Online publishers are hoping that Newsstand will help the digital publishing environment evolve even more
Apple’s new operating system iOS 5 is going to be released later this month.
With iOS 5 comes Apple’s Newsstand, a feature that many online publishers are hoping will help them spread their content easier.
A recent article from Poynter discusses five details of Newsstand that publishers who want to utilize it should realize.
Five keys to using Apple Newsstand
#1: Newsstand is opt-in. Publishers are not required to put their apps into Newsstand. However, if they do want to utilize the interface, they will have to recategorize the app and specify that it is a Newsstand app.
#2: Background content downloading. Apps in Newsstand can download new issues while they are in the background not being used. Apple will only do this once per day to avoid excessive battery drain. This feature is ideal for subscription apps, since new editions will be downloaded each day automatically. If an app is open, it will update as many times as necessary throughout the day.
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#3: A variety of apps will be offered. Publishers have been interested in Newsstand because they believe it will help them offer subscriptions and single-issue sales easier. However, free apps will be available through Newsstand as well, and can help publishers build an audience and introduce people to their content easier.
#4: Newsstand houses apps. All apps downloaded through Newsstand will be placed within the Newsstand app. This allows for all apps to reside in a singular location. Whether this is ideal or not, this is how the process works while using Newsstand.
#5: App icons are changeable. When publishers release new editions of apps through Newsstand, they have the option of changing the image icon. If they want the app icon to resemble a magazine cover, they can do so. These images can be changed once per day.
If you are willing to give Apple 30% of revenue generated through their store and the personal data of your customers who buy through Newsstand, then selling your apps through Newsstand might be worth your while.
