How do you define video publishing sites? Must digital magazines host their own video? Can they distribute via social media? Are platforms like YouTube and Vimeo fair game? We say all of the above. Like any other content built for multi-platform publishing, video produced by digital magazines will help develop audiences and generate revenue. Currently,
Category: Digital Publishing Trends
We have seen the popularity of the iPad and similar tablet devices within their infancy. We’ve also seen the mobile device market explode. These trends will continue to evolve. In order to utilize the popularity behind these technological advances, it’s important to know who and what you’re really developing your magazine for. Our Digital Publishing Trends posts capture what’s happening in the digital publishing world.
Free Download: Consumers are telling us loud and clear what they want—are you listening? How much would you pay for that information? To find out how you can improve your digital magazine rapport with subscribers, claim your FREE digital copy of our 2018 Mequoda Magazine Consumer Study, today.
Worldwide publishing represents a daunting proposition for digital magazines: Audience development and digital advertising is tough enough domestically, and it’s called the World Wide Web for a reason, so why invest resources in opening up international markets already occupied by homegrown media companies? Why hire native speakers or translators to serve up content to readers
With the explosive success of Serial and Slate’s Panoply, podcast publishing has emerged as a viable – and, more to the point, profitable – option for digital magazines. Audio content is inexpensive, not difficult to produce, and popular with consumers. What’s more, it fits in neatly with the Mequoda Method for multi-platform publishing, which emphasizes
Monitoring mobile advertising trends is a must for publishers aiming to monetize a platform that promises riches but has thus far eluded a precise formula for success. Digital magazines face technological, viewability, and audience development questions when it comes to generating steady revenue. We can’t say we’ve got all of the answers, but, then again,
Monetizing social media by converting side-door traffic into subscribers is one of the most important challenges publishers currently face. Convincing curious visitors to sign on as customers via quality content that’s skillfully distributed and diversely packaged requires patience, experimentation, and diligence, but it’s well worth the effort when those additional revenues start rolling in. Remember:
More and more, metered content is becoming de rigueur for digital magazines looking to generate higher revenues with higher quality product. As big believers in smart subscription strategies, we love to see this shift. From The New Yorker to Pando to Time Inc. digital, publishers are molding their content around monetization with experimental tactics and
If we had to pick two words to describe the Mequoda Method, the first would be “multi-platform,” which, as Don wrote recently, is the new normal for digital magazines years after we staked our brand on it. The second would be “niche.” Why? Because with tens of thousands of digital magazines available to consumers, you
We’ve covered a lot of ground during the past couple of weeks as we roll out stats from our 2015 Digital Magazine Market Study. But have we covered too much with one stat post per day? Not according to consumers of digital magazines. Far from it.
That’s the question we asked 3,642 U.S adults with Internet access earlier this year, looking to learn more about consumption of digital magazines – and, more to the point, the spending habits and preferences of readers – in the time since our inaugural study (in which we polled 1,136 people).
Tablet, print, or web? The data shows that magazine consumers are split on their magazine format preference. The web edition showed a tiny edge over print and tablet editions, but at this stage of the game, digital magazine consumers seem relatively equal on their preference for tablet editions versus print editions versus web editions.
Readable text, scrollable text, links to websites, embedded video, back issue archive, vertical swipe, copy and paste capability, content bookmarking, relevant advertising, general advertising, and companion print magazine. Which functions rank most highly on your wish list for digital magazines? More importantly, which ones do you think might rank most highly for your readers?
Throughout the week, we’ve released stats from our 2015 Digital Magazine Market Study. One stat covered print readership, and the other covered readership of digital magazines. But they center on consumption. Today’s stat centers on conversion. Turning readers into revenue. They give you a glimpse into how best practices – exemplified in the Mequoda Method
The primary stat we set out to understand in this study was what percent of U.S. adults with Internet access reported reading a digital magazine issue in the last 30 days. We found that 36.8% of American adults have read an average of 2.37 digital magazine issues in the last 30 days.
Before quantifying the readership of digital magazines, we wanted to first understand what percent of the American adult population with Internet access reads print magazines. We also wanted to learn how many print magazines, on average, they are consuming in a 30-day period.
Are you making the best use of publishing technologies? Do you ever wonder how other digital magazines are doing it? Digiday recently took a look at how six big publishers are handling the tech challenge. In addition, they examine how Time Inc. digital has evolved since spinning off from Time Warner last year. Plus, an
And what is digital publishing not doing to stay up on tech advances? Are you – gasp – in danger of becoming a “dinosaur”?
What is digital publishing?
