What does the future of digital publishing looks like? How should publishers react to changes in our industry?
These are just some of the questions we’ve been reflecting on recently as we reach the half way point in what has been an eventful year in digital publishing.
We wanted to take a timeout to reflect on what the future of digital publishing looks like and share a few observations on the trends that will continue to define our industry for the coming year.
We also wanted to share how here at Paperlit we’re working to improve our platform to meet the evolving needs of publishers worldwide.
1. The digital edition isn’t for everyone
Distributed content has been a hot topic this year with the launch of Facebook Instant Articles, Snapchat Stories and Discovery – leading many publishers to experiments with new ways to get content into the most popular mobile apps.
While these new distribution channels have helped publishers drive more traffic to their web properties, publishers haven’t abandoned their owned apps and are still keen to leverage digital edition as a way to increase revenue.
That being said, while the PDF replica model can work for some, the majority of publishers are looking to provide a more interactive mobile experience, in order to compete with distributed content channels. For this reason, we’ve invested in improving our support for .folio and HTML formats so that publishers can easily distribute responsive, media-rich digital publications via a branded newsstand app.
2. The rise of “single article” publishing
With the growing popularity of social discovery, mobile audiences expect new content from publishers at a higher frequency, making some traditional print publishers take a look at their publishing models to stay competitive.
At both FIPP London and the PPA Festival, there was a lot of buzz about “single article” publishing and the need for publishers to go beyond the “periodic” issues.
Recognizing this requirement, we offer publishers the ability to use “Paperlit Live”, a feature that supports the addition of exclusive feeds that update to a digital edition app instantly, allowing publishers to share content from an RSS, website or blog beside the digital newsstand.
3. If you’re not using video, you’re ignoring your audience
Readers want interactive content. In particular: videos.
Video is transforming everything from advertising formats to the way we report thanks to live streaming. For many publishers, developing a video strategy built on how-to’s, aggregation and live coverage has become vital to keeping mobile audiences engaged.
When it comes to digital edition publishing, this trend couldn’t be any clearer in the adoption of media-rich, HTML-based digital magazines and feeds – both of which are supported by Paperlit.
4. Creators are looking for cheaper solutions, DPS is not for everyone anymore
Earlier this year, the announcement that Adobe would be phasing out DPS in favour of AEM sent many publishers looking for alternative ways to create newsstand apps. While DPS has long been the favored mode for app creation, solutions including Paperlit have risen to meet the new demands of cost-sensitive publishers.
Earlier this year, we embarked on a new partnership with In5 and are working to include deeper HTML support through HPUB and Baker Framework in an effort to eliminate the need for expensive software by publishing multi-device newsstand apps directly from InDesign files.
In the coming months, we’re excited to bring Paperlit closer to those who are creating content and empower creators with a distribution tool that brings efficiency and cost-savings to their digital publishing process.
5. Collaboration is key
Finally, with many players in the publishing industry looking for efficiency and new revenue models, collaboration between the traditional publishing world, designers and digital tech has never been so important.
Being able to provide designers and publishing pros with a platform that allows them to create new products and services for their existing customers and new ones is an essential part of Paperlit strategy moving forward.
It’s not just about creating the content and making it beautiful for print, but it’s all about thinking digital from day one and being able to make it available to the different mobile platforms in a matter of a few clicks and at a very competitive cost.
What trends do you think will impact the publishing industry most this year? Write us in the comments!
