Print publishers are spending more attention to their mobile offerings because they’re viewed as a good opportunity to expand their brands, reach new locally targeted audiences and generate additional ad revenue, according to a new survey from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
According to the study titled “Going Mobile: How Publishers Are Preparing for the Burgeoning Digital Market,” nearly 70% of respondents said mobile is receiving more attention at their publication this year than last, and 80% said people will rely more heavily on mobile devices as a primary information source in the next three years.
“The results of ABC’s survey demonstrate that publishers recognize the growing importance of mobile devices in consumers’ daily lives and are actively embracing mobile as a new way to extend their brands,” said Michael Lavery, ABC president and managing director, in a release.
“We continue to hear from newspapers and magazines as they integrate mobile into their digital publishing plans,” said Lavery. “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.”
Among respondents to the survey, 56% said their publication has plans to develop a smartphone application in the next 24 months, while 17% of respondents already have an app in development.
Despite the anticipated rise, ABC publisher members don’t have immediate plans to abandon print publications in favour of a digital-only product. While 55% believe that digital delivery of their publication is important to their strategic future, about 75% believe that their publication will be available in a print form five years from now.
More than half of the survey respondents believe that the future business model of mobile content will be supported by both advertising and subscriptions, and nearly one-third believe that mobile will have a significant impact on their publication’s revenue in just three years.
