Survey on Interactive Advertising in Digital Magazines

I recently read some results from a survey by Smarter Media Sales that were published on Folio’s website. Questionnaires were sent to known readers of digital editions in an attempt to attain some of the first measurements of readers and the new genre of interactive magazine ads. The survey compared how readers responded to ads within digital editions as compared to other forms of media. Though the full results haven’t been released yet, they have found some preliminary results from the first half of the 5,000 readers who participated. Here are just a few findings.

The available enhancements to advertisements within digital editions; like video, audio, slideshows and animation are shown to have a positive impact on the reader’s overall experience. Furthermore, 26.4 percent of readers said that they are more likely to play with an advertisement with these digital extras to see if they “may become interested in an ad.”

Folio and Smarter Media Sales also reported,
“Another stat showed that while 32.4 percent of readers will skip an interactive magazine story that they are not interested in, a third—34 percent—will read a bit of the article and play the ad’s extras, while 21.8 percent will play only the digital extras. In terms of user engagement, interactive edition ads topped the charts at 66 percent as the most helpful and/or interesting form of electronic advertising, beating out TV ads (57.8 percent).”

Something they weren’t expecting to find, so far the survey shows that 36.6 percent of interactive magazine readers spent less time searching the web for content online that was similar to what they were just reading in a digital magazine. Smarter Media Sales said about that statistic, “The fact that this survey discovered that it is possible for niche interactive magazines to reduce readers’ search behavior is a huge finding,” he says.

I’ll be curious to see all the statistics when the final results from this study are published. We, at Dirxion, obviously hope they correlate with the preliminary results, giving proof that digital editions and their enhanced advertising features deliver more positive interaction between advertisements and potential audiences than other advertising mediums. This would not only be advantageous for us, but also magazine publishers who could better sell print ads combined with enhanced web features to help further leverage their investments in print, photography, and design and aid in the monetization of their content across more platforms.

EdgeClix and Performance-Based Advertising

Directory publisher Easier to Read recently added value to their Yellow Pages book by putting it online using Dirxion’s look and feel digital directory product, EdgeClix. In doing so, they discovered a host of new marketing opportunities for their existing local business advertisers.

While some publishers choose to simply use our product in its most basic form, which is designed to highlight and give added value to your existing ads just as they are seen in their printed counterparts, others like Easier to Read, see our list of expanded advertising features and cannot wait to seize the opportunity to not only help their advertisers enhance their online presence, but also monetize their new investment.

Cover Banner Advertising

iPick link appears within Popular Categories in the Table of Contents

When clicked the iPick window pops up highlighting your advertiser

Both the Cover Banner and iPick programs were designed so directory publishers could offer their advertisers exciting ways to insert ads at any time of the year. By selling premium placements like these, publishers can guarantee advertisers additional exposure, while also giving them the ability to keep their promotions current.

Easier to Read is just one excellent example of how our customers are using their digital directories to capitalize on the strong relationships they’ve grown with local businesses. Even without large changes to their sales structure, digital directories can be equipped with many of our advertising programs to help generate new, steady, profitable streams of revenue.

Allow your advertisers to use one or many of our exciting, interactive features to get the most activity out of their ads.

ADP Mid-Year Conference

Dirxion recently attended the Association of Directory Publishers Mid-Year Conference in Orlando, FL.  We were proud to be the exclusive sponsor of not only the Golf Tournament, but also a very exciting $10,000 Hole-In-One Giveaway.  The Jack Nicklaus designed New Course is a replica of the Old Course at St. Andrews and proved quite a challenge for even the best of players.

Aside from golf, there were some productive discussions between both vendors and publishers.  In a year when many publishers are challenged by a bad economy and a general decline in print advertising, it was important for publishers to hear new ideas about how they can best serve their advertisers.  Gone are the days when a sales rep can simply sell a print ad once a year to an advertiser and expect a regular healthy renewal.  Yellow Pages publishers have certainly seen the need for multi-platform providers like Dirxion.
There is an ever-increasing focus on being able to provide local search results for advertisers online and this comes at the same time that the publisher needs to be a source of information and leads for their advertisers.  It’s a tall order for many Yellow Pages reps to move from a traditional quick close sale to a consultative relationship.

