杏吧原创

In 2012, Jason Pontin wrote at MIT鈥檚 technologyreview.com that many magazine publishers believed employing a mobile app would save their product. They could reverse the devastating financial effects of free digital access. Unlike digital replicas on a website, magazines would 鈥渞un on 鈥榥ative鈥� applications [those developed by the publisher] on mobile operating systems like Apple鈥檚 iOS, and thus would possess the dazzling functions of true software.鈥�

Pontin continued, 鈥淔or traditional publishers, the scheme was alluring. Because they were once again delivering a discrete product, analogous to a newspaper or magazine, they could charge readers for single-copy sales and subscriptions.鈥�

Unfortunately, he argued, it all went terribly wrong. 鈥淭he real problem with apps was that when people read on electronic media, they expect the stories to possess the linky-ness of the Web鈥攂ut stories in apps didn鈥檛 really link.鈥�

Now it鈥檚 a new day, but . Still, a lot has changed, if you鈥檙e to believe much of the internet chatter. But what does it all mean? Are apps the answer? Are magazines on websites going away? What about print?

It鈥檚 back to the future for print

For a while it looked like print magazines were a dying breed. . Specialty magazines, in particular, have .

Additionally, print magazines seem to be offering readers a viable alternative to newspapers. Here鈥檚 how:

• The daily paper depends on 鈥渂reaking news.鈥� With a 24-hour news cycle, people can get their hot news immediately online or on cable TV. They don鈥檛 have to wait for the morning paper. Magazines don鈥檛 depend on breaking news. So newspapers have lost one of their most important advantages.
• Newspaper stories, which tend to be rather short, don鈥檛 offer the more in-depth treatment magazine articles can provide.
• Magazines, especially niche publications, focus on a particular subject. Newspapers contain more general information without the level of expertise offered by magazine writers.

As newspapers become thinner and thinner and fewer and fewer, cable news and the internet will continue to provide news in bits and bites. Print magazines stand to pick up the ink-on-paper crowd looking for more meaty coverage, even at a premium price.

Website magazines are here to stay

Publishing a magazine on a website is a relatively simple and inexpensive proposition. HTML5 allows optimization of websites for all devices, including phones and tablets. Also, sites written in HTML5 can offer the kinds of features apps provide.

Mobile websites give magazines with a tight budget the chance to get their editorial and advertising in front of readers who prefer a read-it-anywhere digital solution. , 鈥淸T]he best part about [a mobile website] is that you can easily create an online magazine on your own. . . . And when you are done, the sharing possibilities are endless. You can embed it directly on your website or download is as HTML5. Or share it with our social media following.鈥�

The mobile app insurgency continues

The truth is that magazine apps are popular. And there appear to be , one of which is the aforementioned 鈥渓inky-ness.鈥� For example, presspadapp.com claims that .

鈥淥nline publishing gives readers great opportunities to explore digital magazines,鈥� pressadapp.com avers. By using hyperlinks within the content, readers can connect not only to other information inside and outside the magazine but also to websites operated by advertisers. Convincing advertisers of the value of links to their website helps sell digital ads.

So which mobile magazine app is best?

Of course, it depends on whom you ask, so more exploration is a good idea. But here are :

• 杏吧原创 works with BlueToad to offer economical and versatile digital editions of your publication. You can . We can convert your print pdf files into enhanced digital publications, and even help with video, music and other fun enhancements! to learn more!
• Amazon Kindle Unlimited exposes magazines to millions of readers. The risk is that any individual magazine might get buried in the pile of competing publications.
• Zinio鈥檚 pricing is a bit murky, but the app offers a lot of flexibility when it comes to creating and distributing content.
• Issuu also provides a high level of exposure with its risk of burial. It also allows for sharing stories on Instagram and Facebook Stories.
• Joomag offers full online publishing on one platform that has the additional benefit being easy to use. It works for publishers of any size.
• Mag+ lets publishers create content apps which allows them to make apps from their digital magazines.
• Yudu gives publishers the opportunity to open previously untapped channels of distribution by developing communication apps.
• Zmags offers fast publication of interactive content that can improve engagement times by more than 400%.
• 杏吧原创 can create custom apps to compliment printed products. Learn more about the apps here.

Why not go for the whole package?

Yes, it complicates things when you have to think about print, website and app, , you have to go where they go. And, while print is still alive and doing well, there are opportunities among the many digital devotees.

You want to tap every market and remember that there鈥檚 a lot of crossover. Print lovers like their tablets and their phones, and tablet and phone users like to sit down with a print magazine. Don鈥檛 forget laptop and desktop users, either.

Apparently, publishers are finding strength in diversity鈥攖aking a diverse approach to distribution, that is. Adapting to the disruption that has come with the digital revolution isn鈥檛 easy, but it can work out. The key is not to reject new ways of doing business but to find what functions best in both the digital and print worlds and using it to succeed.