Print vs. e-Book?
Photo courtesy of Wired.
Amazon just recently put out some numbers that shows e-books are putting up a good fight with the old fashioned print book, and may be going for the knockout? This past month alone Amazon sold 180 e-books for every 100 hardcover books. What was the tipping point?… the price structure. Since bringing the price point down to $189 sales have shot through the roof. As the iPad lowers their price, the Kindle will have to continue to lower there’s to remain competitive. For just a basic e-reader, setting the price right under the $100 mark will be smooth sailing – but that’s for another time.
How is this going to affect publishing?
Here’s the thing, I don’t see e-books affecting the publishing companies as much as most people think. Yes, of course, there will be whiteboard sessions in finding ways to strategically reposition themselves, but this happens all of the time anyways. This new form of absorbing ‘book’ content is relatively new for the average reader. People are excited about it and are racing to the checkout lines to get a hold of the latest and greatest. I want to assume that those who purchase e-book’s don’t necessarily stop purchasing the printed book. Which brings me to my next point…
There’s enough room for both the digital and print platforms.
The e-reader is excellent for the busy body traveler who already has too many gadgets to carry – so they’ll slim there reading material down to just digital, catching up on all of there publications by a click of a button.
Then you have those who find extreme pleasure in the emotions that come along with the printed edition. The feel, the smell, the colors, absorbing the beautifully designed cover, brushing your fingers across the page all nestled up on the couch in front of a fire. Harnessing the book’s they grew up with or their children grew up with. The experiences, memories, and emotions that connect with the print book is just simply irreplaceable.
What about the music industry from CD’s to mp3 files, that didn’t turn out so hot?
What about it?… The book publishing channel does not fall into that category, it’s created their own identity. The CD is completely different in the sense to fully enjoy the content within that platform you had to put the CD into a CD player, so you weren’t actually holding it, or smelling it, or touching it while absorbing the content. With the print book, from cover to cover, you are emotionally and physically absorbing that content, the book itself, along with the content, is always present.The emotion that’s connecting with the print book isn’t comparable to that of a CD.
Mashable did a poll this week that backs up my thinking fairly well. They’ve found, through their readers, that the printed book was in favor over the e-book by roughly 19%. What does this mean considering the DNA that makes up Mashable’s core audience (social media, tech savvy, geeky gadget lovers: fore the mos part). There’s something of value here and it may fall within the lines of the level of difficulty to replace that physical connected emotion that comes with reading a print book.
Not to mention, how do you go to book signings with an e-reader?
So, is there room for both an e-reader and the hardcover on your bookshelf? And if you purchase an e-reader, will that keep you from purchasing other print books?
e’s Weeks in Review: Local SEO Clinic, 380podcast, f8 Conference
Every other week I will share with you the interesting things I came across through my “e’s Weeks in Review” post. It could be anything; blog posts, tech products, new apps., quotes, etc. If you have found any interesting tidbits or news, please share in the comments below, I’d love to hear about them.
1.) Local SEO Clinic: This was a podcast just recently published on The Marketing Spot blog, authored by Jay Ehret, and it features Glenn Gabe of G-Squared Interactive. Glenn runs through a well executed case study, Kati’s Kupcakes, on the importance of local SEO in a small business. By making the necessary tweaks and adjustments on your website you’ll reap major benefits stemming from the search engines. Also by verifying and ensuring your business information is consistent throughout the web is key: IYP’s, local business listings, etc. Glenn discusses the four pillars of local SEO. Take a listen, you’ll want to immediately jump on your site and make the necessary changes and/or additions.
2.) 380social Podcast: 380social is a social media gathering point in Eastern Iowa. We recently just recorded our first, of many, podcasts. It was more of a roundtable discussing the ‘Founding Fathers’ backgrounds and moved quickly into the social media scene. Topics of discussion included; iPad/iPhone, the state of social media in Iowa and how our local SMB’s can utilize the online tools, ending with a Twitter (social networking) professional dashboard called Hootsuite. Look for upcoming episodes, we hope to push them out every 2-3 weeks.