Well, how much time do you have? If you have 30 minutes, you can schedule a call with our CEO Don Nicholas for a free consultation. If you happen
Popular industry opinion says publisher monetization of video, digital advertising, and social media is a 21st-century challenge. The thinking goes that previous generations of magazines – read: print – were blessed with a much more straightforward task than we have: Produce quality content and distribute it effectively via subscriptions and newsstand.
But popular industry opinion is
Publishing acquisitions provide a barometer for the robustness of the digital magazine business, and a recent report highlights how emerging areas are gaining ground on more traditional media M&A activity – areas that will appeal to Mequoda Members. One of our favorite industry sources, Folio:, has it all covered. Let’s take a look!
Mobile app publishers are always craving the latest and greatest data to aid in their tech and targeting efforts. Establishing best practices to consistently monetize mobile is one of the great industry challenges of our time – each new crumb of analysis can be a big help. The Mequoda Method has always emphasized quality content
Mobile programmatic is the next frontier for publishers looking to generate digital ad revenue, and some believe it could finally give digital magazines the opening they need to establish a foothold in this most elusive terrain. MediaPost is on top of this angle and others in some of their recent exemplary industry coverage. Let’s take
We’ve covered the question “What is native advertising?” several times, stressing that it’s not a new component of publishing revenue, but rather a fresh take on advertorial for the digital age. Another term for it? Sponsored content. In other words, content that brands craft themselves to resemble surrounding magazine content and then pay for placement,
Publisher data is a broad term, but executives and sales staff know that they want more of it to develop long-term strategies for their content. But what happens when your user information is dwindling rather than expanding? Digiday reports on this trend and other industry news. Let’s take a look at a few of the
Paywalls for online content are a work in progress, as publishers perfect the strategy with tiers, bundles, memberships, and other tactics. But there’s no question that they have a place at the table when it comes to generating revenue. Recently, Publishing Executive covered the most recent digital magazine to opt in to using paywalls for
Social media publishing tools are proliferate, and often the options are overwhelming. Do you ever wonder how the best in the business appropriate their social efforts? Which platforms they lean on? We’re always after the latest best practices, so we were excited to see that the International Periodical Distributors Association is on top of it
If you’re an ad publisher and rely solely on that revenue for your company’s future, blocking software is a disturbing development indeed. While it’s not yet at crisis levels, it’s worrisome enough to demand some action, which is why vendors with antidotes are popping up here and there, while publishers and marketers devise responsive strategies.
A few months back, we wondered whether Google digital advertising is unstoppable. Now, the question becomes whether the Google publishing juggernaut is poised to ultimately make the company even more money with the News Lab. Like other platforms, the service bills itself as a way for the company to work with publishers – not against
We’re starting the week off with a healthy dose of digital publishing news from both sides of the Atlantic: mergers & acquisitions, platform considerations, and personnel moves. We monitor industry trends from the best sources so that you can track them in your periphery and inform your approach while focusing on the most important thing:
Mobile content strategy is wide open these days, as publishers strive to make the right moves toward monetizing a burgeoning medium and avoid blowing a golden opportunity. But mastering mobile is tough. Audience behavior, app technology, and ad kinks to be ironed out can complicate strategy, but digital magazines and other brands must stay the
If you’ve solved cross-device advertising, you probably don’t need to be visiting the Mequoda website for free advice. If you’re still experimenting and developing solutions, join the club: Even the most successful publishers don’t have all of the answers when it comes to mobile metrics and ad revenue. We found a few recent articles in
Adobe publishing is a pricey option for publishers, but many believe the company’s products are worth every penny. While we proudly partner with Mag+ and direct our niche Mequoda Members to that platform, there’s no doubt that we have tremendous admiration for the Adobe DPS, which offers a full array of tools for digital magazines.
Mobile magazines face cascading challenges when it comes to monetization. User behavior, tech headaches, newsstand confusion, and advertising demands can complicate the implementation of a platform that – regardless of any hurdles – simply must figure into your plans in one way or another. At Mequoda, we believe in breaking down that process to ease
Is a mobile-first strategy a must for publishers at this point? The short answer is yes, but how should you execute it? Read our analysis of mobile-first strategy in the form of responsive vs. fluid design for the long answer. Digital magazines are always looking for answers – new solutions for new revenue. In a
Online content strategy can be navigated only when you’re equipped with the right data analytics. Throwing an article up and calling it a day doesn’t do it anymore. Luckily, publishers have research firms like eMarketer to help find the way. Let’s take a look at a few of its recent posts.
