Today is my last day at Reed Business Information, after a decade of service. It has been an incredible journey, and I wanted to reflect a bit on it. I started in December of 2000, just as the first dot com bubble was popping. The past decade was the perfect time to be within a… Continue reading Independence Day
Crowd vs Community
Earlier in the week, I talked about how the word ‘expert’ is being thrown around too often on the web. Today, I want to talk about another term that is used so often that it is losing it’s meaning: community. My goal here is not to complain about trendy words (that in itself would just… Continue reading Crowd vs Community
Media is a Service, Not a Product
A reporter interviewed me this week for an article about the future of local newspapers. At first, he referred to the terms ‘newspaper’ and ‘journalism’ interchangeably, and I clarified that the lack of a definition for journalism is what hobbles many conversations about the future of newspapers. Newspapers are not a product, they are a… Continue reading Media is a Service, Not a Product
Having Goals is 90% of Achieving Them
image by Jon Rawlinson Many business conversations I have start with me asking: "What are your goals?" It’s a surprisingly challenging question. We often talk about ‘what we are trying to do,’ but rarely talk about where we are going. Goals are often vague and distant. Without focused, measurable, short-to-mid-term goals, how do we know… Continue reading Having Goals is 90% of Achieving Them
What Publishers Can Learn from Gorillaz
This week, I’ve been obsessed with the band Gorillaz, and considering what the publishing industry can learn from them. Gorillaz started out in 1998 as a concept, founded by the singer/musician Damon Albarn, and artist/illustrator Jamie Hewlett. Okay, I don’t want to bore you with background, let’s dig into why this group is so fascinating… Continue reading What Publishers Can Learn from Gorillaz
Saving the Medium, But Not the Mission
Image by neilfein Why are the record labels in such a bad place? Because in a time of enormous change, they focused on the medium, not the mission. They focused on the physical product, not the value it delivered. Sure, they tried to innovate, but in all the wrong ways. They told themselves that the… Continue reading Saving the Medium, But Not the Mission
Why Social Media is Especially Powerful in B2B Markets
Image by wrestlingentropy In consumer media, you are often dealing with experts talking to non-experts. Perhaps its a chef writing an article to an amateur cook, an announcer explaining the intricacies of luge to an audience unfamiliar with the sport, or a journalist explaining how a new wi-fi device will compare to older versions on… Continue reading Why Social Media is Especially Powerful in B2B Markets
Relationships Matter More Than Stuff
Would you trade your cousin for a house? A friend for a motorcycle? Your cat for a handbag? No, you wouldn’t. Why? Because relationships matter more than stuff. And this is something that media is realizing when it comes to how people behave online, and how they can leverage the real power of the web.… Continue reading Relationships Matter More Than Stuff
Wait.
Wait. Until it is safe. Wait. Until you are certain. Wait. Until the model is proven. Wait. Until someone else moves first. Wait. Until the world validates your idea. Wait. Until you have the proper resources. Wait. Until everyone agrees on the opportunity. Wait. For someone else to take the risk. Wait. To see if… Continue reading Wait.
How Content Marketing Will Change Business Media
"Content marketing" is the latest buzzword to describe the future of media, of marketing, of publishing and of B2B. Here’s the gist: instead of companies blasting their target audience with obtrusive advertisements, they will instead provide helpful content. So, in essence, they become publishers, trainers, educators, and partners. And that’s kind of nice. I’d rather… Continue reading How Content Marketing Will Change Business Media