More evidence that today’s networked economy can save steps: When the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), an organization we belong to, released its mobile content study, I read about it first in a blog post by U.K.-based publishing executive Martyn Daniels.
Martyn’s blog, Brave New World, is recommended reading. He does a good job covering the high points of ABC’s research, which in summary found:
- While it is early in the development of mobile, several important initiatives have already been reported;
- Most of those surveyed thought that mobile platforms would drive an increase in web site traffic in the next three years;
- There is robust interest in smart phones (especially the iPhone) and e-readers as possible content distribution platforms;
- Although three quarters of those answering felt mobile revenues would come from advertising, subscriptions or both, the spread suggests that there is no firm sense of what business model will prevail; and
- The growth of mobile will spur a demand for platform measurement and accountability.
Coming in a report published by an auditing agency, the last point is no surprise. Still, this year ABC has added several new members in the mobile space. Their decision to join indicates that content, audiences and advertisers may well be spending some time away from the desktop in the not-too-distant future.
An executive summary of the report, “Going Mobile: How Publishers Are Preparing for the Burgeoning Digital Market”, can be downloaded from the ABC web site.
