Archive for the ‘Custom Publishing’ Category
The Great Non-Debate: Print and Digital
24 Aug 2009
by Michelle O'Hagan
The non-debate rages on I suppose. That would be the one about which is better / more meaningful / more useful / prettier / more creative / more portable / easier to read with your morning cup of coffee … Print or Digital. <sigh>
Really, are we still having this conversation? Shouldn’t we be worried about creating excellent content and delivering it in the way in which our audience wants to consume it?
Earlier today, I was pointed toward a FOLIO: blog post titled The Reverse Transition From Digital to Print which envisioned a world that was newly enamored with “slowness,” “paper records” and “recyclable paper” in lieu of an overwhelming number of channels, data farms and silicon chips. The author proceeded to describe all of the lovely things about printed material, including the feeling of a “personal connection,” “beautiful packaging” and “tighter circles of friends” (imagining, I suppose that we’d all be tighter if everyone would just get over that Facebook thing, already).
As I read, I was thinking two things:
- There probably was something great about washboards, too (Meaningful conversations on the front porch while scrubbing those knickers? All that water we could save?) but there won’t be a movement away from our front-loading washers and dryers any time soon.
- Why was the author writing an entire blog post about this imagined “reverse transition” without making the most important point: the business case ($$$) for it?
Well, it turns out, he wasn’t. FOLIO: ran only the first half of his post. The rest of the article was accessible via a “click here” link at the bottom of the post. To summarize, the second half of the post points out what would be lost in such a transition and concludes:
However, I can’t help but feel that a reverse transition from web to print would seem a bit like Big Brother was taking over; that citizens are given beautiful print packages at the expense of freedom of information, connection and creativity. It would give more control to fewer people – allowing them to decide what is good enough for the masses. It would not by any means be overt censorship, but rather, the hoarding of power to the limited space available in an expensive world of print products and distribution channels.
Why are we still talking about this? Certainly digital content, and the business models that go along with it, will prosper. But print isn’t going anywhere either, though print opportunities are not as ubiquitous as they once were.
The most important thing is delivering content in a way in which your audience wants to consume it. Might be print, might be digital. But that’s up to them. Your readers, I mean.
Twitter Search Results on Google
5 Aug 2009
by Michelle O'Hagan
One of my very favorite tools is a Firefox add-on from Userscripts.org called Twitter Search Results on Google. As the name implies, you enter a search-term in Google and the resulting SERP displays the most recent 5 tweets for that query, giving both real-time Twitter search results and Google results on the same page. You don’t have to be a Twitter subscriber to use it … Just a Firefox user.
Worth noting: I’ve used this Firefox add-on since March with no glitches at all. Today, I upgraded to Firefox ver. 3.5.2 and the add-on still works. 
Below is a SERP for the term “custom publishing” … pretty cool.
Screenshot: Twitter Results for Google
Custom Means Quality
27 Mar 2009
by Michelle O'Hagan
A passage in a recent eMarketer article, Magazines Run Online, reminds us once again why ‘quantity’ isn’t the end-all, be-all.
“Years of inflated circulation rate bases have backfired,” says Ms. Krol. “Magazines chased volume, banking on a larger set of readers to justify advertising rate increases. Unfortunately, that bloated universe of readers often proved less profitable.”
Some publishers, such as Newsweek, have responded by pruning their audiences to a smaller, more desirable demographic.
The big move in publishing, however, is online. But the transition may be coming too late for many titles.
The article is focused on consumer titles, but the lesson is clear: You cannot chase “all” readers–and practically give away your content ($10/year subscription for some of the titles to which I subscribe)–and expect to stay profitable.
That’s one of the reasons custom publishing hasn’t hit the skids like so many other types of publishing these days. In custom magazines, the content is targeted to a specific (sometimes, an extremely specific) audience. These people want what they’re getting (quality, not quantity). The content is valuable to them.
The Conference Board Review
20 Mar 2009
by Michelle O'Hagan
The Conference Board Review will arrive in mailboxes soon! Published by The Conference Board for its members, the March/April issue of the custom magazine contains a cover story, “After the Storm” highlighting corporate governance will change as a result of the current economic crisis.
Cover of The Conference Board Review, March/April 2009
PM Network
20 Mar 2009
by Michelle O'Hagan
The April 2009 edition of PM Network, the custom magazine published by PMI for project management professionals, will hit mailboxes next week. The cover story, “The Global Risk Factor” highlights unconventional risks that come with outsourcing. Other content includes project management as it relates to infrastructure investment and health care.
PM Network Magazine Cover, April 2009
