Study: Publishers pushing mobile

Print publishers seem to be focusing on mobile as a way to generate revenue lost when consumers turned to online media publishers rather than their local paper or even their local television news stations. While mobile may not be the whole answer for these publishers, it does present another opportunity for local businesses to engage and interact with consumers who turn to mobile for information.

The report finds that:

• 42% of consumer magazines are being formatted for mobile
• 44% of business publications are mobile-formatted
• 57% of newspapers are being formatted for mobile readers
• 44% of those already in the mobile marketplace report a 10% increase in website traffic

Michael Lavery, ABC president and managing director said, "We continue to hear from newspapers and magazines as they integrate mobile into their digital publishing plans. And interest in ABC's multimedia reporting options is very high, with mobile poised to be one of the next distribution channels included on those reports."

Publishers report plans to develop smartphone apps for their content but just over half report no plans to stop the print form of their publications. Both advertisements and subscriptions are expected to be the business model for most mobile platforms.

Edward Montes, executive vice president and managing director of Havas Digital North America said, "With text and multimedia messaging, branded mobile apps, content sponsorships, display advertising, paid search, and location-based targeting, the platform becomes an integral component of the overall marketing strategy. It has enormous potential for clients, in my view, so it's great to see newspapers and magazines embracing digital publishing."

Tags: Audit Bureau of Circulations, mobile, mobile marketing, mobile publishing