Print publications use mediums of social media in order appeal to readers

Gothilf, Gina (9, Feb., 2011) 7 Ways Print Magazines Are Using Social Media To Engage Readers http://mashable.com/2011/02/09/social-media-magazines/

Print publications have begun to part take in social media in order to promote and expand their publication. In order for publications to be see as authority figures in their fields they recommend articles from other publications, suggest who to follow, and share links to things happening in their community. Publications as also taking advantage of the feedback that readers give them through social media sites by asking general questions across social profiles, monitoring comments, and measuring response rates. They have also included contents, which prompts readers to submit things that could be featured in the publication. Not only are readers able to read the content on the print publications but they are also able to communicate with the writers. Food & Wine Magazine hosts Twitter and Facebook chats where fans can speak to editors about recipes and dining tips which allows readers to incorporate these publications into their daily routines. Cosmopolitan Magazine allows readers from all around the country to participate in Q&A’s about topics discussed in the magazine in order to tie readers in to a tight night community. Magazines have started to take the relationship they have with fans to the web by tweeting and retweeting their fans in order to create a stronger bond. Several publications are also branching out and creating games and quizzes to entertain their readers. Publications have also merged old school styles with social media by creating creative pages on sites such as Instagram that include advertisements to reel readers in. 

“Newsweek, The Atlantic and The Huffington Post (the ultimate content curator) all reblog content from around the web on their Tumblogs. The result is a network of dynamic, interactive and ultra-relevant magazine outlets.”

“Beyond adding depth to upcoming issues and digital content, these publications have opened a regular dialogue and established a lasting relationship with their readers.”

“The tactics adopted by these marketing-savvy publications generate relationships and conversations around their brand — on and offline.”

The convergence of print publications and social media has risen due to the fact that technology is in its course of taking over the world. Print convergence with social media sites has increased the number of readers the publication gets as well as creating tighter bind with the publications fans. I think that it is so smart that these publications are coming to their audiences instead of waiting for the readers to come to them. Creating a bond between the readers and the writers will have such a positive influence on the publication because I know from experience that when famous people or publications respond to my emails of tweets, I become more intrigued in their work and pay more attention to them. Creating bonds through a publication will get their audiences to view them as a positive linkage institution, which will in theory increase interest amongst readers and amongst their sales. Creating games and general questions for a publications readers will allow them to stay relevant and a prominent part of the publication industry. Using technology to advertise for a print publication will reach a wider audience, younger readers will read because social media advertisements will target them while older readers will read the publication old school style. 

The End of Borders and the Future of the Printed Word

Osnos, Peter (26, July 2011) The End of Borders and the Future of the Printed Word http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/07/the-end-of-borders-and-the-future-of-the-printed-word/242545/

As the countries second largest book store, Borders, closed its doors major changes unraveled in the marketplace for books. Not only did Barnes and Nobles benefit from Borders old customers but e-book sales went up by 160 percent. The effect of Borders close allow for less places to sell and promote books as well as will make publishers reduce their print runs and shipments. Since the word of ebooks is a fairly new world, bookstores and their future is unable to be predicted. The fall of the popular bookstore Borders has a lot more to do with the stores locations, distribution, and marketing techniques than with the rise of ebooks. 

“Nonetheless, the demise of Borders signifies a major change in the marketplace for books. The unraveling of the country's second largest book chain means a tremendous boost for digital retailers such as Amazon and the potential for a self-confident Barnes & Noble and the stronger independent stores to benefit by adding customers.”

“It's a sad day for reading when there are fewer communities with bookstores, a place where someone might stumble upon a book to read who otherwise might have gone home to their television or their Internet connection for entertainment and companionship.”

“But I do share the sense of those who will miss Borders, not the flailing failure it was at its end but the great contribution it made to the availability of books of all kinds to so many people when it was at its best. 

Borders RIP."

As the Borders across the country came to a close and Barnes and Nobles gained me as a customer I felt the loss of a great book store. Not that Barnes and Nobles is not equally as great, it is just Borders was “my borders.” I knew exactly where everything was and it was 10 minutes from my house, so even after Borders has been closed for several years, I still feel like I’m cheating on a great bookstore for another bookstore that is bigger, more confusing, and 25 minutes away. This, however, has not hindered the amount of times I go to the book store and in no way will ever make me into Nook or Kindle owner. I feel that unless there are no more bookstores in America, people who like to read from physical books will put effort into driving to a bookstore, however far it may be, and purchasing their book. 

