Issuu’s Scott Kinzie on How Publishers Can Take Advantage of Larger Mobile Screens

Technology always seemed to be squeezing more product into less space. Until last year, with the rollout of bigger screens like the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the trend has reversed. The shift toward larger screens is well under way -- much to the benefit of the publishing industry. According to research firm IDC, today's media consumption is fueled by phablets, whose usage will surpass portable PCs and tablets. Consumers are expected to move to larger-sized screens with their very next purchases. Meanwhile, mobile-analytics company Flurry reported that users with larger phones tend to read more books on their devices. It's not news that publishers need to operate in the digital realm to continue to attract readers; it's hard to imagine print media as the norm these days. As mobile devices continue to evolve, digital publishers must do the same. Yet embracing the world of larger screens doesn't just mean updating apps for the latest operating systems and high-resolution displays. It's about the mobile devices becoming the better option for reading books, magazines, and more on the go. Here are three ways that publishers can capitalize on larger phablet screens: 1. Engage consumers with rich content made for mobile devices. There is a new opportunity to create content that engages like never before -- and calls for less of the zooming and pinching that causes small-screen users to quit reading. Deliver high-quality, amazing content that capitalizes on the host of new mobile and native-app advertising opportunities created by larger screens. A beautiful example is 90265 Magazine, a California based lifestyle publication that delivers world class content via the issuu platform. The magazine is perfectly suited to the new mobile reading experience because its content is available on any device. 2. Capitalize on the host of new mobile advertising and native in-app advertising opportunities. The increase in mobile consumption comes in tandem with an increase in mobile ads. So if you want to understand how to get native advertising right on mobile platforms, start by creating an experience that allows the consumer to easily consume your content in a highly visually appealing format that is made for the larger devices themselves. Then make sure your ads are tailored and fit the format consumers are viewing your content in, eliminating irrelevant or intrusive ads within the screen. There are a lot of new formats out there for mobile advertising, but an example of a company that is doing it well is betawork's Tapestry. Their mobile ad unit allows consumers to tap the story forward. The act of "tapping" leans into the native gestures of mobile as opposed to replicating desktop gestures like clicks. Brands can create ads that are meant to engage today's mobile consumers. 3. Find more ways for readers to share content from mobile devices. Mobile sharing is at a tipping point: ShareThis reported that sharing via smartphones and tablets surged more than 30% during the second quarter of 2014. This study also highlighted the fact that mobile users pin and tweet three and two times as often, respectively, as desktop users. There are various digital reading platforms that can incorporate sharing functionality into content seamlessly across devices. Pretty much every publisher can benefit from offering sharing features to readers. The publishing sector, which already has made huge strides in adapting to the new digital landscape, needs to continue to innovate and embrace the mobile consumer. This calls for turning to new capabilities and providing value for the advertiser and compelling experiences for digital readers on their expanding screens. If you are looking to create a compelling experience, there are tools and options available. Try leveraging platforms that integrate social sharing into the digital publishing process. Some brands that are getting it right include BuzzFeed, Business Insider, and Upworthy -- they are some of the most successful social publishers on the web today, and many others are nipping at their heels. Publishers, let's continue to deliver a world of great content to our audiences, wherever they are. Scott Kinzie is VP of marketing at issuu, a digital publishing platform.

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Issuu’s Scott Kinzie on How Publishers Can Take Advantage of Larger Mobile Screens

Scott Kinzie

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