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How to make it into the inbox!

Have you ever sent out a large email blast to a manicured list of 'Opted-In' recipients only to find that the measurable result underperformed? Imagine paid subscribers, who have willingly chosen to receive your content, not being aware of a recent issue because their email service provider has delivered the information into a junk or spam folder. Unfortunately, it happens too often.

So what can be done to ensure your content lands where it should? This is too long of a topic to discuss in a short blog post but here is a simple suggestion;

...continue

Interview with an Empire

Roger's Publishing is a division of one of the largest media companies in the world. The publishing division of Roger's turns out 75,000 magazines a year across a number of different interests and sectors. We pulled a senior advertising executive from Roger's aside and grilled him on how they are handling advertising in the digital age. You can read the Q and A here.

New Feature 'Mobile Notes'

Flip Page Publishing is pleased to announce that we have added the ‘Notes’ functionality to the HTML5 viewer. As we had outlined with the initial release of the new HTML5 viewer we are continuing to add more tools to complement the Flex/Flash viewer.  

Want more information? Click here.

 

New Feature 'Visual Checklist'

Flip Page Publishing’s Visual Checklist offers a new method for flyer and catalogue readers to view the items they have added to their virtual wishlist. Previously items added to the wishlist could be viewed by clicking on the wishlist icon in the toolbar. With the new Visual Checklist items that are added to the list will display with a checkmark directly on the page. Want to give it a try? Click here.

*This new feature applies to the HTML5 viewer only

New Feature 'Limited User'

Limited User
Limited User

Flip Page Publishing has added a second tier user for each Flip Page account. Previously, any user login and password that was applied to the dashboard login page would provide access to the dashboard. However, with the new ‘Limited User’ option it is possible to setup an account which provides access solely to the analytical data with no access to the editing dashboard.

How do I create a Limited User account?

A ‘Limited User’ account can be setup as follows;

1. Login in to the dashboard 2. Click on ‘My Account’ in the header 3. Click on ‘Edit Users’ in the Account Preferences panel 4. Fill in the required user fields 5. Under the ‘Type’ field select ‘Thermostats’ from the drop down menu 6. Click ‘Save’

New Feature allows publishers to export to HTML, Flash, and HTML5!

Flip Page offers three formats to push your digital editions to the browser - HTML, Flash and HTML5. When setting up a Flip Page edition it is required to select one of these options. But now, one publication can be exported in all three formats.

Using the new URL parameters feature you are able to provide any or all Flip Page editions in any or all formats. Simply add the URL parameter to the Direct URL string.

How do you add a URL parameter? See below.

If Direct URL is...

http://flippubs.com/publication?i=178843

HTML  – add “&ver=html” to URL Flash – add “&ver=flex” to URL HTML5 - add “&ver=html5” to URL

Click for the Flash version of newsletter!
Click for the Flash version of newsletter!

Flash version sample

Click for the Flash version of newsletter!
Click for the HTML5 version of newsletter!

HTML5 version sample

*Note – on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones the HTML5 version is the default regardless of which URL parameter is defined.

Flip Page Publishing expands HTML5 viewer to Desktop

Flip Page Publishing expands HTML5 viewer to Desktop

   

Flip Page Publishing announced today that they have expanded the output capabilities of their HTML5 publication viewer. Originally slated to be the mobile viewer of choice for Flip Page readers the HTML5 build has now been expanded to desktop viewing as well.

 

“Sometimes it is just a matter of meeting demands” replied Sean McKenna - Flip Page Publishing’s Sales Manager.

Flip Page Publishing had released its new HTML5 mobile viewer just weeks earlier but was already receiving requests to make this a desktop option as well.

“The mobile viewer has been really well received” stated Flip Page Publishing President Brent Palmer.

Previously, the HTML or Flash based editions would ‘switch on the fly’ to the new HTML5 mobile viewer when a mobile user attempted to access a Flip Page edition. However, content publishers are now provided the ability to put the HTML5 version into non-mobile reader’s hands as well.

When asked how the new HTML5 desktop version is received on desktop browsers Flip Page Publishing’s Sean McKenna remarked “It is really slick. The toolbar overlay in the HTML5 version, which removes the visual toolbar, offers an expanded layout compared to the standard Flash and HTML based versions. It just means that paginated content occupies more of the display’s landscape which is what you want”.

