It’s Back… and Better than Ever!

Of all the things we did in 2010, one of our favorite was the 2010 State of the Digital Edition Industry Survey. This one was a ground-breaker for us, as it asked publishers like you tough questions about their satisfaction with the circulation and revenue generation of their digital editions.

In addition, the survey asked pointed questions about your thoughts on the mobile market and designed-for-digital optimized digital editions. The result was fascinating, and served as the basis for a research report and webinar with FOLIO.

Not surprisingly, we’re thrilled to release this year’s survey to you and hope the response will be just as enthusiastic. Once again, we’ve kept the survey short – around 20 multiple choice questions. And once again, there’s an iPad in it for one lucky survey taker. So if you’ve got a digital edition, don’t wait. Give us 10 minutes of your time and tell us what you think!

Click here to view the survey!

 

Are Native Apps Peaking? Or Have They Peaked?

Even though Nxtbook is a provider of branded native apps, we’ve also been one of many to speculate that the native app position will give way to web apps as the performance of the latter improves. 

For the first time, we may have data that shows the use of native apps appears to have leveled off and perhaps may have declined a bit. The reasons for this are many and some of them are captured well here.

What this means for you:

1) Don’t let this data dissuade you from pursuing a native app. In the end, aggregate data is good conversation fodder, but what really matters is what your audience wants. If you’ve got an audience with a lot of smartphones and you have a particularly robust digital edition, a native app is still the way to go today.

2) Look to providers (like Nxtbook) that are hedging their bets and improving their web app and native app experience. The future will likely be the web app, but the present for digital magazines is the native app. Fortunately or not, you’ll need to be prepared for both. 

Taberific

Almost as long as there have been Nxtbooks, there have been tabs inside the Nxtbook. These attractive features serve to direct the reader to certain parts of the digital publication, much as they do in print.

But did you know they can do something they can’t do in print? Check out this application of the Nxtbook tabs in action; notice how you have the ability to link to more than one section from an individual tab. Ask your account manager for details! 

You Can Have My Smartphone Just as Soon as You Pry It…

Well, it’s not getting that bad, but this chart certainly emphasizes how important smartphones are to their users. All of which goes to say, you really need to be thinking about your own plan to meet your users on their devices.

 

Sweeping the Digital Magazine Category

There were two winners in this year’s EXCEL Media Innovation Digital Magazine category. We are proud to say they are both Nxtbook Media clients.

Taken from Signature, The Magazine of Association Media & Publishing:

 Click here to view award winning AAA Living magazine and click here to view award winning MOVE magazine.

So what did these publishers and design companies do right to sweep this category? Well, among other things, these magazines focused on the end user experience. Digital-only content created a drive into the digital edition, coupled with engaging rich media which hooked readers into digging for more. Screen-smart fonts make the digital magazine easy to read while animation draws readers attention – even to ads!

One thing is clear: designing for the digital experience is a recognizable benefit which judges appreciate!

3 Cheers for LinkedIn

This is interesting:

I took a look at some of the big social media ways people are using to find Nxtbooks. The first won’t surprise you: Over the past 30 days, Facebook was the easy favorite, driving more than ten times the amount of traffic to Nxtbooks than Twitter did.

But there’s the surprise: LinkedIn traffic drove twice the traffic of Twitter to Nxtbooks. The best reason I can give for this is that the bulk of our publishers do tend to skew b-to-b, and LinkedIn is virtually entirely used for business purposes, whereas Twitter seems to be split, though a bit more non-work. Point being, LinkedIn IS becoming a great way to promote your digital magazine. Not sure how? Ask us.

What Matters Now…

According to Business Insider, "people are pretty much only interested in iPads right now… we don’t expect this to change anytime soon."

 

Receiving Recognition for Core Values

It is always a privilege to be recognized for something done well, and it’s even sweeter to receive attention for practices you’ve worked to achieve. These past few days, Nxtbook has enjoyed recognition in a couple different arenas, highlighting some of the aspects that make this company great.

Today, for instance, Nxtbook Media’s iPhone app was listed as one of “The 10 Best iPhone Apps for Keeping Current.” It was listed alongside apps such as CNN, Wall Street Journal, and NYTimes.  According to this website, you can, “Stay in the know with lots of insider apps from the world of business, sports, politics, music, fashion, and more.” Considering our nxtstand catalog contains magazines from each of these industries, I guess that would definitely qualify us as a relevant app!

On Thursday and earlier today, Chris Gentri, one of the representatives here, attended the Florida Magazine Association Publishing Conference and Expo to spread the word about digital publishing. Chris was asked to speak at this event on the topic of Integrated Marketing Packages in one of the breakout sessions. (Read the overview here.) Look for a more in-depth post on this topic next week!

Also on Thursday, Nxtbook Media was featured in a local newspaper article for our unique perspective on dress code and business. Our creative styles and relaxed dress code is part and parcel of who we are at Nxtbook, as mentioned by CEO Michael Biggerstaff in the article: "We are creative here and want our employees to express this creativity," Michael Biggerstaff, chief inspiration officer, said. "We want them to be comfortable and not feel like they can’t be themselves. Their work speaks for itself; it doesn’t matter what an employee wears, as long as he is putting out great work."

Being recognized for three different business values core to Nxtbook – quality products, solid knowledge base, and a creative approach to business – is an honor I just had to share.

Inflation Increases USPS Rates Again

It’s probably just a coincidence that I read these two brief articles side-by-side, but it did reiterate a truth about digital publishing.

The Dead Tree Edition article notes the USPS will be raising prices for postal services  over 2% with mention of pursuing other rate hikes. Given the reports of the postal service’s struggles during the recession, higher rates shouldn’t be a surprise. But it does mean possible increased strain on publishers using USPS to distribute their print editions.

The second blurb, this one by Bloomberg Businessweek, gave tips on how to use email and social media to reach and build your audience. The fact of the matter is, both of those methods ignore inflation rates. The benefit of using the power of the Web is that distribution is free.

Understanding the Content Playbook

The Content Marketing Institute has released this year’s Content Marketing Playbook, available for download. The Playbook provides 42 tools for brand managers and content creators to use to connect with their audience. The tools could also be useful for publishers looking for new plays to capture readers’ attention.

Since the playbook is openly filtered through, "unashamedly biased opinions," I thought I’d add a comment or two of my own. For instance, some of the tools mentioned, while valuable, could be taken to the next level. "20 Pieces to Freshen Up" lists white papers and case studies as examples of tools which could get a lift by creating a digital version. Not only does it punch up a well used (and well loved) marketing piece, but content creators can push the bounds by adding video or animations to the otherwise text-heavy pieces.

Digital magazines still hold court as an important tool for brands. I agree with the Playbook’s creators that brands need to become publishers, but I think they’re missing the true value digital magazines bring to the table for brands. True, a digital magazine could go hand-in-hand with a microsite. (Think of a merger between Hi-Torque Publications and Rider Diaries microsite.) But digital magazines give brand managers and publishers a way to connect with audiences with interactivity, earn revenue through advertising and sponsorships, and grow their audience across social media. And that is just the beginning.

And is it wrong to point out the "print magazine" section links to two digital publications as examples?

Regardless, if you’re looking to add some tools to your arsenal for reaching your viewers, check out the Playbook. If you’d like to start implementing what you find there, give us a call and our Creative Services Team will get you started.

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