14 DAY TRIAL // Scribd is trying to expand its revenue sources with a new partnership program with select online publications. The site, which allows users to host PDF and other documents and read them in the online viewer, says it has signed a deal with several partners to provide them with a branded reader to embed documents, which it claims benefits both the readers and the publishers. Interestingly, the branded reader will be free.
“Branded Scribd readers enable media companies to share source materials directly with readers by embedding court filings, memos, and reports in news articles; retain official branded attribution for source materials wherever they’re shared across the Web; and offer easy access to news articles by linking Scribd documents with the related stories,” Scribd's announcement read. “In addition to changing the way people consume news, the branded Scribd reader offers news organizations a unique way to present source material as an important part of the story, both on and off their Websites.”
The new product is now available for some well-known publications like The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and popular blogs The Huffington Post, TechCrunch and Mediabistro. Scribd is already being used in many cases like the ones the company describes in the announcement but the site wants to increase its reach and a great way of doing this is by being featured on a highly trafficked site. More traffic means more money from the ads it serves on its site.
But the publishers are also getting something in return as the documents uploaded by them to the service will also feature a link back to the original article, which could mean more readers for the original sites as well. Still the dominant trend is likely to be the other way around, but seeing as many would have already used the reader to embed the files, getting something for free doesn't sound like such a bad idea.