While the conference featured publishers sharing with publishers, there still seemed to be lack of understanding and adoption of new strategies by the Yellow Pages publishers.  Part of the challenge is that newer techniques for communicating with customers (i.e. blogs and Twitter) simply aren’t being put to use.  Dirxion posted one of only two blogs about the ADP conference and was probably the only company in attendance to send out a tweet about it.

Don’t worry publishers; we are here to help.  The latest version of our digital Yellow and White Pages solution – EdgeClix - makes easy work of social media.  With our directory product, you can become the premier marketing consultant for your Yellow Pages advertisers.  Over 80 Yellow Pages publishers have chosen Dirxion as their choice in online directories and that number continues to grow.  We support the print like no other online provider and continue to add new programs that will help you sell more ads online and in print.

Koocanusa Adds to its Growing List of Online Publications

So you’re a publisher with more than one type of publication, or maybe you’re a marketing company that works with a variety of publishers. Either way, does it make sense to try to put a catalog into an online travel guide format or a magazine into an online directory format? Of course not.

Like many publishers, Koocanusa Publications has a diverse portfolio of magazines, guides and directories. Koocanusa recently added a magazine to its growing list of online publications provided by Dirxion. In addition to their existing directories, this Canadian-based publisher has just produced a digital edition of the Rocky Mountain magazine. The Rocky Mountain magazine provides visitors to the Kootenay Rockies with information and articles about what to see, where to go and local events occurring in the region. Koocanusa’s online publications give advertisers a way to reach beyond the traditional print audience.

As a provider of a variety of customized interfaces, we are well-positioned to serve customers like Koocanusa that have a diverse portfolio of publications. You can learn more about Koocanusa through their blog at: http://www.kootenaybiz.com/blog/ and learn more about Dirxion’s customizable interfaces at http://www.dirxion.com.

Badlands Directory - A Search Engine Marketing Success in the Works

Ever heard of Dickinson, ND? No? Well, most of us hadn’t either until we started serving Badlands Directory Company, which serves Southwest North Dakota, as well as portions of South Dakota & Montana. Using our very new Search Engine Marketing platform, we recently provided a SEM campaign for Badlands Directory Company, helping them become more than just a little place on a big map.

Our first task was to determine if people were searching for a local yellow pages site in communities covered by Badlands Directory Company. Using a wide range of keywords, keyword phrases, powerful ad copy, and targeting the search engine results to show up in their region, we have seen a dramatic increase in site usage. Over a 30-day period, page views are up 36 percent, URL click-thrus are up 71 percent and overall activity within the online phone book is up an astounding 57 percent.

As with any SEM campaigns, we continue to monitor it’s progress. By doing this, we can identify underperforming keywords or ad variations. We can also identify what to target in future campaigns. The next step is to identify categories that are being searched in the Badlands Yellow Pages and target those in future campaigns.

The bottom line: A SEM campaign can add significant value to an online publication, especially in its infancy. For more information about how you can use Dirxion’s Search Engine Marketing platform to boost your presence, please contact us at 866.391.0202 or sales@dirxion.com.

Dirxion Introduces “EdgeClix” For Directories

Dirxion’s newest version of its digital directory solution takes digital publishing to the next level. Entirely Flash-based, EdgeClix comes with amazing speed, boundless customization and a consistent user experience across all platforms.

Besides looking pretty snazzy, there are at least ten more EdgeClix features that will leave you wanting more! Take a look at some of the major highlights of our new EdgeClix platform:

1. Animated and highly customizable welcome page.
2. Textured backgrounds or wallpaper behind the directory for enhanced customization.
3. Improved video and audio effects.
4. Ability to embed Flash animations.
5. Ability to immediately go to a page when results are returned.
6. Automatic zooming of search results when clicked.
7. Ability to print an individual ad.
8. Hand grab control feature, which allows you to easily navigate a page by clicking and holding your left mouse on a page.
9. Spanish, French, Chinese, German and Japanese interfaces with more available upon request.
10. Uniform platform between Online/CD/USB/Download.

Below is a screenshot of the Gold Leaf digital directory which was developed using our new EdgeClix platform. It looks sharp, and is jam packed with a lot of the cool features mentioned above.

If you’d like to see EdgeClix in action, Gold Leaf is an excellent example and will give you a better idea of what EdgeClix is all about. Take note of the enhanced video features and super-friendly user experience.

To find out more about EdgeClix for directories, don’t hesitate to contact us via email or give us a call at: (888) 391-0202