Flip Page Publishing maintains that current versions of all of the major internet browsers (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple’s Safari, and Internet Explorer) support HTML5.  “An upgraded programming language for browsers is long overdue” stated IT Consultant Mark Reynolds. “As the HTML5 language continues to expand, the browser support for this language will follow suit” he concluded.

Flip Page has stated that the HTML5 desktop viewer renders exactly the same as the HTML5 mobile version and includes the same toolset as the mobile product. 

How does a publisher take advantage of the new HTML5 desktop version? Flip Page Publishing has made it very simple. There is a new option in the Issue Settings ‘Viewer Version’ dropdown called ‘HTML 5 Viewer’. Select this option during issue setup to offer your Flip Page editions in HTML5 to both mobile and desktop readers.

Flip Page digital edition Advertising - What do you have to offer?

              About a month ago one of our top account executives in the advertising sales department was asked “What else can you offer me?” Our account exec. paused for a moment and made his client aware that his print advertisement in ‘The Flip Page Times’ was also prominently displayed in a banner ad on the Flip Page Times website.

“Yeah, I know” replied the client. “What about the digital edition?” The ad sales rep. recoiled. “Your print ad is also accessible in the digital edition of the ’Times” responded the confused salesperson. “Yeah, I know” replied the client. “But isn’t there something else we can do with my ad in the digital edition? I want my ad within the digital edition to stand out” confessed the client.

Upon overhearing this conversation one of the junior reps from the ad sales department walked over and asked if he could provide some insight. “Sure” was the dual response. The junior rep was new to the print side of things but was very familiar with the digital offerings available at ‘The Times’. “Let me show you some of the basic interaction we have available and then I will show you some incredible multimedia options” stated the junior ad rep. He pulled up the current issue of ‘The Times’ from the desk beside him. “Well, a simple start would be to provide your website address in text format” he proclaimed. “That would allow us to link your website from the digital edition” replied the rep. “And, we could provide you with analytics data that demonstrates how often ‘The Times’ readers are accessing your website from our newspapers digital edition”. The client’s eyes lit up.

May June Newsletter
May June Newsletter

“That is just the beginning” continued the sales rep “Let me show you some of the other features that we can offer”. The eager sales rep. reached into his portfolio and pulled out a sheet littered with opportunities for the client. The numerically organized list of possibilities read as so:

1. Introduction Pages – An Introduction Page (to the left of front cover) is a great placement location for an advertiser in a Flip Page edition. Since the Introduction Page can be as large dimensionally as the publication it acts as a full page ad on the landing page of the actual publication. The highest percentage of trackable page views will occur on the front cover page which denotes a prime real estate location within each issue. Introduction pages can include all of the tools (multi-media, call back cards, animation) as a standard page.

2. Margin Advertisements – Margin advertisements offer individualized ad placement locations within the browser display of a publication. The ad banners occur outside the perimeter of the publication viewer. There are multiple placement locations and ads can be set as ‘static’ or ‘rotating’. All of the banner ads are linkable to any web hosted page, promotion, offer, sale etc. Margin ads are ideal for a current print advertiser or can be leveraged to a ‘digital only’ advertiser who values the market being served.

3. Advertiser Index – The Advertiser Index is a dropdown list of advertisers integrated as an icon into the tool bar of the Flip Page edition. The Advertiser Index categorizes Advertisers by name and offers an internal link to the ad page within the Flip Page edition when clicked. The Advertiser Index provides immediate and continued exposure of the advertiser to the intended audience.

4. Custom Animated Ads – Flip Page editions offer a static replication of ads within the printed medium. However, ads can be customized to render as more than a static image on a ‘browser page’. Page animation offers the ability to add interactive components to static pages to further engage readers with a brand or product.

5. Multimedia – Flip Page editions provide the ability to build both Audio and Video into a publication page. Media formats can be embedded and offer various render options for the advertisers. As an example, an advertiser could opt to have a product video pop-up on select pages and play automatically as the reader navigates to the page. Similarly, a radio spot can be selected to play when a reader navigates to an ad page for that brand. Television ads, product spotlight videos, radio spots, audio overdubs, etc. should be used to compliment print content within the digital edition. Multi-media will further engage readers and drive product recognition.

