And three components to building a multi-platform brand that you may want to utilize
While writing this, I am reminded of the lemming myth. I’m sure you may have heard it before. The tale was that if one lemming were to walk off a cliff, all the others would follow. Scientific evidence has shown that such a theory is incorrect, but the anecdote still holds a place in minds of those who are always questioning the actions surrounding them.
When new mediums or strategies emerge, some people jump on the first opportunity to use them. Others are more cautious. They wait for more information to come out, to see results others experience, and to carefully plan their steps so they don’t end up making an ill-advised mistake that could be detrimental to the health of their business.
Many publishers fall into this category. They are smart, savvy and hardworking, but have been cautious with adopting multiple mediums for their online publication. Others have started the process, but are taking it slowly.
However, is creating a multi-platform brand necessary, or is it just something people are doing to follow in the steps of others?
Multi-Platform Branding
As an editor in the online publishing industry, I have seen that multi-platform brands are popular presently, and will gain even more popularity in the future. The media richness of the Internet is growing and niche communities throughout are becoming more robust and interested in the newer mediums.
Three Components to Multi-Platform Brands
Online video with long-form content: At the end of last month eMarketer predicted that online video viewership is increasing and will continue to do so till at least 2014. In 2010, an estimated 58.9 million adults in the US watch full-length video content online. For these users, it isn’t just short user-generated clips that they are watching; it is also full-length shows and movies.
Conclusion: Audiences love video content because it enhances the Internet experience with visual imagery and audio accompaniment.
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iPad and other digital readers: It’s not just the fact that iPad sales are going well, but that the device can allow for really amazing combinations of text, video, and audio wrapped up into well-produced products. One example of this can be seen in Penguin USA’s Amplified Edition of Ken Follett’s best-seller, The Pillars of the Earth. This multimedia e-book app offers text, extensive video, audio and additional graphic content. The article states that the associated app and the partnership between the publisher and Starz Entertainment would not be possible without the iPad’s multimedia capabilities.
Conclusion: The iPad is game changing for publishers when it comes to the interactivity they can incorporate into their products. Publishers should also be on the look out for enhanced content partnerships that can be leveraged with the iPad.
Apps for mobile devices: Mobile devices with Internet access are still a hit with consumers. This can be found in Google CEO Eric Schmidt words as he announces that 200,000 new Android devices are being sold each day.
Furthermore, Apple reported selling 8.4 million iPhones in Quarter 3 of this year, and in the process, generated a lot of revenue.
Apps are very relevant to all of these devices being sold. There is even an increase recently as to apps being used for local businesses, which includes 1.1 million more mobile subscribers using it.
Conclusion: If you have an audience, there should be an app for it.
An additional tip for the social media fans
After mentioning community earlier in this post, I wanted to get back onto the subject of social media. Social media when used correctly can help your audience know about the multi-platform brand you are creating. Share information about your work with your social networks.
While doing so, realize that social media is a hugely important role in your online publishing business. A recent SEOmoz article had an interesting study done on Twitter, which included a highlighted conclusion that “Tweets with more than 3 RTs were indexed [by Google] 325% faster, along with 125% more of its products and posts indexed than tweets with no RTs.”
Conclusion: Engaging your audience and asking them for retweets can bring in even more audience members, as retweets increase your chance of being indexed by Google.
It is an amazing world of technology we live in that online publishers, content producers and Internet marketers can utilize. To learn more about this, join Don Nicholas, Jeanniey Mullen and Ryan Marquis, three knowledgeable high-ranking members of the online publishing world for our iPad and iPhone Apps for Publishers webinar on August 24th. You will learn how building apps can help you sell more products, increase subscriptions and boost your online revenues. Don’t miss this invaluable opportunity, register today.
