What’s Next? Archive

The future of subscriptions part 2

Tailor your offers more specifically to your target groups’ needs – with the help of data analysis
Author: Serdal Kutun

Digital formats offer numerous options for enriching publications and enhancing variety – and ultimately presenting content to the consumer (reader, listener and viewer) in line with their own personal consumption preferences. However, that alone does not suffice to acquire long-term subscription customers.
In my last blog post on this topic, I put together some ideas on how the classic subscription can be upgraded with the help of digital offers. The focus was on additional marketing channels, digital added value, social sharing and the automation of digital processes. I would now like to add another aspect: the data-based optimization of the offer.

We have never known so much about the user

Sales figures, subscriptions, downloads – of course, all of these are clear indicators of the success (or failure) of a publication and every content provider needs to keep them in sight. But there is more: Do you know how much time your readers spend with each specific article? Which topics do they prefer to read and which would they rather listen to? What links are clicked, which campaigns have been successful and how many activation codes convert into loyal readers?

For digital publications (e.g. magazine apps or browser-based publications), content management systems such as that of PressMatrix record this and other data and evaluate it clearly. As a content provider, this gives you in-depth insights into the interests and habits of your users – a good knowledge basis for strategic business decisions, for instance when it comes to optimizing the offer. It may be in your interest to offer subscriptions that only contain certain categories and topics or perhaps annual subscriptions with and without access to the annual archive or any of numerous similar offers flexibly tailored to specific target groups.

The data is there – and is hardly used

The opportunity to use data analysis has indeed existed since the dawn of digitization. And yet today such insights barely influence the design of the offer any more than the classic print sales figures have always done. At least that is what we hear over and again in our numerous conversations with content providers, our potential customers. Why is that?

Of course the reasons are diverse. In the last blog post on the subject of subscriptions, we integrated a small survey, the results of which confirm our experience. For example, we asked whether the criticism that publishers lack creative digital ideas is justified and where they would position themselves on the road to digital publishing. An overwhelming majority of the survey participants confirmed that the industry is trying out new digital paths and that it is creative and open. So far, however, there is a broad lack of tried-and-tested recipes that are viable in the long term. Most publishers have already implemented their first digital offers, but hardly any content provider sees itself as having a really strong digital focus.

We also asked – as we do in practically every consultation – about the biggest hurdles on the way to digital sales growth. A clear picture does not emerge here; complex, smaller and larger obstacles hamper the implementation of digital offers – from a lack of budget and awareness in-house to a lack of resources to intense competition from free internet offers.

The biggest hurdle, however, is the content creation and distribution processes. To even be in the position to use findings from data analysis and make special subscription offers, publishers require extensively automated and digital processes. – And of course a content management system with which you can not only manage your content, but also serve various digital channels and tailor offers to target groups.

Further comments very welcome. We would be happy to discuss your individual requirements and develop digital solutions with you.

Serdal Kutun

Head of Sales

Info@pressmatrix.de

App store guidelines and requirements

What app providers should pay attention to before publishing

For app providers it is essential to be represented in the two major app stores in order to reliably reach their readers. Several factors can lead to an app being blocked. In the special case of the “Titanic” it was about content. According to media reports, Google classified some cover images of the “Titanic” as “too obscene”. The company exercised its right to strictly interpret its own app store guidelines and to block the app. Whether it is right or wrong, whether it’s an encroachment on the freedom of the press or rather Google just exercising responsibility is open for debate.

You can also find this article in our KioskApp.

For us it is an occasion to take a closer look at the app store guidelines and requirements mentioned. Because it is actually not that simple to publish an app in the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. In both stores you require not only a normal user account but also developer access. The app should meet certain minimum requirements such as offering functional added value and running stably. That may sound obvious at first. But it also means that the app must be able to run correctly on as many different devices as possible including older smartphones and tablets. If this is not the case, providers are expected to say so. Quite a programming challenge – and one of the reasons it is worth using a white label solution such as the PressMatrix one.

The minimum requirements can of course also be understood in terms of content: It can for example be a reason for rejection if the app only offers functions that another app already fulfills. Frequent repetitions in the text are also not welcomed by store operators and nor are those apps whose main function is to deliver advertising. Moreover, explanations and similar should be formulated in a clearly understandable manner.

