Monetizing Mobile, Flipboard’s New Website, Big Content vs. Big Data, Pinterest’s App Discovery Partnership, Media Metrics, TFP’s Infographic Pick of the Week, InDesign Tip: Viewing Layouts in Presentation Mode
Welcome to TFP’s roundup of news and tips for media industry pros! This week, we’re sharing stories about the publishing industry’s struggle to make money on mobile, Flipboard’s new website and content partnerships, why good content will trump big data in the end, an app discovery partnership between Apple and Pinterest, and more.
- According to a report from Advertising Age, the decline of print isn’t what keeps publishers awake at night. It’s the explosive growth of mobile—or more pointedly, how to make money from it. While traffic and ad revenues from mobile are up, platforms like Facebook are benefiting the most, the article said, noting that media outlets are moving quickly to close the gap with mobile app and site redesigns, mobile-first native advertising, and partnerships with popular mobile apps such as Snapchat.
- Another mobile player publishers are testing the waters with is Flipboard, the maker of a smartphone and tablet news-reading app with a reported 50 million monthly users. According to The Guardian, the company is launching a full-featured website, aiming to not only give current users more options for browsing their news feeds and social sites but also open up the app to a wider audience across the web. As part of the effort, the company is partnering with The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other big publishers in revenue-sharing content deals.
- As a New York Times article noted, having access to 1.4 million apps in the Apple App Store can be both good and bad: It’s great to have seemingly unlimited choices but tough to discover those apps you might find interesting and useful. To help address the problem, Pinterest has partnered with Apple on App Pin, a new offering that lets smartphone users download apps they find on the social bookmarking site without having to go to the Apple store. The report said while other social sites, including Facebook and Twitter, also point users to apps, Pinterest believes it’s better suited for discovery because its audience is geared toward exploring the site and finding new things that interest them.
- Much focus in the industry today is on metrics and technology, but a post on Adweek by the president and CEO of the IAB argued that in the end, success for both publishers and advertisers will come down to one thing: good content. While acknowledging that technology is a “vital underpinning” in the digital media business, he said, “It’s easy to forget that without captivating content to wrap itself around, advertising is like opening a present … only to find an empty box.”
- On the Technology for Publishing blog: Our latest installment of Media Metrics is out, bringing you figures on mobile Facebook users, time spent in users’ top apps, the mobile web vs. mobile apps, Apple’s exploding growth, and more.
- According to a recent survey, successful content marketing not only depends on planning, conversion, and inspiration, but overcoming challenges such as lack of speed and collaboration. Check out TFP’s Infographic Pick of the Week for more survey results highlighting the state of digital marketing.
- InDesign users often find that too many distractions in the application window prevent them from getting a clear view of their layouts. This week’s InDesign Tip explains two options that can help: Preview Mode and Presentation Mode.
Image: The Guardian
This Week in Publishing appears every Friday on the TFP blog. Every week we compile interesting and noteworthy stories from the publishing world and put together a wrap-up to help our readers stay up-to-date. Think we missed something great? Leave a comment below and let us know!
Posted by: Monica Sambataro