3.) f8 Conference: Facebook just recently released a few game changing features that takes their existing social graph and tosses it out in the web, making the users’ entire web experience more social and personalized. Not only will you be connecting with your friends via Facebook, but also through the sites that utilize Facebook’s open graph and social plugins. For instance; CNN, when these social plugins are implemented, without you logging into their site, CNN will feed you which of your Facebook friends have liked the story without CNN ever knowing who you are. Click the ‘like’ button, it feeds that item into your profile. These are powerful new features brands will benefit from. Music, restaurants, etc. they can all be fed back to your Facebook community by a simple click of a button. Mashable also has more here.
e’s Weekly Read:
“Everyone Communicates Few Connect” by John C. Maxwell
Does your customer mold/control your brand? or do you…
During a jog this morning I was listening to a podcast series by ‘The Marketing Guy’, Jay Ehret – called the “Marketers Roundtable”. They brushed on this topic a bit and it lead me to this post. My thoughts…
There has been a lot of talk about who actually controls you brand, especially with social media in the realm; folks have been leaning towards the acceptance of your customers controlling your brand, because you really can’t control it anyways.
I think there is a little give and take on this.
You can’t totally allow the consumer to dictate or define what your brand stands for. Not all customers see your brand like everyone else does. They create their own use and how they see you individually. People will always talk about your brand, whether it’s good or bad. This doesn’t control your brand, its merley dialogue. Where the control, or brand representation, comes in is how you respond to those messages. Your actions, your demeanor, your attitude is what dictates your brand. It’s a personality, it’s how you live and breathe.
Your brand is going to be hated, loved, and felt somewhere in the middle. By altering it, one way or the other, to gain acceptance by those who don’t accept your brand, it’s most likely going to disrupt your loyal customer base. Just like human relationships, not everyone is attracted to everyone. They usually gravitate towards a certain personality. It’s up to the brand to hone in on the loyal customer base to please them and flourish that relationship, others will proceed, you just need to establish a loyal foundation.
A brand comes from the inside out, you the organization controls your brand.
Don’t be influenced to do otherwise. If you do this, you’re altering your personality to ‘please’ everyone, thus resulting in an ‘artifical’ relationship. You’re basically putting on a good face.
For instance, back to the human interaction (relationship), when two people are about to enter their marriage life as one they do so because they were gravitated towards eachother because of who they are, to both the good and the bad. In this sense, the good by far outweighs the bad, therefore a few mishaps is ‘life’.
We don’t enter this stage of our life with the mindset of thinking that there is potential in this person, so what the heck, - ”I can just create or mold my significant other into the person I’ve always imagined I’d be with”. This doesn’t work, it may work for a while, but the controled partner will soon reach it’s boiling point and will have had enough. They’re not being themselves and they’ve lost touch of who they really are - it’s a fictitious relationship.
So, to end, your brand’s relationship with the customer, in a sense, mimics that of a human relationship.
It really can’t be molded by your consumer. They must be loyal to your brand because of what your brand stands for – they must gravitate towards it naturally. This, of course, is done with the assistance of marketing and advertising. If your brand is continuously changing to please everyone, you send mix messages and alleviate all loyalty. You can’t trust or be loyal to something that is constantly changing. Products and services are always going to change, but your brands message must remain constant.
What’s your take? Who is in control of your brand?
Would love to hear your insight in the comments below.
e’s Weeks in Review: Future of Social Media?, Twitter Usage
Posted by Eric Ungs
“The New Rules of Marketing and PR” by David Meerman Scott
Book Review: Linchpin
Posted by Eric Ungs
Artists are indispensable linchpins.
When I first started reading Linchpin by Seth Godin, I went to work the next morning angry. I was angry I had to work on someone else’s terms, angry I had to abide by authority, and angry I had to be there in the first place. I honestly had a bad day and I couldn’t stop thinking about what Seth was saying. Later that evening I picked up where I left off and continued reading, and realized I was angry for the wrong reasons.
I don’t wake up to do my job, I now consume my work with my art.
I finally realized the 9 to 5 gig isn’t the underlying issue. The problem is allowing the resistance to continue doing your job. Instead you need to ignore your lizard brain (the voice that encourages you to give in to resistance, to feel content, play it safe) and do the work. Part of the valued art, that everyone has within, is emotional labor. Most people go to their job and tackle their daily tasks. The tasks someone of authority told them to do, the processes to follow, and the lyrics to read. When emotional labor is involved, it brings humanity into your job. It brings the things that make up you into your work. When you can bring your humanity into your workplace you will find passion for your work you never knew you had.
It’s easier said than done… But it’s just as easy to do it too, you just have to do it.