6. Call Back and Business Reply Cards – A Call Back Card is a lead generation tool that provides direct interaction between a Flip Page edition reader and an advertiser. A Call Back Card populates as a customizable icon or graphic within an ad. When clicked, the icon renders a form which details when a reader would like to be contacted about an advertiser’s product or service. When the form is submitted an email is generated and sent to the advertiser begin the customer acquisition process. The email also states the origin (the publication name) of the call back card for the benefit of advertiser and publisher.

7. Specialty Pages – Specialty pages such as blow-ins, gatefolds, barn doors, and belly bands create unique opportunities to highlight a specific advertiser within a Flip Page digital edition. The interactive and unique nature of specialty pages provides a more immersive experience for readers compared to standard page sizes. Similarly, specialty pages offer creative design options that cannot be replicated with standard pages.

8. Page rotation – Specialty pages allow the advertiser to get creative with the dimensions of their ad in comparison to the standard page size. Page rotation furthers that creativity. An ad that rotates the entire layout of the publication tends to garner attention.

9. Direct or Hard Linking – Typically a Flip Page edition opens to the front cover of the publication. Using the Direct or Hard Link option allows you to determine the page which opens when the link is clicked. This is an excellent opportunity to highlight an advertiser or an issue sponsor within a publication.

10. Analytics – Advertisers are most concerned with how a publication is received by a reader. How many readers read the publication? How many readers return to the publication a second time? Where are these readers located geographically? How long are readers engaged? Did the reader view the page where my ad is placed? Did they interact with my ad? Did the reader watch my video? Did they click on my promotional link? These questions, and many more, can all be answered by viewing the analytics data that is captured with each issue.

As the ad sales team and their client finished navigating through the various options being showcased, the client reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell. He was instantly in contact with his creative director. “Steve” he stammered. “Put an immediate hold on any art that you are doing for The Flip Page Times” he continued. Both of the ad sales team members for ‘The Times’ looked at each other in defeat. They were both under the impression that their client had been very impressed with their impromptu presentation. “No, no, no, Steve” the client blurted out. “We aren’t stopping our ad in The Times, we are figuring out how we can maximize our ad in the digital edition!”

Flip Page Publishing Launches HTML5 Mobile Version 2.0

Flip Page Publishing Launches HTML5 Mobile Version 2.0

Valued Flip Page clients,Flip Page Publishing is very pleased to announce the launch of Version 2.0 of our mobile browser version. Our goal was to create a mobile viewing experience that closely resembled the desktop experience. With that in mind we have added a number of features that have helped reach this goal.

Now Serving Background
Now Serving Background

For a full listing of features please see below.

Navigation Elements

   Pinch and Reverse Pinch Zoom   URL links   Article links – display in media deck   Page-to-Page links   Search enabled – per issue and publication   Archive issues (if allowed by publisher)   Orientation handling for mobile devices   Spread or Single Page Viewing   Left/Right navigation buttons for non-touch devices   Slide transition   Scrubber – visual page scroll and selection

Multimedia

   Embedded Video   Popup Video   Autoplay Video   Audio   Slideshows

Smart App Banner – reader notification that a Native App exists for that publication (iOS devices only)

Retail (Catalogs and Circulars) features – Rollovers

Supported customization

   Custom/masked publication domain names   Background color and text color of these areas can be customized:   Toolbar   Search Panel   Table of Contents   Toolbar can be completely customized with HTML coding

Authentication/subscriptions

Thermostats integration *The upgrade to our mobile viewer will instantly be applied to all publications (past/present/future) with no additional requirements from our clients!

 Contact your account representative with any questions you may have related to our new mobile version!

Cookies aren't Monsters, we are Cookie Monsters

Cookie Monster
Cookie Monster

There are a predicted 7 billion cookies consumed in a given year in North America alone. They come in a variety of flavours, shapes, brands and sizes which are equally delightful.  But the physical cookie doesn’t stand alone.  It has a digital counterpart - the web cookie – and we also consume an incredible amount of these as well. Unfortunately for the sweet-tooth, web cookies have no physical form, or smell, or flavour or anything that would relate them to their namesake.

