2010 was quite a year for technology nerds. We saw the introduction of the iPad and the numerous tablet devices that followed in its footsteps. Then we sat back and watched as media publishers fell out of love with tablets just as quickly as they had embraced them. Also on the entertainment front came Apple TV and the not-to-be-outdone Google TV. Even plain-old TV got in on the action with 3-D capabilities, Internet access, and mobile-style applications added to the quiver of functions. High-definition video cameras now fit in a pants pocket, and journalists in war-torn Afghanistan have wireless Internet access.
While widespread consumer adoption is still far off for most of the gadgets introduced last year, there's no denying the fact that the way media is consumed has changed dramatically.
Thankfully for newspaper publishers, this change brings an opportunity to create new sources of revenue and save money in areas that previously were permanently etched into the budget. And money saved means more people get to keep their jobs, right? Right? So without further ado, let's take a look at some of the tech trends gaining steam in 2011, and how publishers can take them to the bank.
iPads, E-Readers, Tablets, Oh My!I know, I know. We're all sick of hearing about the iPad. But just like 1995 when we were all sick of hearing about the Internet, and 2007 when we were sick of hearing about the iPhone, just because you're sick of it doesn't mean you can afford to ignore it.
In 2011, the price of the iPad will drop by perhaps as much as 50 percent, according to some estimates, to make way for the next-generation model. Which means the price of all the copycat devices must follow suit in order to stay competitive. With tablets selling at a more affordable price, they'll become a fixture in more households than ever. According to research conducted by Gartner, global tablet sales are projected to reach 144 million units in just three years.
So, if you've been holding out on making your paper available for download on a tablet or e-reader, this is the year to make it happen. According to a Nielsen survey conducted in October 2010 comparing iPad users to smartphone users, iPad users spend more time consuming media, are more susceptible to advertising, and are more likely to pay for an application download. Of the users surveyed, 44 percent said they use their iPad regularly to access news. And by now I shouldn't even have to tell you about the favorable user demographics: college-educated men younger than 35 who make more than $100,000 a year. Hey Nielsen, can I get their phone numbers?
So what really works in the world of tablet publishing? Subscription services: yes. Single-copy sales: not as much. Develop an app - or piggyback on someone else's app, such as Amazon Kindle for iPad - that allows users to subscribe to your newspaper at whatever frequency they prefer: daily, Sundays only, just the sports section, etc. Then deliver that subscription with unfailing reliability, just like the paper edition. Your app should be clean, easy to use, and quick to download. Take a hint from WIRED magazine, and keep the file size down. Their January issue was 368 MB. If your content takes more than five minutes to download, your readers are going to lose interest, and/or curse your name on Twitter for the world to see.
Don't forget to think beyond the print product. The reason tablets are so awesome is because they can do so much more than display text. At the very least, the tablet version of your newspaper should include extensive photo galleries and video. Try out a photo archive project that allows iPad users to scroll back in time through your paper's historic photos (you do have those archived to digital files, right?) or a rich-media guide to your local high school football scene. Think video profiles on all the players, league brackets so readers can size up the competition, live updates during the game, and special editions for important victories. Football moms eat that stuff up, and local advertisers love to support it. If your town is crazy about going to the movies, make a film review section that includes movie trailers and video reviews from your paper's on-staff film critics. Give proprietary content the center stage to keep readers coming back for more.
No matter what, the tablet version of your newspaper cannot be just a digital replication of the print edition. Newspaper sales were plummeting long before the iPad came along, so pedaling the same product in a new medium won't help the bottom line.
Winning Back AdvertisersAdvertisers have gotten pretty spoiled now that 2011 has rolled around. Try to sell them a static print ad at the same rate you've been offering for the past 10 years, and they're going to tell you to kick rocks. Publishers must provide a full array of print and online advertising options to stay competitive, and that means having the tech support to back up your advertising efforts.
Early in the days of online advertising, pop-ups were king. Visit one website for the content, and a new window would spring up automatically, enticing you with discount flower arrangements or the promise of reconnecting with your high school sweetheart. About 20 minutes after the pop-up was invented, pop-up blockers became standard features on all Internet browsers, and advertisers realized they were spending money on windows no one was actually seeing. Not exactly dollars well spent.
Browse the Internet today, and you'll quickly realize how far the online advertising market has come since then. Some ads serve as a gateway to the website, where viewers see the ad before being allowed to continue on to the site. Others are videos embedded in the site that begin to play automatically whenever a new viewer arrives. Some will take over the screen seemingly at random in the middle of your session, and still others will reach a giant hand across the screen to plunk down an ad right in your line of sight.
