So Which Is It...Custom Publishing or Content Marketing?

The subject of this post is really a trick question...Simply because custom publishing and content marketing can be the same thing.

'Says Joe Pulizzi, founder of content marketing specialists Junta42: “We decided to go with ‘content marketing’ because brands didn’t get it—they automatically thought book publishing or print. The idea is that marketers need to be publishers today. When you talk to a brand, they get it right away.”'

The golden nugget in all things publishing has, is and always will be "King Content"...I've drilled this fact into many posts and other presentations. Success will be predicated on how we can mold, massage and present content...for whatever purpose.

FOLIO magazine presents these details by Matt Kinsman and Tony Silber:

The Content Marketing Revolution
How is content marketing a different business for publishers?

Each year the publishing world seems to become enamored with a new strategy that will redefine the industry. In 2011, that’s marketing services. Last month, Penton Media bought Washington, DC-based EyeTraffic Media, an online marketing firm, and in April is expected to announce a company-wide shift toward marketing services.

“If you look at Outsell, they say 60 percent of a marketer’s internal spend is going to their Web site and that it’s the biggest pain point,” says Penton senior vice president of marketing services Kim Paulsen. “We want to help companies do a much better job of utilizing their Web sites with great content and understanding social media. Companies all say they need a Facebook page or a Twitter feed, but they’re not sure what to do with it.”

Under the umbrella of marketing services comes “content marketing,” which really isn’t much different from custom publishing, it just sounds sexier (and more dotcom-friendly). “If you look at branded and custom content, it’s all the same,” says Joe Pulizzi, founder of content marketing specialists Junta42. “We decided to go with ‘content marketing’ because brands didn’t get it—they automatically thought book publishing or print. The idea is that marketers need to be publishers today. When you talk to a brand, they get it right away.”

Three big factors are driving the content marketing boom—brands’ focus on social media, search engine optimization and lead generation. “You need unique content for any of those three to work well,” says Pulizzi.

WATT Publishing is seeing dollars go to three particular areas online: ROI Integrated Marketing Programs (“After three long years of evangelizing measuring programs, we’re seeing traction,” says director of e-strategy and marketing Jeff Miller); virtual events; and custom programs/content creative that includes social networking and video. “We are providing a variety of new services including ‘ghost blogging’ and producing content intended to boost SEO,” says Miller.

A New Business Model

But while publishers may have offered successful custom publishing services in the past, content marketing as a business can be radically different from traditional publishing, from the client relationship to pricing and sales cycles.

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The Next Generation of Kindle Begins...Powered By You!

How would you like to directly publish your works to the Amazon Kindle Store whenever the mood strikes? Eliminate any middleman immediately...

Pretty cool, right?

Well Amazon is introducing a 'Direct Publishing' model that will allow authors and publishers to independently publish their books in the Amazon.de Kindle Store that will be available in  Germany, Austria, the U.K., U.S. and over 100 countries!

Damn, they're making publishing awfully easy! Now if they would only make the marketing just as easy...

Wonder how they will funnel the scripts into proper formats? That would be interesting to understand. I guess the only way to find out is to go ahead and direct publish something on Kindle using the new model, huh?

Anyway, these details are by Ray Willington from HotHardWare.com :

Amazon.de Allows Self-Publishing To Kindle E-Book Store

There's been quite a heavy flow of Kindle-related news this week, hitting just as rumors started flying that the company behind it may be interested in doing their own tablet, too. Amazon has just introduced a new Direct Publishing model that will allow authors and publishers to independently publish their books in the Amazon.de Kindle Store. What's odd is that this is starting in Germany, but maybe the company's using that nation as a launching pad, and maybe even a test bed.

The split is easy to remember: authors will earn 70% royalty on sales to Kindle customers in Germany and Austria, which mirrors the 70/30 split largely pioneered in Apple's App Store. Authors who choose this will have a huge audience; the Kindle e-book store can be accessed not only on the Kindle itself, but also on a ton of other devices and computers. German-language authors and publishers can utilize the new German KDP website to make their books available in Germany, Austria, the U.K., U.S. and over 100 countries worldwide. The popular KDP 70% royalty option, which allows authors and publishers worldwide to make more money on books sold to Kindle customers in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, is now also available for books sold in Germany and Austria. Additionally, publishers can now receive their payment in either Euros, British pounds or U.S. dollars.

