News And Updates
Inspired by the LinkedIn question by Dash, I finally got this post done.
I want to share some of my own thoughts on the future of publishing. Being a little of a geek always using the latest tech toys (visit one of my other blogs; Mobile and Internet), I think I have some idea of what’s coming in future. Also It’s important to understand that even if the change is coming, it does effect so many people that it will be some what slow…
First of, I think it’s very import not to bundle everything into one. The Magazines and Newspapers are very different. Newspapers focus on News and Magazines mainly to very different and variety of topics.
I think that the main factor that is and has been important for Newspapers is moving to other channels and that is the News. If you want your news fresh (like many do) then newspaper (in paper format) is not your source anymore.
Therefore I think that Newspapers are in different category than Magazines in this matter, since Magazine content is not so “time sensitive”
Will both die? Yes and no, I imagine some dying and others surviving, majority will change format away from paper, but obviously not all at least not for a long time.
The main factor for me (nearly) never to read news on paper, has been my iPhone and the reason I still read magazines, is because I like to read longer articles on paper. I also like the ad’s & overall visuals better on Magazines.
When iPhones, ereaders and similar achieve right specifications to give the feel and experience of the magazine (with professional layout etc.), the traditional paper format will start to really go away.
As I’m an avid RSS reader about 500 posts/day via google reader from various blogs etc. I can say that the visual experience is quite boring compared to magazines. Even if there is really good looking blogs, they are still the same looking from day to day & week to week…
What I like about online based content, is that it’s fresh and it’s easy to get various versions from same news, fast and with different viewpoints, not just one…
So depending on the content I use the following:
- News (RSS from main media sources & blogs)
- Topic related & short content (RSS & Blogs)
- Longer articles and when I have more time, I still enjoy Magazines, particularly while I’m eating by myself..
- While on the move Podcasts & RSS
What do you think and how do you consume your reading content?
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If you are not using Cooliris (formerly PicLens) yet, you REALLY should. Cooliris is a powerful plug-in for your web browser. If you are browsing images for any reason anytime, this simply is the best way to flow trough hundreds of images in no time.
Doing Google image search with Cooliris is probably 10 times faster. You really need to try it to understand it. I have written about cooliris (PicLens) before on my other blog, so you may want to read that as well.
I just installed Cooliris plug-in to this blog, even if I don’t (yet) have that many images. If you have your own website or blog and it’s run on wordpress you should install this plug-in, specially if you are photographer or graphics designer with lots of images.
For other than Wordpress there are other solutions to enable Cooliris as well. Read more at their website or do some googling with cooliris + (your CMS) or PicLens + (your CMS).
Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite As you can see on the main page on right, I have been asking from our Magazine Publishing Group members for their opinion for the forum type that I’m planning to setup.
The votes have been very close, I have also asked this question from another audience at LinkedIn Answers (not in vote results). Even that the votes are really close, there seems to be a slight lean towards a more social network type of forum or community.
While the more traditional forum would be more established as a software platform with various plug-in options etc. and therefore that could be good choice for now, I think that the social network type of platform will have greater appeal, particularly in future. Also it will most likely have an increasing momentum behind if from the developers and users in general.
In my email that I have sent to Magazine Publishing Group members few days back, I explained the options for the platforms, that were:
1. Social Network type of solution (like MySpace, facebook or LinkedIn type solution)
This will include forum, discussions, enhanced profile, blogs, subgroups etc. So it’s more comprehensive solution. But does it need to have these additional features?
For this I would use elgg software http://www.elgg.org/about.php
OR
2. More traditional type of discussion forum like http://www.phpbb.com/community/
This is widely used more traditional type of solution, that is “just a forum” So this does not have so much flexibility for other type of social networking among peers, but it’s good for basic forum.
For this I would use phpBB:
http://www.phpbb.com/about/?sid=bfffb7cdaf541f2fff42401781148c06
As you can see from the elgg website, the version 1.0 is set to be released on the 18th of this month and since that’s only few days from now, I have decided to wait for that release and not install any of the preversions.
Another thing is that I’m not exactly sure if my server host supports all the requirements for running elgg, so I will need to check that as well. If all goes well wit that, I also still want to do some testing first, so that will take few extra days until the site will be open.
I wanted to share this status update, so you all know I’m working actively on getting this setup.
If you have not voted yet, please do so on the front page. Also if you have any comments please let me know.
Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite I have been looking for good online discussion forum that is centered around magazine publishing. I have been Googling, sending questions to LinkedIn answers and generally just been asking around. I have yet to find the kind of forum what I’m looking for.
Next, I reached out to our Magazine Publishing Group members in LinkedIn, asking if they would use this type of forum if that would be available and to me the response was pretty clear. From those that replied, all were indicating that they would. While I understand that the response numbers were not high, I think it still gives a good indication of interest toward this forum (knowing that this group is still very new but growing fast).
