Why Flipboard's Business Model is so successful?
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Flipboard’s Company Overview
Flipboard is a pioneering content discovery platform that revolutionizes how users consume and engage with news, articles, and multimedia content. Founded in 2010, Flipboard has emerged as a leading personalized news aggregator, combining digital media's sophistication with print's elegance. The platform enables users to curate their customized magazines by aggregating content from various sources, including publishers, social media, and other news outlets. With a user-friendly interface and a visually appealing design, Flipboard offers a seamless and immersive experience that empowers individuals to tailor their news consumption to their interests.
Flipboard is the world’s first social magazine. Inspired by the beauty and ease of print media, Flipboard’s mission is to fundamentally improve how people discover, browse, and share content across their social networks. Flipboard combines world news and social news in a beautiful magazine designed for your Android phone and tablet. Once you pick a few topics, your Flipboard is built, and you can instantly start flipping through the news pages you care about and stories and photos friends share. Flip through the news from your Twitter timeline and outlets like the BBC, USA Today, and The Verge. No need to flip through individual web pages or wait for browser page loads with Flipboard, flipping is fast, easy and fun.
The business model of Flipboard is centered around content aggregation, curation, and personalized user experiences. Flipboard partners with publishers, content creators, and brands to feature their content on the platform, providing them with increased visibility and engagement. The platform monetizes through advertising, offering targeted and native advertising opportunities seamlessly blending with the curated content. Additionally, Flipboard offers a premium subscription service, Flipboard Plus, which provides an ad-free experience and additional features for users who seek a more customized and enhanced content discovery experience. This dual-revenue model allows Flipboard to cater to advertisers and users, fostering a sustainable ecosystem that values content quality and user satisfaction. As a result, Flipboard has solidified its position as a go-to destination for individuals seeking a personalized and visually appealing approach to news consumption.
Headquater: Palo Alto, California, US
Foundations date: 2010
Company Type: Private
Sector: Information & Media
Category: Press
Digital Maturity: Digirati
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Flipboard’s Business Model Canvas
- Content providers
- Publishers
- Advertisers
- Social Media Platforms
- Distributors
- Technology providers
- Investors
- Flipboard acquired Zite from CNN for an undisclosed amount
- Flipboard acquired rival news reader application Zite from CNN.com on March 5. 2014 for an undisclosed amount
- Platform development
- Content aggregation
- Curation
- Platform maintenance
- Content acquisition
- Content management
- Content delivery
- Community management
- Partnerships
- Marketing
- Flipboard has more than 100 million users and has been named one of Fast Company’s top 10 most innovative companies in the world
- High-quality content
- Content aggregators
- Flipboard Pages enables publishers to collect their content into a format optimized for the Flipboard user experience
- Flipboard TV
- Content creators
- To transform how people discover, view and share content by combining the beauty and ease of print with the power of social media
- To provide a single place to stay up to date on the news, follow topics you care about and share stories, Videos and photos that influence you
- To create a personalized magazine full of the things that matter most to you
- To bring together world news and social news in a beautiful magazine designed for your Android phone and tablet
- personalized
- curated
- social magazine
- social network aggregation
- news reader
- social news magazine
- content discovery
- social recommendation
- online recommendation
- self-service
- automation
- word-of-mouth
- viral
- Readers
- Content publishers
- Website
- App stores
- Social media
- RSS
- Flipboard TV
- Flipboard Briefing
- Flipboard Magazines
- Flipboard for iOS and Android
- Flipboard for Windows 8
- Flipboard for Windows Phone 8
- Flipboard for BlackBerry 10
- Flipboard for Kindle Fire
- Flipboard for Nook
- Flipboard for Web
- employees
- IT infrastructure
- Content acquisition
- Legal
- Marketing
- Offices
- App development
- Customer service
- Taxes
- Platform development
- Flipboard's revenue primarily comes from advertising and a portion from referral revenue from directing users to the App Store
- advertising
- native advertising
- content marketing
- content aggregation
- content curation
- e-commerce platform
- lead generation
- free ads with premium subscription
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Try it freeFlipboard’s Revenue Model
Flipboard makes money by combining different business models. Below, you will find the list of the different monetization strategies identified for this company:
- Reputation builders
- Network builders
- Advertising
- Subscription
- Markets are conversations
- Long tail
- Exposure
- Community-funded
- Referral
- Sponsorship
- Freemium
- Featured listings
- Product innovation
- User design
- Unlimited niches
- Affiliation
- Two-sided market
- Tag management
- Infomediary
- Lead web
Flipboard’s Case Study
Flipboard's CASE STUDY
Flipboard, founded in 2010, has revolutionized how we consume and engage with news, content, and multimedia. As the world's first social magazine, Flipboard combines the elegance of print media with the sophistication of digital platforms, making it one of the most unique and personalized news aggregators. Through its strategic partnerships, robust technological infrastructure, and user-centric approach, Flipboard has managed to carve out a unique space in the highly competitive information and media sector.
