Digital Publishing Predictions – Ten for 2011

For publishers working out their digital strategy, 2010 proved to be a year of numerous twists and turns. In just a year apps have come from nowhere to become a core part of the publishing toolkit.  Murdoch finally unleashed his paywall, both on the web and via the iPad.  Digital editions in general experienced a rebirth through tablet devices.  And social media has made editors rethink how they distribute content and manage contributions from their readership.

So, here are my digital publishing predictions for the remainder of 2011, which are inevitably biased towards niche publishers, as this is my specialist area.  It’ll be interesting to review these at the end of the year, to see how I did!

Newspapers will struggle with paywalls but specialist or ‘niche’ consumer and B2B publishers will be able to charge for online content, if their content is difficult to source or access elsewhere

Print publishers will move from replicating their content for digital media to producing bespoke digital magazines, featuring video, live news feeds, links and and social functionality. Murdoch’s The Daily is a perfect (and bold) example, with a $30million initial spend and a forecast $25million/year in operating costs

Business publishers will replace free and controlled circulation print copies with digital versions and gradually reduce frequency of print publications

Publishers will solve the thorny issue of subscriptions with app store magazine purchases, and experiment with combined print and digital subscriptions so subscribers can consume content in whichever way they choose

iPads will still dominate the tablet market, but android will gain ground, with manufacturers introducing a wealth of devices for more budget-conscious consumers

Social media will help publishers build their community, lower costs and create ‘prosumer’ content for their websites and digital editions

Editorial teams will develop skills across copy, images, social media, podcasts, webinars and video; choosing the medium that best suits the message

Advertisers will use digital publishing formats to bridge the gap between editorial recommendation and online purchasing, with direct links to buy

Digital publishers will start to customize their content, according to where an individual reader is located

Editors will become more open-minded, curating content in their specialist area from their own team, their own audience, and even through links to their competition

Have any predictions of your own? Let me know in the comments below!

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Carolyn Morgan runs Penmaen Media, creating practical digital media and marketing strategies for businesses. Carolyn also manages the Specialist Media Network on LinkedIn and runs The Specialist Media Show. She has also just launched The Specialist Media Magazine.