If you’re a publisher, video must at least be on the periphery of your strategy, inching closer and closer to a prime position in your business approach. While you might not have the resources to partner with a major brand or produce full-fledged digital series as part of a channel, you can use platforms to
Content that doesn’t deeply consider audience is a waste of time and money. It’s no coincidence that the majority of Mequoda Members are niche publishers: The model allows you to focus on segments of consumption, build up loyalty, strongly define social media strategy, and design revenue-generating events. Digiday delves into niche publishers with recent articles,
Perhaps it was inevitable, but the end of Apple Newsstand – long involved in a love-hate relationship with cross-device publishing – was still an occasion for reflection and wondering what lies ahead for digital magazines. This is the kind of story the Nieman Lab was built for. Below, we look at its coverage on this
Repurposing content is a core tenet of the Mequoda Method, but we can’t take credit for inventing the tactic. Rather, any publishers worth their salt – whether print or digital – have always run some variation on this theme. Why? Because it rewards your best work, saves you from excess work, gives you a ton
Developing a content distribution strategy that goes beyond print and desktop is no longer a luxury – it’s a requirement if you want to stand any chance at sustained success. Folio: recently dug into MagNet’s first-quarter newsstand sales study and found an interesting conclusion. The trade magazine also checked in with Garden & Gun to
There is no panacea for digital magazines attempting to break through, no one digital publishing solution to rule all others and send your revenues skyrocketing (unless you count Mequoda as one digital publishing solution, of course, which, now that you mention it …). In 2015, publishers shouldn’t close the door on any new platform, technology,
Earlier this week, we relayed news of tech network Purch’s Series C grab of $135 million, fueled largely by its prowess in mixing content and commerce. Purch’s success is a sign of the times. Ecommerce content strategy is a rapidy emerging consideration for many publishers digging for more revenue sources, but success doesn’t come easily:
The days of starting a magazine, sitting back, and watching the revenue roll in are over. Publishers must be vigilant in monitoring industry trends, establishing best practices, and monetizing content via multiplatform strategies. Not as part of a five-year strategic plan, but with every monthly editorial calendar. Folio: has you covered on the industry trends.
Time Inc. digital tries a paywall with Entertainment Weekly, while time spent with media seems to grow everywhere except in print
As time spent with media continues to rise, publishers don’t want to miss their opportunity to capitalize on the gravy train. The question is how. With social media like Snapchat? With sponsored content to lure
Legacy magazine publishing companies like Time Inc. digital are trying to get smaller, while smaller publishers like Lonely Planet and Vox are trying to get bigger. Let’s take a look at a few stories from the inimitable Keith J. Kelly’s “Media Ink” column in the New York Post.
All roads lead to viewability. This is not digital advertising news for anyone paying attention. Without it – or without a plan to establish it – publishers could be in some trouble, particularly on mobile. Advertising Age examines the issue in a couple of recent articles, while ruminating on sponsored content in a couple of
Ask any publisher about the industry’s top trends, and it’s likely the majority of their responses will start with the letter “M.” Multiplatform, mobile, and metrics, to name a few. These are a few of our favorite things, as it happens, so we’re excited to share several recent Digiday articles that address these emerging issues.
App publishers are on the cutting edge of multiplatform media, but with great power comes great responsibility. Software changes, shifts in consumer tastes, and evolving devices and platforms all pose opportunities as well as frustrations for publishers maintaining their places in audience’s hearts. So, how to stay ahead? Talking New Media takes a look at
Video ad viewability continues to be a crucial part of multiplatform publishers’ plans, particularly if you’re working under an advertising-reliant revenue model, of course. But even if you’re not, solid video viewability can help keep visitors on your site, secure subscriptions, and sell other products. Here’s a sample of recent articles from industry magazine Min
Social publishing platforms are all the rage for publishers looking to repurpose content, cultivate audience, and drive traffic, and providers’ offerings are becoming more sophisticated and specialized. Or, in Facebook’s case, irresistibly too big to fail, for now. In the meantime, other brands and publishers, like Adobe and Condé Nast, are focusing on in-house digital
Online magazine publishers are focusing on tightening up their apps and archives in the evolving effort to bolster digital product. In the midst of all of this activity, Talking New Media’s D.B. Hebbard both offers excellent coverage while at the same time proposing that media companies mimic some aspects of print business models in order
When it comes to experimentation, digital magazine subscription models are made for trying new things and fiddling with formulas until you find the right fit. Integrating events into your mix and layering in additional ways to monetize content can also rejuvenate your company. Of course, there’s also staffing changes and acquisitions to jumpstart your operation,