The Must-Read Publishing Stories You May Have Missed Nov 29, 2019

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How to build engagement in the mobile era, preparing for the 5G explosion, and more…

Adapting to the changing nature of engagement

The print vs digital debate has been raging in the publishing industry for years. The sides are split between those who believe every print magazine ending is a sign of a dying industry, and those that see a sustainable future in digital and mobile formats.

This week, we look at some of the trade-offs involved for those publishers who have chosen to go online-only, or reduce the frequency of print. More importantly, for those trying to engage readers in a crowded online environment, what can they do to build a habit for those readers?

For a growing number of publishers, the question is no longer ‘print or digital’. Instead, we should be asking what role print plays in the print, digital and experiential – ‘a mix that allows us to maximise audience engagement, cross-selling and revenue generation,’ according to the Future of Media whitepaper.

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What’s new this week

As print falters, Marie Claire UK goes all in with eCommerce

As part of our series exploring publishers’ eCommerce efforts for our latest report, Damian Radcliffe charts Marie Claire’s journey into salons, stores and more.

“Paper, pixels or – more preferably – both”: Building engagement in the mobile era A lucrative future can still be successfully developed, and it doesn’t matter if it is paper, pixels or – more preferably – both. The only reasonable forecast to expect is continued change.

Publishers, get ready for a 5G explosion IDC expects 190 million 5G smartphones to ship in 2020, accounting for 14% of total smartphones shipped, which far exceeds the first year of 4G shipments (2010) at 1.3%.

Why it’s so hard to scale paid podcast subscriptions More and more publishers are investing in the medium, but, for the most part, they’re monetizing their podcasts with ads and live events.

Financial Times launches FT Strategies to help publishers create a “future-proofed media business” The Financial Times has launched a small consulting firm using in-house talent and learnings from it’s own successful transformation, aiming to help other media businesses.

How publishers can optimize for niche audiences Whether your expertise is broad or specific, your organization large or decidedly small, every audience will be made up of many smaller audiences. What works for one may not work for another.

On brand building, listening, and solving problems: Insights from Condé Nast Magazine brands, listening and monetisation were a hot topic of conversation at a fireside chat with Eric Gillin, the chief business officer at Condé Nast’s Culture division

“The attention war is a brutal one”: The commercial potential of thoughtful longform content Zetland is a Danish media company that aims to take its audience behind the news via the several longform stories and the podcast it issues each day to its 20,000 subscription paying members.

How to create chart-topping podcasts: Insights from the leading podcast studio, Wondery Anybody can create a podcast. But few can make a good one; even fewer can tell a compelling story over multiple episodes; and only a select few can tell a story that moves people.