So what do web cookies do? Cookies are small bits of data that are transmitted between a web browser and the web site being visited. Much like the baked product they come in a number of shapes and sizes. Some cookies provide a better web experience, others authenticate users, some store information, and others track usage. If you have ever visited a website and noticed that on the second visit to that same site the experience was faster, smoother, or adapted to your preferences you can thank a cookie.

Would you like to gain some insight on the impact that web cookies have on web browsing?  Try this recipe - the next time that you find yourself aimlessly browsing the web turn off or disable cookies in your web browser (here are instructions on how to do this for Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari). You will be surprised. There is very little successful web browsing that can occur with cookies in a ‘disabled’ state. The images in our April 2013 Newsletter are the result of a one hour, cookie disabled, browsing experience.

So does Flip Page Publishing use cookies? We do - in a number of different applications and uses as has previously been mentioned.  Our cookies authenticate users (ie. subscriptions or free registrations), create a better browsing experience (stored images to facilitate page rendering), track reader usage (analytics) and store information (bookmarks, notes). Without the use of cookies the functionality of our platform would be severely limited.

It may seem that 7 billion cookies consumed per given year is a large number. What if the population of North America were to eat a chocolate chip cookie for each website visit in a day? How quickly would we reach 7 billion cookies consumed?  I would guess a single week. After a week it would not be long before weight gain, elevated blood sugar and tooth decay set in. But all is not lost. We can continue to digest morsel after morsel of web cookie and enjoy the heightened browsing experience as a result.

Promoting Flip Page content

Are you familiar with the classic Kevin Costner baseball film ‘A Field of Dreams’? In the film a haunting, albeit soothing, voice emanates from the corn fields that surround Kinsella’s Iowa farmhouse.  Each tour that Ray Kinsella (Costner) takes into the acres of prospering land a hollow whisper gently recites ‘If you build it, he will come’. As though he is able to decipher the coded message from the unknown Kinsella opts to build a baseball diamond on his farm as it becomes his belief that the voice is compelling him to do so. Without giving away the entire plot for those who may be intrigued... ‘they do come’. If only marketing were that simple. I guess there wouldn’t be a need for marketing if ‘they came’ every time something ‘was built’. With that said here are some concepts that will ensure that ‘they come’ to the Flip Page edition that ‘you built’.

 

Print Promotion – Generally speaking, a Flip Page version is derived from a physically printed product. There is no better place to make your target market aware that you offer a digital version of the print medium than... in the print medium.  Make that audience aware of the digital or App edition by setting aside some layout space inside the initial pages of your print edition.

Email Campaigns – Email campaigns, with opt-in subscribers, are a very valuable tool for brands to connect with their consumers. An email campaign to existing consumers with details outlining your new digital edition availability can be used to expedite the process from design to distribution. Strong campaign software will also provide valuable data that tracks client engagement.

QR Codes – The tech-savvy way to jump from print to digital is via a QR code. The options for quick response codes are digitally limitless so get creative. As an example, use a QR code to link a reader to a mobile optimized landing page where you provide options to download your publication App from Apple’s App Store, Google Play or Android store, or a direct link to the digital edition.

Website – If you already have traffic arriving at your website make sure that traffic is aware that there is a digital edition available for them to access. There is a good chance that there are readers who enjoy the content but are not able to get it in print format so it is advisable to provide them with an alternative. A simple banner ad will provide enough exposure to your website visitors to make them aware of your digital edition.

B2B – There are incredible opportunities available to savvy marketers who would like to cross promote with other similar businesses. Find a business that shares a similar demographic but offers unrelated content or products and leverage that market. Offer to provide advertising in your mediums (print, web, digital edition) in return for the same.

Online Advertising – Maybe you are not entirely familiar with technologies such as Google Adwords. An Adwords campaign provides you with a cost effective means of reaching your intended demographic via the web. The ad campaign is customizable but is intended to target users who search for products related to yours. A well orchestrated campaign can apply to almost any budget.