From copyright to cost transparency

But back to the requirements: The content of the app is (naturally) subject to local law; the rights of third parties must not be infringed. The copyright applies to texts, images, videos and the functionality of the app. The protection of minors and the identification of age restrictions and releases must of course be considered. It is the provider who sets the age limit depending on the content offered. This can also be 0 years, but must be clearly communicated in any case. Google has developed the “Designed-for-Families” program for apps that are specifically intended for children and wants to ensure thereby that the advertising offers in these apps are more strictly controlled.

In addition, the app stores check whether the app sends its users unsolicited spam messages or contains misleading advertising. Both are reasons for a rejection. Incidentally, advertisements placed in the app are considered part of the app and are therefore also subject to the guidelines of the store. As long as the content of the advertising is suitable, the app operator is on the safe side. However, the stores are not happy when advertising leads the user directly to the operator’s offers outside the app, for example to the website. The aim of the stores is of course to offer the user additional offers within the app if possible. Whenever the user incurs costs – with magazine apps, these are primarily in-app purchases such as individual purchases or one-off and renewable subscriptions – it must be made clearly visible. Show additional costs transparently and justify them. List all prices and conditions not only within the app, but also in the store entry. Instead of selling issues as in-app purchases, as the provider you can of course also work with activation codes.

Data protection and tracking

Speaking of transparency: According to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), app operators are obliged to inform their customers about what data the app collects and why, and what happens to the data. The user must give consent, but can revoke it at any time and can request information from the provider about the data collected. If you offer an app in the Apple store, this topic is particularly relevant right now. Apple has just changed its data protection requirements, so operators should update their information now.

As a provider of an app publishing solution, we naturally try to implement as many app store guidelines as possible for you with our software. With our service team, we support you in creating your app and publishing it in the app stores in accordance with the respective guidelines. If, as an app provider, you want to take advantage of the extensive reach of the large stores, there’s no way round it – you are obliged to accept their conditions.

The future of subscriptions

Offer your customers added value – and digitalize your processes.

Author: Serdal Kutun

In addition to the individual sales of issues, the number of subscriptions is still an important indicator for the success of a print publication. Although the contingent of e-papers sold is growing both in the area of subscriptions and of individual sales, it cannot (yet) stop the overall downward trend.

Subscription, yes, but with a difference

How can publischers counter the trend? Online offers and magazine apps are useful additions to any publication. But the common strategy of monetization through paywalls is only gaining hesitant acceptance – for many readers the buck still stops here, and they proceed to read elsewhere for free. And to offer an e-paper simply because it’s the done thing today doesn’t seem to be the solution either. Publishers need high-quality products that offer the reader genuine added value and ideally open up numerous upselling opportunities for the media maker.

By publishing your magazine in a native app, you strengthen the classic print business through various digital options: You can, for example, enrich your content with videos or other multimedia formats, integrate additional services such as Google Maps or social sharing, and you can also reach your target group between two editions. Offer the option to purchase individual digital articles or special issues and thereby reach new target groups. Offer your customers flat-combi-subscriptions with which they can use the entire digital content, including for instance full-text archive search. Make sure to communicate such additional benefits clearly to your potential customers. – Because users are increasingly using digital media for their information needs and their approach is more topic-specific.

Automate processes and implement digital business models

These are all approaches that most content providers have thought about more than once. Practice shows, however, that the devil is in the implementation. Only when the majority of publishing processes – from the creation and distribution of content to the billing of individual articles – are amenable to automatisation can the publisher experiment and find the best individual solution for his target group. This requires more than just good ideas – only a digital publishing system can help here. Let’s discuss what the following points mean for you in practice and what solutions are conceivable:

Classic print models have very little development potential.
E-papers are a good complement, but hardly compensate for declines in sales.
Obvious digital added value for customers makes the offer more attractive.
The more detailed and flexible the business models, the more important automated processes are.
Upselling opportunities are critical to generating additional sales.
Reaching new and established target groups via digital channels.
Recycling content, distributing it in a more targeted manner, and ensuring that newly acquired knowledge on customer needs continuously reinforms distribution strategy (content marketing cycle).

What about your own situation?

Since every publication is different and every target group has different needs, there is no universal solution for digital publishing. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. In our small survey, we want to know what impact digital change is having on you as a publisher. Join in! – We’ll be reporting on the results in our next blog post.

Further comments very welcome. We would be happy to discuss your individual requirements and develop digital solutions with you.

