Asking the Right Questions and Getting Key Answers
“Now more than ever, it’s increasingly important for publishers to maintain a mobile presence,” Ben Bassi of CommonPlaces told a SIPA 2011 Conference session in June. “If you’re looking to optimize your site for mobile phones and tablets, there are a few different approaches.”
At a roundtable there, Greg Krehbiel of Kiplingers and a co-Conference Chair for the upcoming SIPA Marketing Conference in Miami, laid out a blueprint for your mobile strategy. The questions he asked included: “Why are you doing this? What do you sell that is uniquely mobile-friendly? How will you convert your content? Where will the purchase take place?” And “How will your mobile efforts integrate with your fulfillment system?”
And Andy Swindler of Astek Consulting in his session at SIPA 2011 went over the objectives for publishers in going mobile:
– Distribute paid or free content;
– Generate revenue via subscriptions or ads;
– Protect paid content from unauthorized distribution and sharing;
– Expand audience by increasing brand recognition and trust in quality;
– Cross-sell with compatible publications.
SIPA has certainly jumped all in when it comes to covering mobile technology for its members. This dedication will continue on Thursday, Oct. 20, when Swindler and Joanne Valentino, director of marketing and communications, The Medical Letter Inc., present the next SIPA Webinar: Going Mobile for Publishers – Developing a Content-Delivery System for an Increasingly Portable World. It will be free for SIPA members, courtesy of a grant from the Specialized Information Publishers Foundation. (Non-members can join here.)
SIPA has also been able to present a global view on this important topic. At the SIPA UK Conference in July, Dominic Jacquesson of Ink on Dead Trees presented his lessons for digital publishing, noting that, “Innovation is working, replication is failing.” He talked about the innovative advantages of mobile publishing. “Pay-once, access anywhere…and we?ll know,” he said, adding lead-generation revenue models, location-aware functionality, workflow from data, a joyful user experience and social media integration. “Are you investing in innovation or managing decline?”
Swindler has spoken about the “how” in his previous talks. Instead of just saying build it and they will come, he wants to help you build it.
“You will need a technical team to build an app or optimize HTML, whether internal or outsourced,” Swindler said. “Think carefully about your current audience, its needs and how you believe those will change in five years.”
Of Apple’s In-App Subscription Service, he said that Apple receives 30% of subscription revenue generated through your app, it can no longer link to your subscription website and you must offer the same or better subscription deal in the app that you have on website.
He noted that Android (Google) has the largest mobile market share and fastest growing app platform, and recently overtook Apple for number of free apps. And Amazon, with all their content, is making a big play for the Android App marketplace. And with Apple’s iPhone 4S now out, how will that change the landscape?
You’ll get answers to these questions and more when you register to attend the SIPA webinar. Swindler specializes in developing cross-platform mobile apps and optimized websites for clients of all sizes. He’ll provide tips to help you through the process and pave the way for a smooth transition to mobile publishing.
Valentino works for a publishing company that actually made the leap to mobile publishing. This real-world case study provides you with lessons learned that will help identify key mobile concerns facing publishers today. You’ll get an insider’s perspective on what it takes to add mobile content delivery to your publishing arsenal.
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Register Now!
SIPA Webinar: Going Mobile for Publishers –
Developing a Content-Delivery System for
an Increasingly Portable World
Thursday, October 20, 2011, 1 PM Eastern time
PLACE: Your telephone and computer
COST: FREE for MEMBERS
(Thanks to a generous grant from the
Specialized Information Publishers Foundation)
To learn more about the many benefits of SIPA membership,
click here or call Michelle Cavanaugh at 703.992.9339.
TO REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR:
Click here or call 703.992.9339
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