Redbook Launches Its First Customized, Stand-alone Facebook App

May 24, 2012 - PRLog -- REDBOOK, the magazine that celebrates the young family years, is giving Facebook fans a new way to engage online and show their favorite dads how much they care with the Redbook Father’s Day Appreciation app. Available via Facebook.com/redbook, the app allows users to find fathers they know on Facebook, then create and post messages of love and appreciation to their walls.  

“Our readers are busy, and Facebook is the easiest possible way for them to connect with friends and family to share stories, photos and the milestones in their lives,” said editor in chief Jill Herzig.  “This app is simple, fun and genuine – a one-minute way to show some love and make sure dads – and their friends – know how valued they are.”

Users who are not yet Fans will be asked to “Like” the REDBOOK page and then click the button ‘Give Thanks to the Dads in Your Life.’  The app will bring up a list of dads within the user’s Facebook network – or the search function may be used to find them – then, a message can be posted to the dad’s wall, with the option of sharing the message on the user’s own wall. Every message links back to the app, giving all who see it a chance to visit and create their own posts.  The app also offers  the option of posting a general message of thanks to dads everywhere, which will appear on the ‘Recent Thanks’ scroll.  REDBOOK will choose favorite stories and messages to feature in an upcoming issue of the magazine.

Facebook Fan Pages and posts are an important traffic driver for Hearst Digital Media.  April 2012 was a record month with more than two million site visits being driven from Facebook.  Both page and post reach are up by more than 30% over March 2012 and on-site sharing is up by 74% for the first quarter.

REDBOOK (http://www.redbookmag.com) is the only magazine in America focused on the needs, wants, passions, and opinions of young married women as they dive into their busiest and best years yet. Readers can interact with the brand on the digital front, at www.redbookmag.com, REDBOOK mobile (m.redbook.com), and via Twitter and Facebook. REDBOOK reaches more than eight million readers each month and is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com), one of the nation's largest diversified communications companies. Hearst Magazines publishes more than 300 editions around the world, including 20 U.S. titles. Hearst Magazines the largest publisher of monthly magazines in the U.S. (ABC 2011) and reaches 87 million adults (Spring 2011 MRI). Hearst Magazines Digital Media, dedicated to creating and implementing Hearst Magazines’ digital strategy, has more than 28 websites and 14 mobile sites for brands as well as digital-only sites such as Delish.com, a food site in partnership with MSN; MisQuinceMag.com; and RealBeauty.com. Hearst Magazines has published more than 100 applications and digital editions for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, as well as the Android platform. In addition, the company includes iCrossing, a global digital marketing agency.