Serdal Kutun

Head of Sales

Info@pressmatrix.de

Content success has multiple dimensions

Content Marketing Cycle – Theorie und Praxis, Part 3

Autor: Jens Gützkow

Every media maker defines “digital success” differently. But measuring this success is not a matter of course – the interactions between content, target groups, distribution channels, and conversion are too complex. How can we evaluate success in a multidimensional way that makes it possible to draw intelligent conclusions from the results? A mind game.

Not so long ago I was a guest at an event where publicists, in particular newspaper and magazine publishers, were meeting to exchange views. The main issue on the agenda was the question of how money can be made with digital content – a constant theme in these times where the readers are often more digitally oriented than the media makers. Prominent publishers presented their ideas and projects including A/B testing with different headings and the subsequent analysis of the number of clicks, advertising pitches, the conversion of users into subscribers , and paywall concepts with click baiting teasers.

It made me think. All the strategies presented were based on the conventional understanding of media consumption: an editorial team creates content and the reader must be made aware of it. The “digitization” is often reduced to the distribution channel – i.e. you are digital by virtue of the fact that content is made available online and that you are addressing interested parties through online advertisements or social media communities. But this attitude also indicates how little media makers take advantage of existing data and how inconsistently digital knowledge is used.

I am firmly convinced that we have already reached the point where such an approach is no longer sufficient for digital success. As I see it, in addition to good content, media makers will need two things in the future: a definition of what exactly digital success means for them and an intelligent analytical system that converts the relevant indicators into new content and strategies.

When is a medium digitally successful?

This is exactly the kind of question that can only be answered with “it depends”. Each one of the PressMatrix customers I asked gave a different answer. For one the digital reach (i.e. the readers) is decisive, for another it is the turnover with online subscriptions, while others pin their hopes on followers and shares. Moreover the answer is always extremely dependent on the target group the medium wants to reach. Smaller but more specific target groups are particularly easy to address digitally.

Notable in all this is that the various dimensions of digital success are rarely linked. In most cases it does not go beyond the obvious correlation “attracting more attention = attracting more subscriptions”. The opportunity to use new, more targeted ways to find the intended target group is wasted. Media makers do of course know that digital success cannot be broken down into a simple formula, but any other system quickly becomes too complex.

Measuring digital success multidimensionally and drawing conclusions from the results.

In the future, systems based on artificial intelligence will support media makers. – And not only when creating content, but also when analyzing its success. This is how I imagine it: every kind of attention that a piece of content receives is recorded and evaluated according to the predefined goals. A matrix of content pieces and channels is created, the intersection reflecting the evaluation of the success. This evaluation matrix, i.e. how important a particular result is, is determined by each media maker according to their own criteria and customized for each individual campaign. An AI engine supports the evaluation – this is also necessary, because the whole thing quickly becomes unmanageably complex. If further data, for example externally created trend analyses on user behavior and hot topics, can be integrated into the analysis, the AI will become an astute advisor. At the click of a mouse, she’ll create a plan for acquiring more readers, more shares, or more conversions.

It may still all sound a bit abstract. But in reality, developments are already heading in this direction. Content management systems are already distributing content automatically to various channels and the recording of clicks, shares and so on has long become standard. Now it is important to examine how it all fits together and to draw intelligent conclusions. So that digital success stops being a lucky strike, and turns into plannable business.

Content Marketing Cycle: support from Artificial Intelligence

Content Marketing Cycle – Theory and Practice, Part 2

Author: Jens Gützkow

Content is a valuable commodity if it has been created with care and has relevance to its audience. So it makes basic sense not to create content and publish it just once, but rather to reuse it several times. In practice, this means publishing the same content in an adapted format on other channels. In my last blog post I dealt with how the model of the content marketing cycle can be used to systematically create content, distribute it, and keep tracks on its reach – the main focus being on the sensible multiple use of content, specifically prepared for the requirements of the different channels.

Creating content can be tedious

Let’s not beat around the bush: the constant creation of new content and content snacks quickly becomes an irritating, time-consuming task in everyday life. Because when the exciting part – the creation of the main content – is complete, various channels have to be filled: Facebook several times a week please, Twitter if possible several times a day, plus an insta story, a factual reference to Xing and please don’t forget LinkedIn. Communities need care and maintenance, groups require moderation, and contributions look lonely without commentary. It’s fun for a while. Soon it becomes a chore that has to be fulfilled.

