Publish in the 21st century
In late 2005, my business partner and I discussed the possibility of creating and developing a publishing company from scratch whose focus would be to deliver content exclusively in a digital format rather than the traditional print method. We chose to go this route because we recognized how important the Internet had become and with rising printing and fulfillment costs, writing seemed to be on the wall for print publications, including newspapers and magazines, to financially bend or expand their modes. from delivery to focus more on digital-centric delivery. Five years later, this forecast has turned out to be true.
The publishing world has undergone tremendous change over the past few years as consumers and readers of various content items search the Internet to see the world around them. From a publisher’s perspective, this use of the digital format to access content has literally changed business models and, for many publishers, has ruined their bottom line, as digital dollars have been spent in digital pennies, in terms of ad revenue, and printing costs have skyrocketed.
What has made this model successful for many businesses is the significant reduction in overhead due to no printing or delivery costs, and very limited G&A costs in addition to hosting, Flash conversion, and other overhead. Additionally, the demographics of enthusiasts around the world have helped us as a publication move forward, as we have been able to reach readers around the world who could not have been reached using a standard print method for publication.
So how can a business deliver engaging content online and remain profitable? The key is to utilize viral growth and communicate to advertisers that transitioning to a digital business model for ROI and focusing on branding in a Flash mode of delivery (i.e., Flash digital flipbooks) can deliver substantial results. and immediate benefits that mutually benefit the publisher (additional revenue), the advertiser (much broader brand / marketing at significantly reduced cost) and the consumer with “instant gratification” of content and accessibility to products within this content that simply cannot be achieve with a print publication.
The future of publishing has arrived and if publishing companies are to survive, the focus must be on digital content and getting growth efficiently, while adding value to companies that will drive revenue stream for publishers. online.