You’ve made the decision to publish your content digitally, but now you’re faced with another question: How? A wide variety of vendors offer technology built for digital publishing, and it seems a new contender appears nearly every day. Which option is best? It all depends on your needs, of course.
Some things to consider:
- Do you prefer an app-based or browser-based solution? Apps can offer more features, while browser-based publications can be simpler to create.
- If you’re interested in publishing in app form, should you focus only on the iPad? Or does your audience also require support for Android devices?
- Are you prepared to take advantage of the advanced features of HTML5? If not, support for this evolving technology won’t be as important.
- How deeply involved do you want your publication team to be? Some solutions allow for greater in-house control, but require more technical expertise; others involve outsourcing more of the workflow to a vendor.
For side-by-side comparisons of several popular digital platform options, download the first issue of Bright Ideas on your iPad.
Search “Network Media Partners” in your iPad App Store, then select “Bright Ideas.”
October 11, 2012
When was the last time you had to make a business case for having a telephone? Have you had to justify the computer on your desk lately? That same principle — that these tools are essential for doing business — applies to social media. It is a critical communication tool with the potential to be a revenue-builder.
Carrie Hartin, COO of Network Media Partners, recently participated in an Association Media and Publishing panel discussion on this topic. She encouraged the audience to include social media as they develop ad and sponsorship budgets, then find creative places for it to fit. Some ideas:
- Paid videos on your association YouTube channel
- Webinar sponsorships that are promoted on your social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)
- Allowing sponsors to send a limited number of tweets to conference attendees
- Including social media recognition in advertising agreements.
“Focus on the benefits to your audience, not the selling of a product,” Carrie says. She notes that advertisers and sponsors will want to see measurable goals for your social media and ensure you are on track to achieve them. There are a number of tools to keep track of your campaigns, such as HootSuite, Tweet Deck and Sprout Social, as well as the built-in Facebook Insights. Network Media Partners works with its clients to ensure advertisers are providing something authentic and valuable to the community as part of their social media exposure. Understanding the metrics that the advertiser is hoping to gain is a key part of a successful program.
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Jeremy Joseph of AHIMA, Carrie Hartin, and Kim Schneider of ASDA led an Association Media & Publishing discussion of monetizing social media last week.
Carrie participated in the AM&P session along with Jeremy Joseph, director, content management, at the American Health Information Management Association, and Kim Schneider, communications editor at the American Student Dental Association. Each has had positive experiences integrating sponsors and/or advertisers into their social media.
Kim, who started and manages ASDA’s award-winning “Mouthing Off” blog, has been working with sponsors to contribute content to it. She gives them specific guidelines for what the content can and cannot include, and also ensures sponsored content is appropriately marked when it’s posted.
At AHIMA, the focus has been on building a strong Facebook presence through engaging with members and potential members. Jeremy says a group of staff members has been trained and encouraged to go online during the day and answer questions or comment on posts in order to build engagement with the audience. That, in turn, can result in non-members converting to members, or members choosing to engage more deeply in the association.
“People like to tell us their accomplishments,” Jeremy says. “When we engage and ask questions, they engage a lot, too.”
For more information on how Network Media Partners can help your association monetize social media, please contact Carrie at chartin@networkmediapartners.com or (410) 584-1919.
–Jacqui Cook is Managing Editor at Network Media.
September 19, 2012
Digital editions, tablets, mobile … Looking at the rate of change in the publishing world, it’s easy for an association publisher to feel behind the curve.
If your organization hasn’t yet added these digital options to its communications mix, don’t worry – it’s never too late to start. But as with any new opportunity, you’ll want to look before you leap. A good place to begin is with these questions:
- Do you have up-to-date information about your members’ preferences and habits, such as how and when they access your content? Or should you conduct more research before deciding on a strategy?
- What mix of research tools – market analysis, surveys, interviews or other options – makes sense for your organization? What will deliver the insights you need?
- Would you benefit from a consulting partner to help guide your strategy?
For more ideas on designing your digital strategy, download the first issue of Bright Ideas on your iPad.
Search “Network Media Partners” in your iPad App Store, then select “Bright Ideas.” Be sure to come back here and let us know what you think of the first issue.
September 5, 2012