What if the content marketing system were to take on the larger part of the work? The basic rules of how a post should look for a specific channel are roughly defined – couldn’t the system do some cooperative thinking and create the posts automatically? This is exactly what we at PressMatrix are currently working on. We want to have content automatically create new content – in an intelligent manner.

Support from artificial intelligence

In the beginning there is a piece of content – a contribution for the next issue of the magazine, a specialist article for the online publication, a text for a marketing brochure, an explanatory video, a podcast etc. The question for every publisher, marketing expert or any other content creator is how this content can now be effectively used or advertised on all other channels. So you write something new for Twitter, Facebook, Xing and so on – avoiding doubled content, optimizing for search engines, and hitting the appropriate tone for the respective medium. This all takes time. And a poster’s work is never done – social media channels in particular need regular dosages of content.

Artificial intelligence could provide us with useful support in the future. We are currently testing and optimizing various algorithms in terms of their language comprehension. The intention is that on the basis of one text they make several suggestions for different social media posts. And it shouldn’t always be the obvious heading or the first few characters of an introduction that get used as post text. The algorithm should analyse the entire text, recognize important phrases and messages and use them to formulate something new in accordance with the given character or style rules. From several suggestions made by the algorithm, the user then selects one and adds their own finishing touches. The system in turn learns from this – for example which formulations the user likes best – and next time round makes even better, more individual suggestions. Creating social media posts should then be but a matter of minutes.

And if we let the idea play out for a moment, such an AI engine, if integrated into a content marketing system, could do so much more. On the basis of the individual settings – what channels, what target groups, what goals – it could actively participate in the marketing of the content. It could filter the appropriate marketing channels and make suitable suggestions. Older evergreen content could be reintegrated as required. The AI engine could refine and adapt the marketing concept and at the same time save the user valuable time by keeping their marketing channels supplied with relevant material.

Measuring the success of content
And we will add another dimension to our intelligent content creation machine: namely the measurement of the success of each individual content snack. It is easier said than done. Because when you think about it, the “success of content” is defined completely differently for every single user, every channel and every format. Multiple likes suffice for the one, while the other requires shares, and the third calculates on the basis of sales figures. In my next blog post, I will devote more space to this topic.

Make the most of your content – seriously

Content Marketing Cycle – Theory and Practice

Author: Jens Gützkow

Content is king.
Companies don’t sell products – they sell stories.
Good content inspires long-term customer loyalty.

Anyone broadly involved in content publishing will have come across these hackneyed phrases or their variants at least a thousand times. And they are all true – with the emphasis being on good and relevant content.

What exactly good content comprises is the subject of many a heated debate. And it is not just the classic publishing editors – the corporate marketing experts also worry about it on a daily basis. On the other hand, it is uncontentious and seems quite logical to hold that increasing the distribution increases the chances of stimulating interest and acquiring more readers. Yet, although content strategies are defined and content management systems diligently used, the effort is often out of proportion to the reward.

The content marketing cycle – what exactly is it?

We could discuss till the cows come home what the benefits of a content strategy are. With the dissemination of information and self-created content, each company pursues their own individual goals. But: achieving a large reach within defined target groups is one of the most important aims in practically all cases. In practise, this means that content should not merely be created and published in the corporate blog or as an article – it also requires marketing. This comes in the form of social media teasers, Adword campaigns, mailings and the like. Key words here are distribution and recycling.

The content marketing cycle tries to schematise the process in a way that keeps the big picture in sight. The creation and distribution of content also includes target group analysis, monitoring, topic choices, keyword research and active control of the campaigns based on result analysis. It is a cycle that is repeated over and again and with the arrival of new content can begin again at any point.

More automation with simultaneous personalisation

If the content is not only to reach its audience digitally, but also to be read, listened to and appreciated, it must be appropriately prepared for the respective distribution channel. A tweet, for instance, is worded differently to a Facebook post. Why? – Different target groups, different behaviour, different technical specifications. In everyday practice this leads to a lot of work, since social media channels must be used not only appropriately, but also continually. The result: a lot of those responsible for content, especially in the corporate sphere, view content as a business sideshow, and do not exploit its full potential.

