you simply adopting a new cut to create a starlet-look for your brand, or does the app and features work for your style and audience?

For example, a salon magazine might keep readers coming back by adding a slideshow feature with large photographs showing step-by-step instructions of a tricky updo. A mobile app enables readers to take your pages to their stylists (or coffee shop, waiting room, and bank line.) These features and products make sense for this kind of publication.

Something to consider: People look their best when their style matches their frame. It’s the same for your digital product. Get the features that fit the structure of your magazine, audience, and business.

Who You Calling Geek?

So in last week’s FOLIO Digital Edition Supplement, there was an ad for Mag+, the new service for publishers seeking to create digital editions for the iPad only. Incidentally, that’s like having a car that can only ride the Autobahn, in my opinion, but I digress.

The copy reads, "For the first time in digital publishing, the power is back where it belongs: with the creatives. Mag+ wasn’t built by geek, but by designers and editors blah, blah, blah…"

When I complain about digital publishing companies, it’s usually when they falsely claim to have invented something that’s existed for years. Did you know that Nxtbook Media has a team of designers and editors that can help you optimize your content, not just for the iPad, but for the browser as well? Considering that’s where most of your readers are, that’s a pretty good thing. Not that the folks at Mag+ seem to be aware of it…

Video’s Contribution to Catalog Success

An important step in evaluating the efficacy of a digital feature in any digital edition is to analyze what goals are being met. We’ve reported on several digital extras in the past, and digital videos are often at the forefront of discussion.

According to a 2010 eMarketer report, retailers find “videos boost sales conversion rates and reduce abandoned shopping cart and product return rates.” In our own research we found video was rated the most valuable to the reader’s experience of a digital edition. 75.2% reported that video enhances their reading experience the most. (Interestingly, the second highest scoring was being able to click for extra photos, which is kind of like a slow-playing video.) When it came to ads, one third of the respondents reported though they had little or no interest in the ad’s message, they’d play the digital extra – like video or animation – and then become engaged with the brand. (Click here to read the report.)

Word-of-mouth marketing, however, is still priority in consumers’ purchasing habits. Purchasers want to know what they’re getting, and how well it worked for other people, before they actually make the buy. That’s where testimonial, product demonstration, and customer review videos can really play a role in influencing viewers to buy. Place a video directly on the catalog page holding the product, and readers get an on-the-spot reference for that item.

Beyond the PDF – Digital Editions That Deliver

Next week, Nxtbook Media is sponsoring a webinar with Folio:which focuses on creating quality digital editions that meet the rising expectations of readers. Jen Smith, the Creative Director for Network Media Partners, will be speaking, as will Marcus Grimm, Marketing Director of Nxtbook Media. (View the digital edition, Matrix, which Network Media Partners helped launch.)

On April 28, at 2:00 EST, tune in to "Beyond the PDF – Digital Editions That Deliver." As noted on the registration page, this webinar questions:

"But is flipping your pages on their side and boosting your font size enough? Join us to learn:
- The resource implications required to create a new magazine
- How publishers continue to adapt to an ever-changing landscape of screen formats."

To learn more, and to sign up for the event, click here to go to the registration page. Registrants will also receive archived presentation slides after the event.

Running Reports for Relevant Device Data

In a press release issued by ComScore yesterday, reports indicate Apple has outreached Android by 59%. This takes into account smartphones, tablets, and in the case of Apple, the iPod Touch. Interestingly, ComScore research indicated “The installed base of iPhones slightly exceeded that of iPod Touches, both of which were approximately twice as high as the number of iPads.” Additionally, users typically only used one Apple device, rather than multiple. This data compliments what we’ve been seeing trend with Omniture-tracked websites: The iPhone has been dominating the metrics of how people access the tracked web pages.

Consider the data:
Apple iPhone: 44.2%

Apple iPad: 15.1%  

Apple iPod Touch: 5.7%  

Nokia 5800: 4.6% 

Nokia N8-00: 3.5% 

HTC Evo: 3.0%  

Nokia 5230: 2.8% 

Motorola Droid: 2.4%  
Motorola DroidX: 2.4% 

Nokia 5233: 2.1% 

RIM Blackberry 8530/Curve: 2.0%  

Nokia E63: 1.7%  
Nokia E71: 1.7%  
Nokia X6: 1.6% 

HTC Droid Incredible: 1.6%  
RIM Blackberry 9700/Onyx: 1.5%   

Nokia 5530: 1.4%

Nokia E72: 1.4%

By operating system:
iOS 48.9%
Symbian 24.8%
Android 16.1%
RIM 8.5%

Obviously, there are some differences between what Omniture-tracked sites show and ComScore’s study. For instance, ComScore results show RIM holds 28.9% of smartphone users, the largest share. Yet our data shows people are only using RIM to access tracked websites 8.5% of the time. Differences such as these point to two major points: know your audience, and know your content. It could be something as basic as knowing if your average audience falls into an age group likely to use an iPad, or if your content looks appealing on a particular device.

Generic, blanket research is helpful to give perspective on the world market, but it is crucial to have metrics specific to your edition to truly evaluate the relationship you’re building with your readers.  For robust reporting on your digital editions, contact your account manager and dig in to the results of Nxtbook’s in-depth metric reports.

What’s Your Content Worth?

If you’re seeking to charge for digital content these days, brother, it’s a tough game! Quite frankly, I don’t have much advice for you, other than to test, test, test. Fortunately, there’s an article over at FOLIO about a company that might things a bit easier for you to do so.

Socially Speaking

Down a story or two, Joy lets you know what we’re doing in the Nxtbook to make it easier to share content via social media. Meanwhile, there’s a provocative article over at FOLIO discussing how to share things via social media, and it brings up a few good points: Is it appropriate to like people you don’t know? How do you properly convey tone over 140 characters? Well worth the read.

Speaking of Facebook Promotions

Last week, Marcus wrote about why having a Facebook strategy is important. In the post he noted Facebook is a primary referral source for your content. Knowing this, we’ve made it even easier for your readers to post your content there.

Our digital editions have always had a "Share" function attached to the issue, making it simple for readers to share articles with their friends and networks. It’s a function many of our publishers have taken advantage of and they’ve reaped concrete benefits. (Click here to read how one publisher’s social media campaign resulted in 300+ tweets within 8 hours of the digital edition’s release.)

Now publishers have a chance to take that functionality to the next level by making it even more visible and intuitive. Familiar social media icon buttons appear side-by-side with your content, prompting readers to click and share what they’re reading. The icons can be adjusted to fit your layout, and can be animated or static. With a click readers can promote your content on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Click here to preview this feature.

Prompt action with intuitive icons associated directly with your articles. To enable this feature, contact your account manager.

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