Summary: The article discusses the declining trust in traditional media and the potential rise of independent journalists as a challenge to established media brands. It mentions that some journalists, like Bari Weiss, are moving to platforms such as Substack to operate independently. The article suggests that independent journalists could form their own collective brands, offering…
Summary: What are the best engagement metrics for subscription models? This article emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between content engagement and propensity to subscribe, with actions like e-newsletter sign-ups and registration being key. Exposing readers to diverse topics and authors is encouraged, along with increasing time spent on the platform. The ultimate goal is to…
Summary: Axios co-founder Jim VandeHie offers advice on “smart brevity” in writing, emphasizing the importance of considering the audience, starting with the key point, simplicity, visual aids, conversational tone, and delivering essential information. This approach aligns with the inverted pyramid model. VandeHie focuses on attracting the average reader’s limited attention span. Krehbiel wonders if this…
Summary: The challenge publishers face in growing and engaging audiences due to platforms like Facebook no longer promoting their content. The article questions whether the focus on building audiences for advertisers is mismatched with the goal of finding paying customers for subscriptions. The article emphasizes the need to offer valuable content to the right audience…
Summary: The article discusses the challenges and possibilities for the future of print media. It acknowledges the economic difficulties in print publishing due to high printing and mailing costs and downward price pressure. However, it emphasizes that people, including younger generations, still like print products. The author suggests options such as outsourcing printing to China,…
Here’s my summary of a very interesting talk by Roger Martin on Harvard Business Review. He raises the question, “what is the difference between planning and strategy?” Strategy, he says, is 1. an integrated set of choices 2. that position you on a playing field of your choice 3. in a way that you win….
When you’re dealing with vendor negotiations and tech evaluations, miscommunication is a big problem. It can lead to an incorrect evaluation of possible solution, and it can cost you money. In today’s podcast I will explain five scenarios where a vendor might initially decline a client’s request, and how both parties can turn this into…
If you’re considering a customer data platform, here are a few big picture ideas to keep in mind. People like to say the devil is in the details, but I think the devil is more clever than that, so if you want to avoid disaster you need both the bird’s eye view and the snail’s-eye…
Summary: This article discusses key principles for developing successful data products. It emphasizes a customer-centric approach, problem definition, and ways to differentiate data products. Objective qualitative and quantitative research is crucial to understand customer needs. The article also highlights Gall’s Law, the importance of data structure, and the Four Vs of data. Data transformation is…
Summary: Print publications continue to be relevant in the digital age. There are unique advantages of print, such as better aesthetics, a curated immersive experience, reduced eye strain, fewer distractions, portability, improved comprehension, different highlighting/note-taking experiences, resistance to AI scraping, suitability for children, collectibility, and a more relaxing reading experience. The author suggests that while…
Summary: Publishers should establish guidelines for internal AI use within their organizations. It suggests key considerations, such as whether AI can be used, preferences for specific AI models, disclosure of AI usage, and addressing bias and inaccuracies. Additionally, it highlights the need for a user’s guide to report and improve AI-related issues. The article suggests…
Summary: Publishers don’t have a paywall problem, they have a value problem. The prevailing wisdom seems to be that AI will result in an explosion of content on the internet. But Bo Sacks recently distributed an article by Matt D’Cruz that makes the opposite claim. “There’s going to be a lot less free content around.”…
Summary: The article introduces the creative thinking cards from Schoolofthought.org. It focuses on two cards, “Imagine you’re the devil” and “No Limits,” which encourage thinking outside ethical and practical constraints for creative brainstorming. The author emphasizes that this approach can help uncover innovative ideas and prepare for competitive challenges. Did you know that “devil’s advocate”…
Summary: Lennart Schneider discusses “lock-in effects” in a recent article, highlighting 9 strategies to make a subscription irreplaceable. These include ecosystems (like Apple vs. Android), data migration difficulties, personalization, network effects, price guarantees, credits, shared subscriptions, bundling, and status. While these tactics can retain customers, they can also border on being annoying, such as making…
Summary: The article discusses the use of the word “content” in publishing and suggests that it lacks specificity. While some find it useful as a broad category, the author argues for using more precise terms like “answers” or “solutions” to better serve the audience’s needs. He emphasizes the importance of precision in language for publishers…