Summary: The article discusses concerns about censorship on social media platforms like Twitter, with recent reports suggesting Elon Musk’s company may be limiting users who share New York Times articles. It highlights the problem of tech giants controlling access to information and urges content creators to reduce dependence on these platforms, recommending strategies like building…
Summary: This article discusses the ongoing battle between publishers and AI, caricatured as “Skynet.” The author suggests four strategies for publishers to combat AI: altering the robots.txt file, enforcing server-side measures, updating terms and conditions for potential lawsuits, and developing their own large language models. However, the article acknowledges the challenges, such as AI’s ability…
Summary: This article explores the challenges surrounding micropayments as a revenue model for news media. The author considers various reasons for skepticism, including a lack of a universal standard, perceived complexity, and the convenience of ad-supported or subscription-based models. The article also discusses the emotional debate around micropayments and questions their impact on traditional journalism….
Summary: The article discusses the shift from ad-funded models to subscription-based revenue in media, playing off 8 keys points from Carolyn Morgan. Audience segmentation is crucial for effective online marketing and content personalization. Focus on content valued by potential subscribers rather than casual visitors. Determine which content goes behind a paywall based on uniqueness and…
I want to have a cocktail after dinner tonight, so I thought about variations on the Negroni. Doing that the old-fashioned way — with a Google search, then reading several different pages — is slow and stupid. I just asked ChatGPT “Please give me the classic recipe for a negroni, then show me five popular…
Summary: Google, OpenAI, and Bing are using website content to train AI, which will have a devastating effect on publisher websites. The New York Times is showing the way by forbidding their content’s use for AI training. While this may delay the decline of publisher websites, chatbots and AI are improving. The path forward requires…
Summary: Software companies are embracing subscription models for recurring revenue, similar to how Microsoft Office shifted from one-time purchases to subscriptions. Now, a debate arises regarding the ownership of eBooks. Libraries typically follow a “one copy, one user” model for eBooks, but the Internet Archive has not followed that model. Corporate publishers want to treat…
Summary: Norwegian company Schibsted embraced text-to-speech technology to enhance audience engagement. Focused on riding the podcast popularity wave, they leverage “Beyond Words” to convert text into audio instantly, catering to changing article versions and potentially cloning the voices of popular podcast stars. Serving the audio from their own site allows them better data insights and…
Roger Overall, a content maker and consultant in Ireland, asked for a copy of The Krehbiel Letter, which is my 4-page, printed newsletter. I mailed him a copy. I had no idea what I was in for. Roger posted on LinkedIn 7 days of careful analysis of the letter. He looked at it methodically, going…
Summary: The article discusses the evolving role of large language models (LLMs) in answering questions and the potential threat they pose to content creators. It advises four steps for content creators to protect their intellectual property from being used to train LLMs by modifying robots.txt files, blocking server access, updating terms and conditions, and training…
Summary: The media industry’s focus on expanding reach at the cost of sales is critiqued. Fortune’s Chief Customer Officer, Selma Stern, highlights the misalignment of incentives leading to acquiring new customers at low prices. Such an approach dilutes subscriber quality and decreases advertiser interest. Balancing reach with quality content for niche audiences is emphasized for…
Summary: The article discusses the rise and fall of the social media platform Threads, launched by Meta, and its struggle to maintain early momentum. Threads initially gained popularity due to its Instagram connection but faced issues with unimpressive features, leading to user disengagement. The piece reflects on the viability of the Minimum Viable Product concept…
Peter Houston’s article, “Nine things we learned making an indie print magazine,” explores lessons from creating The Grub Street Journal, a B2B magazine. It emphasizes prioritizing enjoyment over profits, the unique considerations of print layout, the importance of covers, and embracing both print and digital aspects. The article stresses community, navigating challenges in distribution and…
General lessons about content marketing How to come up with material Always be listening. I have a good priest friend who says “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” I understand that to mean that there’s teaching going on all the time, all around us. We just have to have our ears tuned…
Even in the midst of constant change, there are enduring principles publishers need to stick with. A subscriber to The Krehbiel Letter told me that one thing he gets from my content is an emphasis on what stays the same during a time of radical transformation. He works in change management, and that’s one of…