A new Facebook Application from Realview allows online publishers to convert Facebook friends into paying subscribers after capturing reader demographics – including email addresses – for direct marketing.

"Many online publishers have good followings,” says chief executive Richard Lindley. “One of our online publishers has over 12 million Facebook likes, but only around four million subscribers,” he says.

The new app allows these publishers to actively court Facebook friends and capture their information. “In this example, they can effectively reach an additional eight million warm leads (Facebook friends) for potential conversion to paying customers.”

Online publications become instantly available on all platforms including desktop, laptop, iPad and Android devices making it easy for Facebook readers to read and share issues, articles and pages with friends from any viewer at anytime. “This increases opportunities to capture reader demographics for active marketing in an increasingly mobile environment.”

Publications available through the Realview platform are also delivered as a Facebook App. Readers can like, comment, click and share the publication.

Readers who click on a link for share or comment are presented with a permissions page before reading. On acceptance, they receive an email from the publisher offering an opt-in to the publisher’s mailing list. Both steps are necessary to comply with spam and privacy laws.

“We think the app is revolutionary in its capacity to bridge the great divide between fun and functionality in social media and make Facebook a hugely powerful business marketing tool for online publishers,” says Lindley.

The Facebook App is being released in two instalments, with the current release intended for non-subscription publications, and a second version early in 2013 for subscription-based publications. This will also contain a timed subscription option.