Undiscovered Genius
About this Video
This video is from the The 4th annual SIIA Content Forum conference, which focused on the tools, tactics, and best practices necessary to build, enable and sell content.
The Software and Information Association is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries.
Many publishers have historically relied on a small percentage of their products to subsidize the rest. Being unable to determine in advance which products will be the blockbusters, they produce their best bets.
For a variety of reasons, this results in an inventory of content that can stagnate.
Ezra Ernst, the CEO of Swets North America, believes that continued sales of less popular or older content can account for more revenue in publishing than it does now if the content is discoverable and trusted.
As users read and explore links that are presented to them, they find associations that drive their concept in new directions. They find new ways to explore and new ways to purchase content.
Metadata (information about the content being viewed) must be incorporated in the editorial process (during content creation) to insure content assets are discoverable by potential buyers.
In Ezra’s business, usage statistics drive revenue. The more an institution sees its subscriptions are being used by its members, the more likely they will continue to subscribe.
The problem is that institutional members are often unaware of the information available to them. To increase awareness, Swets promotes its content directly to end users.
Stimulating usage helps librarians defend their budgets and maintain or expand their subscriptions.
Trust is critical. Consumers must not only have content available to them, and be able to find that content easily, but they also need to know that the content is worth buying.
For Swets, in addition to publisher reputation, librarian endorsement is a key credential.
Supporting librarians is good business for Swets and, by extension, good business for their publishing clients!
About Ann Michael
Ann’s blog
LinkedIn ProfileI’ve worked in several companies while they’ve struggled through change. I was with AT&T right after it divested the baby bells. I was with Prodigy (anyone remember that?) when it was trying to create a consumer oriented online news and shopping experience (before AOL even existed). I’ve spent the last six years working with traditional publishers.
If there has ever been an industry smack in the middle of radical change - it’s publishing. If you’re in the information business the world is a scary place right now.
Or is it?
You can close your eyes and hope everything turns out all right or you can figure out how to participate – and build a thriving business. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I’d like to find out what others think, what they’re doing, and how it’s working for them.
I believe in collaboration.
I believe that when we work together we increase the opportunities for everyone.OK – so maybe I’m an idealist. I can live with that.
The reality is that people need information and quality is no longer in the eyes of the information provider – it’s in the eyes of the consumer.
How do you take control? There’s the rub - you can’t! That’s what changed. You’re no longer in charge, but you can participate and you can lead.
If you want to make it – you’re going to have to adapt.
This article was created by the editors and producers at ScribeMedia.Org.
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