A sitemap for Krehbiel Group content
The plugin says to write a post about it, so here we go. I’ve added a sitemap for content on this page. All you search engines out there should take notice!
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Publishers should convert newsletters to podcasts and vice versa
I’ve been speaking about re-using content a lot recently, and that reminded me of an article by David Tvrdon, “Why turning newsletters into podcasts and podcasts into newsletters is a great strategy for publishers.” It was emailed out by Bo Sacks on April 11. He gives three reasons right up front. Build your brand Maximize…
On cannibalizing your own subscriptions
On Friday, Bo Sacks distributed Cosmin Ene’s article, “Subscription Cannibalization is here. Just not as you think.” Cannibalization is, of course, eating your own. Publishers often use that word to describe when a new, low-priced product undercuts the sales of an older, higher-priced product. As a general rule, I think fear of cannibalization is misguided….
Content should flow like water but adapt like finches
My friend Paul Gerbino (of Triumvirate Content Consultants) promotes the idea of thinking of content as water, by which he means it will take the shape of whatever type of container you put it in, and needs to flow into lots of different nooks and crannies. I like that image. Content should be created with…
Writing for comprehension and engagement
I’m toying with a few ideas about how to write an article in such a way that people understand what’s been written. I’m riffing off two things I read yesterday. The first was from a Brian Morrissey article about reducing friction, in which Brian pointed out that friction can be useful in some cases. For…
Publishers should use personalized onboarding to increase retention and engagement
Customer retention should start immediately after the sale. This is true for e-commerce stores and for publishers, although in the first case it means repeat purchases while in the latter it means continuing a subscription. Some retention strategies are common to stores and to publishers. For example, both should … Establish a relationship immediately after…
This talk with Jim McKelvey is worth your time
At the MACMA Industry Days event last week, Lisa Pistilli interviewed Jim McKelvey. The conversation about the monetization of Jim’s “Invisibly” app is very interesting. (Use this link to watch the video.) I riffed on some of the issues in this issue of my podcast.
No, Google is not going to rescue publishing
My friend Jeff Kobil sent me an interesting article that claims Google is going to start paying publishers for content. Whenever I see something like this, it reminds me of square dancing. Remember when the caller would say “hurrah, hurray, you’re going the wrong way”? This is why. Any time you let Google set the…
Engagement is only half the battle. We need revenue innovation.
Bo Sacks’ email from last night picks up a good piece by Peter Houston, in which he summarizes some studies on reader needs. They include … Update me Educate me Divert me Give me perspective Keep me on trend Those are all good, but I would add one thing to that – save me some…
What does NPR’s reaction say about the value of Twitter?
Elon Musk’s Twitter has labeled National Public Radio as “state-sponsored media.” NPR says it’s quitting Twitter because the label isn’t fair. Only one percent of their funding comes from the government, they say. Let’s think about that for a minute. If it’s truly only 1 percent of their funding, why not just forgo it? Why…
On fears about artificial intelligence
We overemphasize the part of our intellect of which we are consciously aware. We think of that as “me.” But that’s very far from certain. Most of what our brain does is inaccessible to our conscious mind — and I don’t just mean regulating our autonomic nervous system. A lot of intellectual and emotional processing…
Two frameworks to harmonize identity and business needs
Resolving identity can get in the way of your use cases and create a bad customer experience. In this presentation, which I did for the recent Martech conference, I discuss two frameworks and a few rules to help identify and avoid these problems. Two frameworks to harmonize identity and business needs This video is especially…
Audio and video summaries of the April edition of The Krehbiel Letter
The April issue of The Krehbiel Letter urges publishers to focus on the reader. Here’s a quick summary of the articles in this edition. If you want your readers to have a good experience with your content, consider building a paywall. Ads are designed to distract the reader. Consider adding content recommendations to your site,…
An update on “Features and Benefits”
When the kids try to convince lo-tech grandma to get a smartphone, they focus on the benefits. “You can see what your grandkids are up to and chat with us!” Once grandma gets comfortable with a smartphone, she wants more storage and processing power. Those are features. The rule I learned back in the 1980s…
“Perfect is the enemy of done”
That’s one of my favorite sayings, but it begs an interesting question. What does “perfect” mean? “Perfect is the enemy of done” should not mean, “publish that amateurish first draft.” On the other hand, if my kayak is in the middle of a school of fish, the perfect fishing lure is the one I can…