What to do? Content management platforms and publishing solutions already offer functions for the automatic distribution to various channels. It’s a start. But none covers the entire content marketing cycle. And none of the solutions offer sufficient personalisation options concerning the different requirements of the channels and target group segments. When it comes to reusing and recycling content sections, publishers – whether from commercial publishing houses or from marketing departments – need automated processes.

In my next blog posts I will go into more detail about how this could look like in the future and what we at PressMatrix are working on in this regard. In addition, the important question of how the success of a content part and the accompanying measures can be measured and put into the right balance will be addressed.

Optimize Content and Distribution with Data

Data-driven Business Models

Author: Jens Gützkow

Data-Driven? Dont follow blindly!

Almost all digital user activity can be monitored: which articles they read, how much time they spent reading a specific article, which headline had the most interaction, whether the video or audio stream was more popular etc. All this information can be used to optimize not only the content, but also its distribution. But where to begin? In order to optimize effectively, you need to align your KPIs with your strategy.

It’s only logical, as publications and campaigns are created with the audience and specific goals in mind. A high conversion rate tends to be the most common goal, followed by increasing turnover and so on. These metrics are often too abstract to be used as concrete KPIs, as the definition of conversion differs depending on who you ask. However, although everyone involved in the content marketing cycle uses different metrics, they operate with the same end goal in mind.

The Content Marketing Cycle: Each Stakeholder has Different Goals

I would like to explain this in more detail: if we take the example of an editor, the most important thing is to engage as many readers as possible. In order to accomplish this, it helps to write about topics that the target audience enjoys reading. In addition, the text can be optimized for search engines and controversial headlines can function as clickbait. In contrast, a digital marketer would more likely view success as reaching a variety of audiences through social media ads, generating as many sales as possible. In both cases, collected data can be leveraged to achieve these goals.

But the fundamental question is: How much does which metric contribute to the actual overall objective? Using the above example, can more conversions or sales be obtained just because the editor chose to write a certain topic or the digital marketer included Instagram in her campaign, in addition to Facebook and Twitter? And if so, which metric was the most effective and should thus be used above all else? The truth is, that these questions cannot be answered, because the two metrics are not comparable.

So, What’s the Answer?

From my point of view, two steps need to be taken: media producers need to segment their overarching KPIs and then match them to the marketing subdomains. In other words, each individual metric is given an abstract value – the more a metric contributes to the primary KPI, the higher its value. This means, that although click baiting generates many views, it is not necessarily a high value activity as it does not significantly increase the long-term audience.

On the other hand, media producers should not misunderstand the role of collected user data as being the driver for optimizing individual metrics. The most important take away is that collected data needs to be understood in the context of their overall strategy. Continuing with our example from above, it’s obvious that misleading headings are not an effective long-term strategy. Data would show that although the number of views increases, so too, does the exit rate: readers quickly leave if the article is not what they expect from the headline. Defining KPIs in terms of correlating metrics and context is thus paramount, in order for data to be effectively utilized in decision-making.Data-Driven? Dont follow blindly!
Almost all digital user activity can be monitored: which articles they read, how much time they spent reading a specific article, which headline had the most interaction, whether the video or audio stream was more popular etc. All this information can be used to optimize not only the content, but also its distribution. But where to begin? In order to optimize effectively, you need to align your KPIs with your strategy.

Optimize and distribute your content stress-free with AppVertising!

AppVertising is our digital marketing solution for content and apps. Together, we will develop a bespoke marketing concept and implement the recommended measures.

A Smoother, More Intuitive Reading Experience

Upgrading to our new app build version 4.x means a fresh layout, many minor improvements and some exciting new features. In future, all app updates will come with an automatic upgrade for both Android and iOS.

What does this mean for existing customers?

Upgrading to the newest app version means migrating your app design. Most of the colours and graphics can be reused in the new app. What’s new is the shop logo, which is a scalable graphic element in the kiosk header. We need your company logo in SVG format as a prerequisite for building your new app.

The splash screen has been replaced by a start screen which is generated automatically from your app icon and your chosen background colour. This means that the start screen is adaptable to all devices and it is no longer necessary to create a range of graphics. Future developments will focus on optimizing the app for the Apple and Google Play stores. Due to a lack of positive developments in terms of downloads and sales, we have decided to discontinue Amazon App Store support for the time being.

What’s New?

The new functionality of the app makes production easier and provides your readers with an even more enjoyable reading experience. Many of our clients have tested the new version extensively over the last couple of months, further securing the quality and stability of the new client.

