June 24, 2013
The Boston Globe has introduced a brand new iPhone application that was designed to entice mobile readers who need a customized option to read the publication.
The publication hopes the app will provide a more seamless experience for readers consuming its content. The app is offered free of charge download in Apple’s App Store.
“We’ve really all for making a mobile-native experience with the Globe iPhone app and are targeting individuals who look to their phones to maintain them informed and up-to-date,” said Michael Manning, executive director for emerging products on the Boston Globe, Boston.
“Existing subscribers can use this app as portion of their subscription, however the real goal is to create an experience in order to attract new subscribers to boot,” he said.
“We know that folks already search for the Globe inside the App Store, and we believe the undeniable fact that the app is free to download with a comparatively low monthly subscription may also help it entice an audience that would not be willing or capable of pay for the whole print or print/digital experience.”
Mobile readership
Once consumers download the app, a subscription is needed to access the total content.
The free app download gives users access to four free articles per day. Users may also sign-up for a 30-day free trail as portion of a mobile-only subscription for $3.99 per thirty days.
Consumers who already join the publication can access the digital content at no additional cost.
In addition to the brand new mobile app, The Boston Globe also has a responsive design site that users can access by entering http://www.bostonglobe.com on their mobile browser.
However, the iPhone app is a true mobile-native experience designed to attract people that depend on their phones to remain up-to-date, per The Boston Globe.
The app incorporates a customizable homepage with a limiteless scroll of articles.
From there, readers can choose their favorite sections of the paper, and content from those sections appears first mostly news feed when the app is opened, permitting them to swipe between the sections and stories they wish to read.
“We’re using quite a few cross-platform tactics to get the word out, including social, search and print,” Mr. Manning said.
“We’ve also produced an in-house TV spot; it may start running in a couple of weeks,” he said.
Moreover, the app features a smart feed trending section that keeps track of which stories are read and recommends relevant content from the location and across social media.
The app also includes seven days of authoritative Globe content, including photos and video, and also will be updated 24/7.
“Like just about all publishers, our mobile audience have been growing rapidly in recent months, and we do not see any signs of that growth slowing yet,” Mr. Manning said.
“So finding the right way to meet our audience where they’re is a concern for us,” he said. “We have mobile-specific products, but we’re also considering mobile as a part of the experience for each new product or feature that we launch.”