Transforming Content Consumption
When we first encountered Flipboard, what struck us the most was its effortless blend of form and function. Flipboard’s interface is visually rich, borrowing heavily from the tactile pleasure of flipping through a physical magazine while embedding the instantaneous capabilities of digital platforms. This user experience is not just appealing but also becomes a point of differentiation in a crowded market. According to Statista, as of 2022, Flipboard boasts over 100 million monthly active users, a testament to its wide-reaching appeal (Statista, 2022).
Strategic Acquisitions and Partnerships
To understand Flipboard’s journey, it's crucial to consider its strategic acquisitions and partnerships. In 2014, Flipboard acquired Zite from CNN, enhancing its content curation capabilities and expanding its user base significantly. This acquisition allowed Flipboard to refine its algorithm, delivering more personalized content to its users. As Josh Quittner, a former Time Magazine editor and part of Zite’s leadership team, remarked, "The synergy between Flipboard's magazine-like aesthetic and Zite's AI-driven personalization was a game-changer" (TechCrunch, 2014).
Flipboard has also partnered with a broad array of content providers, publishers, and social media platforms. These partnerships enable Flipboard to aggregate and curate content from diverse sources—a key factor in its unique value proposition. For example, high-profile collaborations with the BBC, USA Today, and The Verge enrich their content pool, offering users a variety of perspectives and stories in one convenient place.
Diving Into the Dual Revenue Model
A significant part of Flipboard’s sustained success lies in its innovative business model, which balances free and premium services through a dual revenue strategy. The platform’s primary revenue comes from advertising, much like other digital giants. However, what sets Flipboard apart is its approach to advertising—offering targeted and native ads that seamlessly integrate with the user's personalized content.
According to a report from eMarketer, native ads have a 53 percent higher engagement rate than traditional banner ads (eMarketer, 2021). This aligns perfectly with Flipboard’s strategy, creating an unobtrusive advertising experience that enhances user engagement rather than detracts from it. Additionally, Flipboard Plus, their premium subscription service, offers an ad-free experience along with enhanced features for those willing to pay for a more sophisticated content discovery experience.
User-Centric Innovation
Our deep dive into Flipboard wouldn’t be complete without highlighting its user-centric innovations. Flipboard’s unique selling proposition rests on its ability to offer a personalized, visually appealing experience that combines world news and social content in an intuitive format. With features like Flipboard Magazines, where users can curate their own collections of articles, and Flipboard TV, providing a more dynamic content consumption option, the platform has evolved to meet diverse global needs.
In 2020, Flipboard introduced Flipboard TV, a significant leap forward, featuring vertical video similar to IGTV or TikTok but curated to align with users' interests. This move reflected a keen understanding of evolving media consumption habits, especially among younger audiences who favor short, engaging video content. According to Brightcove Inc., video consumption on mobile devices increased by 20 percent in 2021 (Brightcove Inc., 2021). Flipboard TV leverages this trend, enhancing the platform’s appeal and engagement levels.
Community Building and Engagement
Community engagement has always been at the heart of Flipboard’s strategy. By enabling users to share curated magazines and leverage social media feeds, Flipboard fosters a sense of belonging and community among its user base. As McKinsey & Company reported, businesses with strong communities see a 20 percent increase in customer satisfaction and up to 90 percent greater engagement (McKinsey & Company, 2021).
This community-centric approach also facilitates viral word-of-mouth marketing, creating a self-sustaining growth loop. Flipboard’s ability to nurture a loyal community of users who appreciate both the aesthetic and functional aspects of the platform remains a cornerstone of its ongoing success.
The Path Forward
In an ever-evolving digital landscape, Flipboard finds itself continuously innovating to stay ahead. With its robust dual revenue model, strong partnerships, and unwavering focus on the user experience, Flipboard is well-positioned to adapt to future trends and challenges. The company's commitment to high-quality content and personalized experiences makes it a unique player in the content discovery space.
As we look forward, one thing remains clear: Flipboard's ability to blend the tactile engagement of print with the interactive dynamism of digital positions it uniquely to meet the growing demand for quality, curated content. Through strategic innovation and constant evolution, Flipboard continues to transform the way we discover, consume, and share information.
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