These two issues combined have convinced me to set up an Magazine Publishing Forum that is open to all professionals worldwide, related to Magazine Publishing. So yesterday I was spending my time looking and learning about what forum software to use and today I have spend many hours setting up the forum.
As soon as I have the forum set up and ready for members, I will post it here and send message to all of our Magazine Publishing Group Members.
It should not take too long anymore.
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I have created a Magazine Publishing Group in linkedIn. It’s a free LinkedIn group to network with peers.
This group is for all Magazine Publishing Professionals Worldwide. For publishers, editors, photographers, journalist, printers, designers, advertisers, distributors etc.
This Group is becoming quite popular one and I hope we can attract as many magazine publishing professionals as possible to join us, from different parts of the world. So if you are not yet part of our Group here is a direct link to join:
http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/125214/7CAEB6030B21
If you have friend that would be interested to join as well, feel free to share this link with them too. Also, if you have any suggestions or ideas for developing our group, please let me know.
Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite I have started one of the biggest tasks of my life, but with great passion! I’m trying to get bloggers and smaller print publications to understand their value in terms of advertising sales.
As for myself, I have a general business background. For the past four years, I have been offering consulting services to new entrepreneurs on their new startups and related topics.
This particular task began while I was working for a smaller nonprofit organization through pro bono consulting and seeing their day-to-day struggle to secure funding. I went ahead and started creating their ad sales from scratch with good results. At the same time, I started thinking that not knowing how to sell advertising must be a bigger problem. Never could I have imagined that this was a huge worldwide problem.
I started creating a tool that would help anyone create their ad rate card easily and start offering and selling their ad space directly.
My journey has just begun and the feedback I get from bloggers and smaller organizations just proves my point and convinces that I’m on the right path.
High-quality websites and good blogs with clear target audiences deserve to get their direct ad sales. Usually these sales are 3 to 10 (or even more) times higher than adwords revenue for the same site, depending on the audience.
There is no reason for some giant to take a big handful of revenue for its needs (even though we all do love Google so much) when someone else is attracting the right readers with their content. Print publications do not even have options like that.
That’s why I have created tools for direct advertising for everyone who has the right kind of media to benefit from direct sales. Now I just need to spread the word.
However, I’m a businessperson and I understand that real impact can be made only by making money. I’m all for business, since it is possible to do good business and great things at the same time. The new strategy calls for generating more revenue and/or cost savings overall so that the changes are not difficult to justify.
So I’m inviting others to join me in my efforts to help everyone understand the value of their own media and start pushing to offer and/or sell at least part of their ad space directly.
I’m also open to all kinds of ideas for collaboration, so feel free to contact me. I feel strongly that those who own their content should get more direct sales out of the circulating ad revenue.
Please let me know if you would be interested in cooperating with me in this venture!
Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite It’s a well known fact that direct advertising sales for any media will generate more ad income than adwords, tradedoubler, etc. To sell ads directly, you absolutely must have an ad rate card.
So for me, it is just amazing how many publications and sites don’t have any kind of ad rate card, ad formats, ad pricing or even a single “advertising” link for potential advertisers to contact them. There may be a cheap-looking “your ad here” announcement, and I guess that is better than nothing (at least, that is, if you want direct advertising to your site).
Some medium or bigger print publications may have rate cards, but mostly only in PDF format. Come on, it’s 2008! Web is leading the way. Now, when web is going from 2.0 to 3.0, print advertising sales tools are still way back in the 80s.
The Initial Idea
My initial thought for creating the rate cards directory was to do it for for smaller print publications like some local clubs, hobby magazines, newsletters, or school papers, but it does work for online media like websites and blogs as well. Most outlets that have some print publication will have websites and/or blogs, too.
Some people may think that advertisers are not interested in advertising directly in smaller publications, but that’s not the whole truth. Actually, smaller media publications have very targeted and highly loyal readers and that converts to good advertising opportunities.
Does the Size Matter?
Yes and no, but it goes both ways. When we think about advertisers, most of us immediately think of some big-name companies and forget small or really small and/or local companies that have a need for advertising too. Big advertisers can easily be interested in smaller publications if they can effortlessly find, select and buy from multiple smaller ones that, combined, provide access to bigger target groups.
Regardless of their size or needs, all advertisers appreciate a good ad rate card where they can easily and quickly see what your media is all about, what kind of advertising options they have, and what the prices are. They want to do this without any hassle. If they like what they see, they will contact you. But if they can’t see any of the information they’re looking for, they probably will not contact you at all. Think about your own behavior when you are buying something. What information do you look for when deciding whether you are interested in buying?
Now It’s Easier to Create Your Own Ad Rate Card
Someone who has never created an ad rate card, will have a hard time finding information on how it should look, what information it should contain, how to price the ads, and more. Having a “form to fill” will assist you in creating your ad rate card more easily.
Many other cool features have been built on top of these initial thoughts. I will upload posts about them later on.
That’s why the site was created. 