Fast Company’s New App, the Danger of Sameness, Measuring Native’s Performance, YouTube’s Profit Problem, The Next Major Disruptor For Publishing: Adobe? Apple? Amazon?, Women in Media, February Book Picks: Disruptive Technology, TFP’s Infographic Pick of the Week, InDesign CC Tip: Print Current Page
Welcome to TFP’s roundup of news and tips for media industry pros! This week, we’re sharing stories about a new mobile app from Fast Company and Adobe, the sameness of content on new media sites, measuring the success of native advertising, YouTube’s struggle to make money, and more.
- In partnership with Adobe, Fast Company launched a new app that combines monthly magazine content, real-time news, and daily selections of curated stories on a platform optimized for mobile devices. Calling it the future of publishing, Adobe said in a blog post that the app’s continuously updating article-based approach showcases the capabilities of its new digital publishing product, due out this summer. The app is available in the Apple App Store.
- A report from Gigaom pointed out that while there’s no lack of good content on the web, there tends to be a sameness to it among new media sites, with many publishing stories similar to those of competitors. It highlighted a blog post from Purdue doctoral student Frederik De Boer, titled, “Unless your site is about one thing, it’s about everything,” noting that, “If your site doesn’t have a unique focus, or a theme or defining vision when it comes to what you cover and when, then you are going to look like everyone else. And that’s not a good thing.”
- When it comes to native advertising, how do you measure effectiveness? That depends on the publisher, brand, and most important, objective, according to a Digiday report. While taking a look at some of the performance metrics used today and what’s likely to be key in the future, it said since no two campaigns are the same, it stands to reason that measures of success will vary as well.
- YouTube: 1 Billion Viewers, No Profit is an attention-grabbing headline on the Wall Street Journal site, but a big problem for Google, which is struggling to make money on its online video business even while the site’s popularity has soared. The report said part of the problem is its inability to expand its core audience beyond teens, most of whom access the site from links or video posted elsewhere. Plus, Facebook and Twitter are fast becoming competitors by building out their own video offerings.
- On the Technology for Publishing blog: What’s the next major disruptor in the publishing industry? TFP’s Margot Knorr Mancini explores that question in her latest blog, noting that a well-structured content delivery model, regardless of target or device, provides the foundation on which publishers can leverage disruptive change to create value.
- Our latest Women in Media roundup looks at young industry innovators, a new role for Sony’s Amy Pascal, what’s on the agenda of Money‘s first woman EIC, publishing CEO Maria Rodale’s ideas on increasing readership and revenue, and more.
- To help you better prepare for what’s ahead this year, our monthly Book Pick list includes several good reads on how to transform disruptive change into opportunities.
- If you’re a publisher or content promoter posting to a variety of social media sites, it can be tough to keep track of all the image and video requirements. Not to worry: This week’s infographic pick puts all that information at your fingertips in the Ultimate Social Media Cheat Sheet.
- InDesign now provides an option to easily print just the pages or spreads you’re working in without having to enter the exact page number. Check out this week’s tip to find out how it works.
Image: Fast Company
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