- Push Notifications with Badge
  You can now communicate with your readers at regular intervals via push notifications. A small red dot appears on the app icon to indicate new messages.
- Save the Android App on External Storage
  Offer your readers more control over the storage capacity of their smartphones: the app can now be stored on external memory.
- Feedback Button in App Settings
  The new feedback button is a way for your readers to get in touch with you directly and seamlessly over the app. All relevant system information (app version, device, etc.) is automatically attached to the email message, enabling you to provide faster and more effective support.
- ReadMatrix Article Teaser Display
  Teaser images of ReadMatrix articles are now displayed in the 4:3 aspect ratio in both the app and the browser client. This ensures a more aesthetic and uniform appearance.
- Uncut Covers in Kiosk View
  In the new client, magazine covers can now be shown in their original format, as the display adapts to the aspect ratio of the cover.
- Native Player for Audio and Video
  Audio and video widgets are streamed in a native player. This is not only increases stability, but also the perceived ease of use and less disruptions to user experience.

More features and improvements are in development and will be included in future version releases of the app. Want to update your apps to the new client version? A step-by-step guide can be found in our Help Center. For further enquiries, don’t hesitate to contact our service team at service@pressmatrix.de and +49 30 364 288 766.

Concrete goals that can be reached with a digital solution

Teil II: Digital-content goals and the metrics to measure them. A customer analysis.

In part one, we presented the motives and considerations of our customers that first led to them implementing a digital publishing solution. Now we look at the possible objectives of a digital solution and the metrics to measure their success.

What goals do customers pursue with their digital content?

Publishing clients are concerned with stabilizing or balancing out the existing print business. This means reducing spending on print, securing a cheaper, faster, and more effective distribution of publications, and establishing the digital business as a mainstay in the medium term.
Other goals are to attract new readers and create new subscription offers.

Naturally, in addition to the reader target-groups, they also set their sights on advertising partners: existing advertisers should be retained and new partners gained, based on the target groups. According to our customers, digital advertising space offers more marketing opportunities than print advertisements – a crucial point for content providers of free content.

In companies, as in clubs and associations, the pressure from outside is less intense, but the inner desire for a modern look is all the more present. Accordingly, objectives such as increasing awareness and reach – which in turn means increased product sales – move into focus.

Monetary goals are not always the main priority: Some publishers, for example, wish to make their large content archive available digitally, make teaching materials more accessible to teachers and students, or make use of the additional methods of analysing reading habits and interests.

The destination becomes the journey

IYour own end goals materialise almost by themselves when you analyse your current situation: What has changed? Are the changes good or do they have negative consequences? If the former, how can you promote and benefit from them? And what must you change to reverse negative effects? In this stock-taking, your wishes and motivation can work like a compass and intuitively show you the right path to take.

Measuring success

To see how effective a digital solution is, you need meaningful reports and KPIs. Often the KPIs for the digital content are based on the key figures from the print area. For instance, if approx. 10 to 15 percent of the print readers use the app in the future, it could be predicted that about the same number of print subscribers will also read digitally, or e.g. 100 digital subscriptions should be sold in three months.
However, we also learned from the discussions that only a few customers set concrete key figures right from the start. For these, the digital solution is already a success when the number of subscribers, the number of installed apps, and the issue downloads are overall on the increase and the return rate of the app users is high.
Others start without concrete progress indicators, especially those who view the digital business as a test phase and want first to get an idea of the general opportunities offered by digital publishing.
Only a few customers spoke of a specific turnover to be achieved, although this was one of the stated goals for about 70 percent.

Know what you want to achieve

Defined progress indicators are needed to measure the success of the digital solution and make it visible. It is understandable that many customers, especially when just entering the world of digital publishing, initially have few ideas of what they can achieve.
When setting key figures, use your print content for orientation. Or take a pragmatic approach to your business objectives: How many subscriptions or individual purchases or what turnover do you need to achieve in order to stabilize your business? Then add the extra mile.

What qualities does a digital publishing solution have to possess?

