The challenge today is not print vs digital or about paywalls, but about using brand power to grab revenue wherever you can. Yes, nearly every publisher has to make choices about paywalls but the decisions about how to charge for content pragmatically and not ideologically is what matters. There are multiple ways for publishers to diversify their revenue streams by adding, among other outlets, enhanced mobile publishing. We at mag+ believe media brands are not playing in the media segment anymore. We have to use our trusted, curated, designed content and deliver quality information to our desired communities whenever, wherever, and however, they want to receive it.
Here are three recommendations on how you can diversify your revenue stream with mobile publishing:
1. Expand upon the printed content
Utilize your content in print by engaging new or audiences using digital mediums. Do this in categories your communities show real interest in and create tablet applications that provide a deeper dive for your engaged audiences. People will pay to receive useful information in subject areas they have a keen interest in.
2. Use pieces of your most popular (or trending) web content
Every now and then, you curate a piece of content that’s admired by all? Go through your analytics and find out such pieces of popular content. Use this already well-liked content to create quick read smartphone apps for users on the go. Not only will this pique the curiosity of your readers but also help you establish authority in the market.
3. Develop deep ‘topic-specific content’
Deeper, topic-specific content can be useful to your community ‘on the go’ in special issue mobile apps. It’s said multiple times: If the content is king, then context is Queen. You just need to carry out detailed research around any topic of your users’ interest and deliver valuable and unique content. Embed interactivity using various multimedia features like popups, slideshows, jump links, and more.
Have you diversified your revenue streams or considered ways to re-use or expand on the content your readers have shown real interest in? What challenges do you see in getting started, justifying the cost, or finding the right team? Ponder over these questions and embark on your own digital publishing venture.