Web metrics are still imperfect. Determining the effectiveness of an ad by click-through rates and "eyeballs" remains somewhat akin to predicting your future based on the lines of your palm. Despite the game of distorted numbers, advertisers need to have an online presence just as much as publishers do in order to survive. And so, the technology behind online advertising continues to evolve.
Getting those rich-media ads onto your site entails a lot more legwork than selling the ad and placing the order. New companies are springing up every day, promising the best online advertising platform. Some will also help you make a smartphone app, or build a classifieds page, or serve as your entire content management system, or all of the above. Finding the company that's right for your newspaper is going to take time and a lot of research. If you haven't done it already, start now. These companies are overflowing with technology fanatics who know more about the workings of your website than you ever could. There's little chance you'll be able to bring your site up to 2011 speed without them.
To start, flip to the feature "Next-Gen CMS Integrates Digital Assets." Business writer Mark Vruno looks at just a sampling of the CMS options available and already in use at newspaper companies. Next month we'll follow up with another feature looking at the tech companies on the market: who they are, what they do, and how they can help you.
Mobile ManiaAs with the hysteria surrounding tablets, the importance of mobile media will continue to explode in 2011, with affordability of units driving growth. People are trading in their morning newspapers for morning mobile sessions, easily scrolling through the headlines while eating breakfast, riding the subway, or pretending to pay attention during the Monday sales meeting.
The good news is you don't need to develop a smartphone application in order to succeed in the mobile marketplace. App development can come with a price tag upward of $100,000 depending on complexity and functionality. When newspaper companies invest in an app, then offer it as a free download, make all the content available for free, and don't support the app with any mobile advertising, the return on investment is exactly $0. Membership in the not-so-exclusive "we made an app" club isn't enough to keep your business afloat. In 2011, every move needs to be strategically planned to bring in revenue.
If you're not going to offer your customers a mobile app, you'd better make sure your website is optimized for mobile browsing. Just because you can display the same website on an iPhone screen as you can on a desktop monitor, doesn't mean you should. Too-small text, difficult-to-navigate departments, and cluttered page layouts are huge turnoffs that will leave your mobile audience looking for news elsewhere.
One common problem with newspapers' mobile sites or apps is that they undermine the profitability of the standard website, offering a way to view content that was supposed to be reserved for paying customers, or failing to incorporate advertising as part of the mobile experience. Work with the company developing your mobile site to ensure the experience is seamless for readers and profitable for the publisher. By the end of 2011, we'll most likely see rich-media mobile advertising that's just as dynamic as standard online advertising. Newspapers that remain ahead of the curve will reap the benefit.
Get Your Head in the CloudsOK, so you've got your newspaper optimized for the World Wide Web, the mobile Web, the iPad, the iPhone, the i-whatever else Apple will introduce this year, Android, Google, and the rest. All this is in addition to your continuing print operations. You're juggling different technology companies to make it all happen, while also managing a dynamic network of full-time employees, freelance writers, photographers, sales, and marketing efforts - each with its own set of technology support and connectivity needs. Not to mention remembering to pay the electricity bill on time.
No sweat. At least not for you, the publisher. Your IT director, on the other hand, hasn't showered in a week and has taken to sulking in that mysterious darkened room at the end of the hallway and muttering something about children he once knew.
What's in that darkened room anyway? Servers. Massive computers that store and back up every digital and print initiative your paper has ever undertaken. And the computers that make sure those computers are running properly, constantly updating proprietary software. And the separate air-conditioning unit that's dedicated specifically to keeping all that machinery cool. And the rat's nest of wires that keeps it all connected. Servers. Or, in simpler terms, money.
Every media company needs servers; there's no getting around it. But what if you didn't need to manage your servers on-site, in your own office space? What if you could keep it all in the cloud?
In 2011, "the cloud" doesn't refer to the place your mind goes while you're checking your Twitter stream or perusing the kitchen for leftover bagels. "The cloud" is non-geek lingo for computing services provided over the Internet. Those services can be anything from basic word-processing and e-mail hosting (goodbye, Microsoft Office) to file and data storage (goodbye, servers). Some cloud services are offered completely free of charge; others are offered as package deals by companies that provide your Web, mobile, and app support on their own servers, rather than yours. Publishers save big by only paying for the services they need, ditching the servers and the expenses associated with them (power is a big one), and letting the IT director go home before he starts racking up overtime hours.
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