The requirements for a digital publishing solution can be reduced to a few central points. A simple, intuitive usage which makes your work much easier is important. Many wish to avoid a long training period and if possible spare themselves the technological effort.
The price is the second most important criterion. The digital solution must be affordable for publishers to offset losses from the print business. By contrast, all customers are willing to pay more for recognizable added value.
Other desired features include options for incorporating advertising, publishing articles individually, and enriching the content. For customers from the publishing field, the integration of existing subscription systems is a decisive criterion. Corporate customers, on the other hand, value solutions that enable the granting of access to different reader groups.

Optimize and distribute your content stress-free with AppVertising!

The choice of the right provider

Take a look at different providers, compare, and ask around amongst your professional acquaintances: What solutions do they use and what have their experiences been to date? Make an appointment with a provider; address your challenges, ideas and goals. A good provider will work with you to put together your own individually tailored solution.

Digital content is a matter of course, right?

Part I: Who uses a digital solution and what motivates them? A short customer analysis.

How do you know the right moment has arrived to offer your content digitally? At the latest when the sales and readership numbers are on the decline or the readers themselves have requested it. We’ll show you the benefits of digital publishing, give an overview of who uses a digital solution and illustrate what you can achieve with digital content. Inspiration and support for decision-making can be found here for those still in doubt or looking for the right digital solution.

Who uses a digital publishing solution?

Preparing and offering content digitally is beneficial to all content providers in this day and age. The largest group are newspaper and magazine publishers , whether they be small publishers with one to five employees or large media houses. A second big group are the corporate publishers from enterprises and agencies who want to reach their customers digitally, for instance to improve their service or to sell their products. Here, too, the range extends from medium-sized companies to large corporations. Contents include product catalogues, sales materials or customer and employee magazines. In addition, more and more clubs, associations and foundations are using digital publishing solutions to reach members and decision-makers cost-effectively at any time and practically anywhere. Caption: A percentage listing of the publications that are implemented with our digital solution.

A percentage listing of publications, which use our digital solution.

Who is responsible for the digital solution?

The persons responsible for the digital solution are as diverse as the application areas for digital content. In smaller publishers, digitization is a top priority: publishers, editors-in-chief and managing directors are often personally responsible for the app. They are the initiators and drivers of the project and lead by example. In larger publishing houses, individual editors are responsible for managing the digital content and are supported in turn by the graphics and IT departments. The enrichment of the publications – the integration of additional texts and media – is also sometimes taken on by student staff in the editing department. Editors are not always responsible: digitization projects are almost as frequently in the hands product managers and customer service staff. This includes the Human Resource Departments, which maintain the app instead of or in addition to an intranet. In some companies, the communications and marketing departments are also responsible for the digital publishing solution.

Who and how many employees do you need to digitize your content?

The maintenance of digital content depends on the number and type of your publications. Often, no special knowledge is required to use a digital solution, so that every employee can be quickly trained. Depending on the extent to which the contents are enriched with media, it can take a little more time, but often one person is sufficient. As far as the sphere of responsibility is concerned, two people familiar with the process is enough. Why offer digital content at all? The motivation to search for a digital solution can be very different. In principle, there are three scenarios that drive our customers:

The behaviour of readers and customers is changing. The (former) readers watch e.g. videos and series in their spare time, rather than reading newspapers.
The current business situation is stagnating. This can be consistent reader numbers or your own brand not getting beyond a certain level of awareness.
The business situation is developing negatively. The number of subscribers and advertisers or even the turnover is on the decline.

The search for a solution is sometimes triggered by the readers themselves who deliberately ask for a digital format. Or the traffic to an already existing digital service is on the increase. Both are ideal conditions for expanding the digital process. Advertisers are also looking for more innovative advertising opportunities to place their products. The best reason to seek out a digital solution is, however, always your own motivation. It might be your desire to modernise your brand and image, to speak to new reader groups or simply to expand the service for readers. Further, with a digital solution the additional content that arises in the editing process can be skilfully incorporated and profitably implemented. This includes optimising work processes and getting rid of the never-ending paper work. Sales and services are thus freed up. The process also includes replacing any pre-existing digital solutions. This is often due to maintenance reasons and the technology itself. Tip: Service should play an important role in choosing the correct digital solution.

The best incentive is your own inner motivation

Today’s changing consumer behaviour is a crucial incentive for considering digital content. But just as decisive is ones own desire for change and the will for further development. In this it is advisable to have your team on board in the decision-making process; that way everyone can set their sights on a common end-goal.

In part two, we look at the concrete goals that can be reached with a digital solution and the criteria you can use to measure your success.