It’s already within just express it. Seth describes it like this: “If you reserve your emotional labor for when you are off duty, but you work all the time, you are deprived of the joy you get when you do this labor. Now, you’re not giving gifts on duty, but you’re not off duty much at all. Spend eight to ten hours a day at work, and there’s not a lot of time left for the very human acts that make you who you are and who you want to be. So bring that gift to work.” This creates value, and when value is created, you’ve gained respect, and most importantly you’ve become irreplaceable. You’ve become someone who is making a difference, a game changer. Indispensable.
It’s as simple as being your authentic self and not being afraid to stand out.
This book isn’t solely about enriching your professional career, it also implies to your personal developement. Quit going through the motions the system told you to do. Instead, do things off the beaten path. The paved path is safe and you feel pretty content, when you veer off into the tall grass, this is where innovation occurs, this is where you make a difference, and this is where you give your gift. You’ve become valuable.
This is truly a must read. There is so much value between the covers you will be in awe. I was constantly writing notes and bookmarking. Whether you’re looking for a personal pick me up or need to find some drive for your work, this book will get you to do both.
Vocabulary you’ll find throughout the book: Lizard brain. Cog. Linchpin. Art. Work. Emotional labor. Resistance. Thrashing. Indispensable. Gifts.
e’s Weeks in Review: Google Listen, Social Media 101
Posted by Eric Ungs
Every other week I will share with you the interesting things I came across through my “e’s Weeks in Review” post. It could be anything; blog posts, tech products, new apps., quotes, etc. If you have found any interesting tidbits or news, please share in the comments below, I’d love to hear about them.
Optimism is the most important human trait, because it allows us to evolve our ideas, to improve our situation, and to hope for a better tomorrow. Seth Godin, “Linchpin”
1.) Google Listen: Currently in Google Labs, this Android app acts as an audio magazine. You can also organize to your liking on your desktop through Google Reader. Great for catching up on podcast’s during workouts.
2.) Social Media 101: Excited to learn Chris Brogan just release his new Social Media crash course book. Also was informed that he and Julien Smith are working on a third together. WebWorkerDaily goes further into detail.
“Linchpin” by Seth Godin
Why is your brand on Twitter and Facebook?
Posted by Eric Ungs
The importance of understanding your purpose for involving your brand within each social network.
What value will your community gain from your presence. These questions must be addressed before diving into a social networking platform, or at least start with an idea and evolve it. Each platform may serve a different purpose, in most cases it does. Different people use different mediums; before diving in you need to distinguish who is where and strategize accordingly.
In most cases this is a trial and error process. If you’re not creating any type of community maybe you are seeking or approaching the wrong relationships. This is where your patience is tested, building and gaining trust to mold your tribe takes time, let it develop.
I am the voice of the Twitter handle and Facebook fan page for the Arthritis Foundation Iowa Chapter. These two different networks reach two different audiences. Through ‘trial and error’ I have found that the community I have created on Facebook doesn’t reside on Twitter, so I had to rework my Twitter strategy accordingly. I am taking the approach for my Twitter handle of building a community around other non profits, organizations, and businesses within the state. This is taking more of a professional relationship approach, partnership if you will. I also reach out to the national advocates who have strong voices for Arthritis education and funding. Building these types of relationships may/will become beneficial for future opportunities.
My Facebook presence serves as a coffee shop.
It’s a place for those whom are ‘around’ arthritis to come and chat; share stories, give advice, and mostly, to be a support system to those who live with the disease. This is also where I share scheduled events and fundraising efforts. I must add that I do have my Facebook automatically feed into my Twitter. I feel the information I provide on Facebook brings an even more authentic and genuine approach to my Twitter handle. I don’t, however, feed by Twitter to my Facebook status updates, but is viewable from the fan page. Automatic Twitter to Facebook usually doesn’t fly with the Facebook crowd because they’re feed becomes over-saturated. Your status pushes others down, more is missed. It’s crucial to find the line in the sand to know when your updates have become inconvenient, and hate to say it, annoying. Thus resulting in unfanning, unfollowing, or even hiding your status updates. You have failed in developing this relationship.
The point is…
When you’ve decided to explore different platforms you need to know why you’re there and to whom you’re wanting to connect with. If you have these answered before hand your navigation is much clearer, you’re able to set goals and define a strategy.
So what are you waiting for… mingle.
Photo source: martin.canchola