The Amazon.de Kindle Store serves customers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, but we have no doubt that it'll hit other nations shortly. And so, the next generation of Kindle begins -- powered by you.

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Converting Content Into 'Paid' Content (Oh, Brother!)

Paid content is actually growing in popularity...I could hardly believe it!

But, how do you monetize good content? There are several models for paid content that are being experimented with...and successfully at that...

This from FOLIO magazine's Executive Editor, Matt Kinsman:

Building a Business on Content Sales
Publishers explore different pricing models, products

The appeal of paid content is growing. Last month, The New York Times embarked on one of the largest tests yet around paid content, introducing a subscription plan for the heaviest users of its site. The plan offers three digital subscription options across a variety of devices. All Digital Access-Web site, tablet, smartphone-costs $35 per month.

Meanwhile, printer R.R. Donnelley acquired Journalism Online and its Press+ service, which enables publishers to offer a variety of paid and metered content plans as well as mobile/tablet access, enhanced site functionality, and out-of-market-access.

However, paid content is far from a slam-dunk. The Atlantic has backed away from the launch of The Atlantic Premium, which would have offered a daily bundle of its online content for a monthly fee. "We're taking a step back on our entire mobile/digital strategy and revisiting everything right now," says president Justin Smith. "We're looking at the data from our apps so far and it begs the strategic question of whether we would consider any kind of metered model on the Web site. We're not ready to make that decision at this point. Our current high-CPM, ad-supported model is working."

The New York Times recently announced a 26-week deep discount to try to get readers behind the new paywall (The Times says that more than 100,000 users are paying so far).

Manageable Solutions

Smaller publishers are getting onboard as well. U.K.-based luxury title Lusso Magazine has introduced micropayment options for online premium content at its Web site that offer access to full-length features across up to five different devices. The payments will be processed through PayPal. While purchases are only made on the Web site (which receives about 40,000 unique visitors per month), a user can re-enter a supplied voucher code to read it on another device.
While b-to-b publishing historically has been built around the premise of free content, it also has the best chance for converting to a paid model.

And not everything requires paywalls or metered programs. Last fall, UBM Electronics' EE Times launched EE Times Confidential, a premium, subscription-based intelligence report. The report is a downloadable PDF that is currently published monthly and will increase to twice per month later in 2011 (a Web site offering current issues and archives will also be launched).

"When ad money is dwindling and whatever we do is defined by how much money we can bring in, [editors] are in a difficult situation to justify our existence," says EE Times content chief Junko Yoshida. "We've grown up in a world where the information is given away for free. We decided we wanted to change the game."

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The Worth of Global Publishing

Did you realize that global publishing's estimated worth is right at €80 Billion? (€ is the Euro money symbol...I forgot that, if I ever knew it!).

AND that global publishing is the second largest creative industry after television? It is currently bigger than music publishing, video games, entertainment software and audiovisual (DVDs and downloads) industries combined!

Arriving at the absolute true value of world publishing presents some roadblocks; for example, this "one crucial reason: the near-total absence of statistics for Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab world, which together account for a fifth of the world’s population."

Ruediger Wischenbart, a leading world publishing and book consultant from Germany, is seeking to undertake an unprecedented project -– the compilation of a comprehensive database of global publishing statistics.

A very worthy but daunting cause, indeed...

Publishing Perspectives has interesting details and numbers furnished by Tolu Ogunlesi:

Q: What is Global Publishing Worth? A: €80 Billion

Publishing — including STM, Educational and Trade material -– is currently estimated at being worth €80 billion and is the second largest creative industry in the world, after television; and is currently bigger than the music publishing; video games and entertainment software; and audiovisuals (DVDs and downloads) industries combined. But the question of what global publishing is really worth is not likely to be a true reflection, for one crucial reason: the near-total absence of statistics for Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab world, which together account for a fifth of the world’s population.

“It’s a struggle to find the most basic statistics in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Rudiger Wischenbart, a book industry consultant, told the audience at a panel discussion exploring that question, during the 2011 London Book Fair. “There’s only one country with good statistics –- South Africa.”

Wischenbart is seeking to undertake an unprecedented project -– the compilation of a comprehensive database of global publishing statistics. He explained that the findings are still “preliminary” at this stage.