Social Media – Social media provides an entirely different means for communicating with your market. Followers and friends are typically more invested in your product and want to be current with what you offer. Post your Flip Page editions to your various social media markets so that your invested readers/viewers can share with others.

Word of Mouth – Sometimes referred to as ‘shameless self promotion’. Any good marketer would argue that the most effective and influential method of promotion begins in a mouth and ends in an ear. Make people in your circle brand ambassadors for what you do. This was how social media was successful... before social media.

‘App’etize – Is not even a word, but it should be, because it offers another cost effective means to get content into uncharted waters. Remember, the focus is to acquire prospective leads and the App store happens to have all kinds of consumers looking for things to consume. App stores are making it even easier to navigate their waters with categorical Apps such as Newsstand which is solely for magazines and newspapers as well as a category strictly for ‘Catalogs’.

 

Until 2010 the baseball diamond and farmhouse that served as the shot location for the film had been a private residence and the owner (Don Lansing) had curated the landmark for the thousands of visitors that drifted in each year. It has been reported that the field/farmhouse combo had been receiving an average of 65,000 guests per year since the film was released in 1989. Maybe those ‘hollow voices’ in that Iowa cornfield were on to something.

Santalytics - Trends for 2012

Santa, as the story goes, knows when you are sleeping and he knows when you are awake. However, Santa does not know if a digital print media marketing campaign is good for goodness sake. So Santa refers to Santalytics.

Santalytics actually can’t provide any information on when readers are sleeping but they certainly do provide plenty of information about what readers are doing while awake. Santalytics are easy to access via the Flip Page dashboard. Simply login and click on the ‘Reports’ button from the dashboard to access data for any publication within that dashboard across any timeframe since the publication was activated.

To provide an idea of what Santa can see – click here to view the Santalytics Definition and Description Guide. This guide outlines what data is captured and what that data represents.

Santalytics provide a great deal of information specific to a digital publication. However, only we can provide data as it pertains to all of the digital print media produced by Flip Page software. We have isolated some data from a 2 week period in November of 2012. We chose this time frame since it tends to be a heavy traffic period with many of our retail clients experiencing increased digital volume due to the holiday season. Here are some interesting trends...

Browser Usage (by Page View)

Analytics Browser Pageviews
Analytics Browser Pageviews

Among the 5 million views in the 2 week period nearly 54% were via Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer has seen increased competition from Google Chrome, Safari and Firefox but still remains the preferred web browser for Flip Page visitors.

In relation to globalized browser use, it appears as though Flip Page readers are well behind the curve. Global browser use is showing a near ‘neck and neck’ tie between Google’s Chrome and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Both show a split of approximately 30% with Firefox maintaining a 20% share.

The trend to note among browser usage is two-fold. Internet Explorer usage, among Flip Page readers and global web users, is falling dramatically. Similarly, the increased usage of Google Chrome and Mobile Web can be attributed to the drastic decrease in IE’s use.

Mobile Browser Usage (by Page View)

Mobile Web browser usage is on the incline as both devices and access speeds ramp up. In terms of Flip Page, Mobile web browser usage consists of less than 5% of the total page views over the 2 week span. However, when that data is compiled with the data for mobile Apps, the total mobile page views jump to over 12%. This correlates well with global mobile browser usage which approximates to about 13% of total web usage.

The trend to note among Mobile Browser usage is that mobile browser usage is definitely on the incline for both Flip Page readers and web users in general. However, the mobile market still remains a very small slice of the browser pie – something that needs to be considered.

Global Browser Usage Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Usage_share_of_web_browsers_%28Source_StatCounter%29.svg

Operating Software

Analytics OS Pageviews
Analytics OS Pageviews

Microsoft and MacIntosh have long been the two major players in operating software. Microsoft is the OS of choice with Windows 7 running on 49% of all machines accessing Flip Page publications. Windows XP contributes another 28% while Windows Vista adds another 14%. Those 3 Microsoft OS’s alone tally 90% percent of the entire market. MacIntosh plays a small, but very vital, role in the OS market place.

There is no emerging trend to report with regards to OS use among Flip Page readers past and current. Windows is still the primary choice for both our readers and global computer users.