Table Stakes: The Ante Has Been Upped in Publishing

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It's April 2013. April 2010 was really that long ago, but "oh my," how times have changed.

For most of us in publishing, unique selling propositions for our digital escapades often revolve around striving to offer "access anywhere" and "anytime" on "any device." Publishers who could let their readers know that they can enjoy the brand on a PC, Mac, iOS, Android, and possibly even a BlackBerry were envied by all.

Today, we have witnessed a digital transition to a new level of need for differentiation.

Now, being cross-platform accessible is not new, or interesting, it is simply the table stakes required to play in the digital market. The ante has been upped.

The ante has been upped in many different ways for publishers in the digital space. I've gathered a list of the top items that used to be unique differentiators and have become the norm. I've also gathered a list of the up-and-coming trends you might want to get on top of to avoid losing your seat at the table.

Table stakes:

• iOS and Android presence
• Google+
• SEM on tablets with a different strategy than the one you use for .com
• Facebook and Twitter as single sign-on options
• Facebook and Twitter as streaming content inside your publication
• Interactive content and/or ads that engage
• Content APIs
• Responsive design

Upping the ante:

• A branded content distribution/integration strategy
• Windows 8
• Globalization
• Pinterest/photo-linking strategies
• Mobile payment models (carrier billing, Square integration)
• Personalization inside the publication
• Multi-surface deployment delivery options
• Multi-distributor accessibility

Sometimes it seems that as fast as we can create it, the world requires us to innovate some more. Use this list to focus on the growth areas that can take your results to the next level.

Image on home page via Shutterstock.