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Final Edition: One Newspaper’s Video Swan Song

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Jeff

With a hat tip to ReadWriteWeb and Marshall Kirkpatrick, I thought I’d pass along this poignant video of the end of an era.

A nearly 150-year-old Denver newspaper printed its final edition yesterday.  I wonder how many more times we’ll see this happen over the next few months.

I also can’t help but wonder if this is what the radio industry has to look forward to, or, if we’ll figure out how to remain relevant in a digital/internet/on-demand world before it’s too late.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Filed under: Publishing, The Future of Radio | Tagged: , | 5 Comments »

The Importance of Consumable Content

Posted on February 23, 2009 by Jeff

I read with great interest a recent post from one of my favorite social media bloggers, Chris Brogan, on USA Today, CNN Headline News and the world of bite-sized media.

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His observations of the two media giants won’t be revelatory to most media veterans, but they do serve as timely reminders.  Are you offering your content (your station’s, your blog’s, your label’s, your company’s) in bite-sized, consumable portions?  Or do you view doing so as bastardizing your business model?

The music industry, of course, has had no choice but to revisit the bite-sized model with the advent of the iPod.  No longer are long-form album projects the default purchase for a wider and wider swath of consumers.

For radio this means, among other things, taking advantage of more and more ways to distribute your content (be that podcasts, behind the scenes video from the studio or backstage at concerts, or wherever).   Furthermore, every break has to, from beginning to end, stand on its own.  If I’m new in town and just hearing your show for the first time, will I “get it” from the moment you open the mic, or feel like I’ve joined a conversation already in progress wondering what I missed?  If not, go back to the drawing board.  Study broadcast industry veterans like Tommy Kramer and John Frost for more.

For the publishing industry, the scenario is similar.  You must take advantage of newer and bolder ways to distribute content, as opposed to shunning those opportunities (including the Amazon Kindle and the iPhone).  One of my favorites to follow in the publishing industry is Michael Hyatt.  For more on his thoughts on where the publishing industry is going, check here.

As Chris Brogan puts it, “we’re trending more towards the short info.”  I’ll put it this way:

If you’re not ready or willing to adjust the way you distribute your content or product in order to meet the needs and desires of those consuming it, you will not last.

Filed under: Music Industry, Publishing, The Future of Radio | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Automated DMs: Useful or Worthless?

Posted on February 19, 2009 by Jeff

Recently, I was challenged by a new Twitter follower (@normalrockstar) regarding my practice of sending an auto-reply direct message (DM) to new followers.

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He’d read my post on Twitter navigation and questioned my sincerity.  His DM read in part:

Why is the guy who blogged about “interacting with followers” sending automatic replies?

I responded by saying I felt it “insures that I connect with you promptly upon your decision to follow me, something I think most people appreciate.”  The response came back,

My problem with it is it’s not REALLY connecting.  It’s your automated reply.  It’s like a band having an intern answer e-mail.

I couldn’t get past the truth in those words, interns notwithstanding.  But I’d gotten the idea in the first place from seeing it put into practice by @johnhaydon, someone I respected and admired.  He, unlike most, actually offered value in his DMs by suggesting others to follow.  No self-promotions or links.  I did the same.

But later that same day, I ran across another Twitter conversation where someone was arguing convincingly against the practice of auto-DMs.  Not long after that, I saw a tweet from @kriscolvin that included a link to this (you’ll want to check out this link if you want to put an end to receiving most auto-DMs).

I then started re-reading through many of the auto-DM’s I was receiving from recent new followers.  Admittedly, most were pure self-promotion or empty thank-yous.  I couldn’t help but wonder, “Is it possible, no matter how well-intentioned, for an automated DM to ring anything other than hollow.”

After all, the care I took in trying to create a value-filled auto-DM hadn’t resonated with at least one person.  How many others felt the same way and just hadn’t bothered to tell me?  Side note: one of the things I’ve learned over my career regarding criticism is that, often times, those dispensing it are the ones that actually give a hoot.

What does it all mean?  Well, for me at least, it means no more automated DMs.  Period.  From now on, when you receive a DM from me, it will have been written especially for you.  No exceptions.

And you can thank @normalrockstar.

Filed under: Twitter | Tagged: , , , , | 5 Comments »

Alltop: A Magazine Rack for the Internet

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Jeff

Guy Kawasaki (@guykawasaki on Twitter), best-selling author of The Art of the Start and Reality Check, is changing the world .  And while I can’t say I always agree with his politics, I sure do love his creativity and what he brings to the world wide web.

Last year he launched Alltop (inspired by popurls), a site described as an online magazine rack .  Simply put, it’s a site that aggregates, in a very clean and simple way, the web’s cream of the crop from virtually every topic imaginable.  There’s plenty of useful information to be found on Alltop, not the least of which is great blog post ideas.

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You’ll find links to blogs and news sites on topics ranging from Acne to Zoology and virtually everything in between.  Don’t find what you’re looking for?  Suggest to the Alltop crew they add it by sending them an e-mail to info@alltop.com.  You can even submit your own site or blog for inclusion among the topics.  My blog shows up in the radio category.

Sure, there’s Google Search.  And if you’re anything like me, you make use of Google Reader or another feed reader that brings your blog subscriptions right to your doorstep.  So what’s so special about Alltop?  Who uses it?  Why?  Well,  Chris Brogan puts it this way:

Alltop isn’t for you or me. It’s for friends and family and coworkers who aren’t yet surfing at the speed of light with Google Reader, or adding meta commentary via FriendFeed. It’s for our neighbor who still logs into AOL, or people who want to read a sampling of information without a lot of customization.

Now, I consider myself a seasoned surfer, but I find myself often making use of Alltop anyway.  Rather than doing a Google search when I’m researching a particular topic, I go to Alltop first to see if it’s covered there.  If so, I instantly have a dozen or more of the top blogs on that subject at my fingertips.

Are you a Mom interested in what others in your space are writing about?  Then moms.alltop.com is a good place to start.  Want to learn how to make a Caramel Machiatto just like Starbucks?  Try coffee.alltop.com. Looking to hone your writing skills?  Check out writing.alltop.com.

Whether you’re an internet newbie or a seasoned pro, I think you’ll find plenty of benefits at Alltop.

What about you?  Can you think of other ways to use Alltop?

Filed under: Web 2.0 | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »