Once a clean and stable data interface has been established, there is a lot of potential for newspapers to provide content via new channels and formats.
New channels and formats
E-papers are mainly read on the tablet. Special web readers simulate turning the individual pages and navigation is done via simple gestures and is very intuitive.
Fast, page-by-page downloading of the content means that there are no waiting times and there is nothing to stop you from swapping through the pages quickly and reading at your own reading pace.
Hybrid apps or and HTML page views features can also be used to display content as an HTML version, which means that e-papers can also be read conveniently on any smartphone.
Push messages as a means of communication
E-papers also offer new ways to reach readers, such as sending push messages.
Classic push messages inform the reader about a new issue. But it is also possible to send push messages throughout the day to spark the reader’s interest in specific content.
E-papers can (and shall) be updated more times after the initial publication and readers can be notified via push messages to always be up to date.
Special offers for print readers
Newspapers can use e-papers as a marketing tool and can make them available to their existing print customers with or without an extra charge.
For example, during the Corona pandemic, Some of our customers gave its readers access to a free e-paper in an emergency campaign since printed newspapers could not be delivered as usual.
Text-to-Speech
Once data is available digitally, it can be read out via text-to-speech features. This is interesting for older target groups who have difficulties reading longer texts. It also makes it possible to consume content in the car, on the way to work or during other activities.
Research shows that text-to-speech not only increases customer loyalty, but also the number of consumed articles.
The possibility to set-up playlists, and the power of recommendation (over Artificial Intelligence) makes Text To Speech a very efficient tool to increase your reach.
Special content and advertising opportunities
Each e-paper can be accompanied by additional content such as magazines, TV and advertising brochures.
Digital crossword puzzles and other games are also very popular. There are also completely new possibilities such as displaying videos between different pages.
E-papers therefore offer the potential for new monetisation models.
What monetisation models are available and what to avoid
The digital audience behaves differently, and the digital space requires different standards.
Subscriptions are (probably to date) still the best option for stable sales and what we have experienced is that subscription sales increase when individual purchases are waived.
We do recommend having subscriptions that renew automatically. 30-day passes should not be offered as we have seen that the reader is able to make a purchase decision after a few days (1 to 2 days).
Different price points can be generated for different subscription periods. Compared to high price points, others seem affordable, and we see a trend towards choosing medium price points.
We recommend offering overlapping subscriptions that allow print subscribers to access the digital version as well – with an additional charge if desired.
