After attending Blog World Expo in Las Vegas this past weekend, I can say with full authority that bloggers come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They write about politics, religion, education, books, health, life as a parent and a myriad of other topics. While the technology that facilitates communication is important, it is the writers’ points of view and clarity of expression that make blogs compelling reading – or not.

No matter the topic, bloggers are encouraged to write with passion and honesty. Authenticity and transparency are the currency in the blogosphere, and there are those who define success by the size of their readership or their ability to connect with others of like mind. Successful monetization is the Holy Grail for many as they look to turn their passion into profit. Influencing the conversation is sufficient reward for others. Spreading the gospel, whether biblical, political or something in between is a function of creative and original content supported by insightful commentary from readers. Read the rest of this entry »

Share This

Posted in: Social Media | Comments(0)

 Traditional marketing is still very much with us in K-12 publishing. Because of the institutional nature of our market, we still operate in “push” mode with direct mail, outbound sales, either in person or by phone, conferences, etc. For most K-12 publishers, sending occasional customer emails and offering online webinars and demos is as Web 2.0 as it gets. For educational publishers, it is still very much about filling the sales funnel moving prospects to customers through a multi-step process.

But even in educational publishing, this traditional model is giving way to something new. In traditional sales, the company was in charge of moving the process forward, and in the Web 2.0 world, the new driver is the customer. Read the rest of this entry »

Share This

Posted in: Marketing | Comments(2)

Taking the temperature of your customers or involving your customers in product development has never been easier. Large, expensive research surveys have their place but many research goals can be achieved by quick and easy online surveys.

There are a number of companies that provide this service and most give you an opportunity to test drive the software before making a commitment. Even if you decide to subscribe to their service, the cost is nominal. Survey Monkey, Zoomerang, QuestionPro, and Constant Contact are a few of the better known survey programs. Read the rest of this entry »

Share This

Posted in: Marketing | Comments(3)

So, why would I recommend a blogging book targeted to those legions of budding entrepreneurs who are convinced they can turn their blog into a money machine to K-12 publishers? Quite simply, because it is one of the best books on blogging by two practitioners who have worked at it longer than almost anyone else. Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett are both rock stars in the online world. They pioneered professional blogging and now make considerable amounts of money from their blogs. However, their primary businesses are client services. Darren hails from Australia and Chris calls the U.K. home, but in the online world, it doesn’t matter where they live. They have arguably had as much impact on the business of blogging as any two people in the world. Read the rest of this entry »

Share This

Posted in: Book Reviews | Comments(0)