If you are an iPhone user, its highly likely that you use one of the free News applications available in the Apple app store. Be it BBC, Fox News, New York Times, McClatchy; all of them have an application of their own which iPhone users can download free of cost. The latest news firm to join this bandwagon is USA Today giving consumers access to latest news, headlines, interactive polls, photos and weather.
Now the question arises at a time when print media advertisement revenues are nose diving, why on earth would New channels indulge in charity? Or is it that they make money by some other means?
The two word answer to this is “Mobile Marketing”. News channels either use inhouse advertising or private mobile marketing agencies like jumptap, admob etc to fill their apps with advertisements. So let’s say for instance you are reading an article about “The future of hybrid cars”, a small pop up within the app may prompt you to visit Toyota Prius website. This results in traffic being driven to Toyota hybrid car site which the company can capitalize on and generate sales. Toyota Prius ofcourse in this case returns the favour by paying news channels big money.
All this sounds like the right way to go considering the reports from major news channels about their constantly decreasing print media revenue. Mobile Marketing is certainly helping a few firms shake away the recession jitters by adopting innovative marketing techniques.
