StartupTunes

Link.me

Link.me is a mobile platform for publishers that help to track reader interest and build ongoing, direct relationships.

We all know the publishing industry needs to quickly adapt to the fast technological changes if it is to survive and grow. With the advent of e-books, e-readers and online publishers, traditional publishing is finding itself in a crisis. The Australian start-up, Link.me, has come up with creative and affordable ways for publishers to incorporate new digital technologies into their business for mobile users.

All the features of Link.me are created to allow a mobile user to quickly check out your lists and make a purchase. Link.me allows you to add its tags to your titles so that readers can easily check-in through their mobile phone and register their purchase.

You will know exactly which titles were purchased and when. You can also reward your customers by unlocking exclusive content such as interviews, teasers, extracts and interviews of the author.

Link.me facilitates targeted marketing because it tracks your reader’s interests. This can be greatly beneficial as you can use it to promote your titles, communicate with readers knowing their preferences and have a readymade targeted audience for new titles.

The company has partnerships with top book publishers namely Penguin, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Hachette, McGrow-Hill, Random House etc. to launch trials, promotions, deals and more through QR codes (those black and white pixelated squares that readers can scan with their smartphones to directly access multimedia content).

Link.me’s QR allows a reader to access extra features such as a Facebook page devoted to a philosophy in a book, a video clip on a character or a situation, a website page and so on. The company also offers extra features through SMS and email.

Link.me was earlier known as QMCodes and has been around since 2008, mostly in beta. As of now, the company has been concentrating hard on publishing, but it does see potential in entering retail in future.