Ebooks Are Obviously Better For The Environment.. Or Are They?

Lowman, Stephen (2010, April 22) Environmental impact of e-books vs. paper books

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-bookworm/2010/04/environmental_impact_of_e-book.html

Even though Ebooks have drastically increased in the past couple of years, book have not completely disappeared and are far from it. In one year, nearly 25 million trees were used to make books while 10 million books sold on Ebooks simultaneously. To calculate the harmful effects books have on the environments is easy and while most people think Ebooks are a god given gift to the environment, they are not. In order to calculate the damages Ebooks make on the economy one must take into account the energy costs associated with e-readers which is not an easy thing to measure. The energy is taken from the energy grid in the United States which negatively impacts the environment, in order for Ebooks to produce as many books in order to break even with the damages they make, an e-reader must read 100 books on his or her Ebook. 

“While some manufacturers offer recycling programs, the sad fate of an e-reader at the end of its life is like a lot of other electronics. It often winds up in the hands of child in a poor country, where they can make money off the precious metals used inside. The toxic effects of this e-waste have been well documented. A book lying in a landfill is benign by comparison.”

“It is almost certain that e-readers have the potential to reduce the impacts associated with harvesting trees and forest conversion, but that does not guarantee that they are the better choice from an environmental standpoint”

When most people see Ebooks generalized thoughts rush through their minds: That person is a regular reader, that person has adapted to the new way of reading, and that person cares about the environment, however, what most people do not know is that Ebooks are not 100% harmless to the environment. Yes, books come from paper and paper comes from trees so it is easier for people to connect the dots between books and harming the environment, but when one mentions the electricity grid, energy costs, and the water it takes to produce Ebooks, the dots become a little bit harder for people to connect. In a sense, the more paper that is used the more trees are planted, so although the effects of books currently affect the environment they are serving as a greater good in the future. Ebooks however, only serve to not be detrimental to the environment if an e-reader read 100 books. Alright, I do understand if one purchases an Ebook, that person has an obvious interest in books, but who reads 100 books in a reasonable amount of time? Books can be recycled and passed down, Ebooks work more as like a one time thing and are always dependent on a charger, god forbid you go on a 12 hour plane ride with out an outlet available. So yes, books are not the best thing to happen to the environment, but one book can go a long way and passed around to a lot of people, while ebooks aren't sharing friendly and us energy every time one wants to read. 

Online vs. Print Advertising, Why Print is Losing

Administrator (2013, May 8) Online vs. Print Advertising, Why Print is Losing http://smcpros.com/2013/05/online-vs-print-advertising-why-print-is-losing/

Ever since media has taken over the way people have been reverting to advertisements has shifted. Money, a huge factor in the advertising business, is put to a better use in the world of technology. One gets what they pay for in terms of where the advertisers money goes to and where the add is placed on social media while an add on print is only seen by the people that pick up that publication. Social media allows the advertisements to be assigned to people in accordance to their age, gender, location, and interests while on print, advertisements have to be more general in order to fairly please the general public. Tracking the popularity of an add can be easily done online which will allow one to see if their money is it to good use while it is almost virtually impossible to track popularity of an add on print.    Online: 3, Print: 0.

“I can tailor my ad for any audience on Facebook based on pages and interests that they like, age, gender and location, right down to the zip code. What types of hobbies do the 50 people that saw your magazine ad enjoy? Your guess is as good as mine.”

“data drives smart advertising. Online advertising has it, and print media simply doesn’t. Your audience is on Facebook and they’re interested in you and your business – all you have to do is get in front of them. Why not do it in the most cost-effective way possible?”

Clearly, the people of this generation revert to social media as well as technology so putting money into advertisements that pertain to technology as opposed to print makes sense. As a print enthusiast who gets her newspaper published because of the advertisements fellow parents buy, I am fully aware that my newspaper publication on prints because of this money that comes in. Although I do agree with spending money is the smartest way I would not want other publications to have to either shift to a website or have to refrain from publishing.