A presentation by panelist Nasser Jarrous, Managing Director of Lebanese publishing house Jarrous Press, and a former chairman of the Beirut International Book Fair, provided insight into the politics of publishing industry statistics in North Africa and the Middle East.

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Publishing Nuggets--Insights for You

Insightful publishing news bouncing around the web today...from mag advertising revenues increasing, tech advances in tablet apps, new custom Publishing Options for the Higher Education Community to Google's earnings falling short!

A regular treasure trove of incisive publishing and publishing-related learning material.

I present some of what I consider the most interesting:

IAB Reports 2010 Internet Ad Revenues Up Almost 15 Percent

2010 fourth quarter revenue increases 19 Percent over 2009 Q4.

I wanted to introduce the IAB (the Interactive Advertising Bureau) to you all in this one.

Grading the Tina Brown Newsweek

Packaging, graphics are much improved, but can she walk the “Newsbeast” line?

Sports Illustrated Launches App for Motorola Xoom

App is part of Time Inc.’s “All Access” digital subscription plan.

Could Google’s earnings feed doubt across the tech world?


Google’s earnings fell short of what analysts were expecting Thursday, sending shares in the tech giant sinking to a six-month low in after-hours trading.

Read and learn more at the Publishing/Writing: Insights, News, Intrigue Blog

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What's With this 'YouTube Next'?

For those that might not know, Google bought YouTube back around 2006. Now they have purchased Next New Networks (NNN), a NYC-based startup in the online video production industry.

Many thought Google/YouTube purchased NNN to get into the content creation business…This is not the case. They just want the expertise, by way of NNN’s staff, to provide deeper and more professional content on YouTube (rather than skateboarding cats, etc). And they are going to do this by offering training in video production and audience development through a new program called YouTube Next.

This will benefit publishers tremendously! And by publishers I mean more specifically people who want to sell self-published books.

More details on my other blog: Publishing/Writing: Insights, News, Intrigue

DOTGO and the Text-Messaging Publishing Suite--Interesting Stuff!

This is a suite that utilizes CMRL (Concise Message Routing Language) to allow people to text websites…And, everybody knows (I didn’t, of course!)… that text messaging is the world’s most powerful and direct marketing medium.

Having said this, and realizing I’m in unexplored territory in my knowledge base, I will introduce you to the expert in this field: DOTGO, a powerful mobile publishing platform, in this press release yanked from Bradenton.com (nice weather in Bradenton, FL., by the way):

DOTGO Launches Text Messaging Publishing Suite for All 100 Million Internet Domains

CMRL-Based Suite Makes Person-to-Website Text Messaging Available to All

Text-messaging technology leader DOTGO today announced the launch of its much-anticipated web-based publishing suite, allowing all 100 million Internet domains to take advantage of text messaging, the world’s most powerful and direct marketing medium.

The new web-based interface, called DOTGO Publisher, is built on top of DOTGO’s mobile markup language CMRL, the Concise Message Routing Language. With its release of the new tool, DOTGO has leveled the playing field for those seeking to use text messaging to promote their brands–from individuals and small businesses to leading media companies.

Prior to DOTGO, running a text messaging service was very expensive, time-consuming, and relied on software that was either technically complex or limiting. DOTGO eliminates these obstacles, bringing text messaging to all 100 million Internet domains, by introducing two unique ideas. First, DOTGO maps the first word of any text message sent to the phone number DOTCOM (368266) to the corresponding .com Internet domain name. For example, anyone with a cell phone can access a site like google.com by texting the word “google” to the phone number DOTCOM (368266). This means all 100 million Internet domain names now have a way for their users to text them. Users of .edu, .gov, .net, and .org domains can similarly use the phone numbers DOTEDU (368338), DOTGOV (368468), DOTNET (368638), and DOTORG (368674).

Second, DOTGO has developed the first and only markup language for text messaging, called CMRL, the Concise Message Routing Language. CMRL does for text messaging what HTML does for the web: it allows web developers to author the text messaging responses for their Internet domain names. The introduction of DOTGO Publisher brings the power of CMRL and DOTGO to all non-developers, and features a site builder for authoring CMRL, a message center for broadcasting messages, and analytics for showing detailed text messaging statistics for an Internet domain name.

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