Do I see the end of printed media?

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Michael Cooney

I know printed directories are all but extinct.  I can’t remember the last time I let my fingers do the walking through the Yellow Pages. I changed my daily newspaper to the weekend paper and then cancelled that too, all the newspapers were filling my recycle bin unopened.  I only read my daily news online.

Reading my favorite magazines is another story, mainly sports magazines.  I find it really relaxing paging through the latest stories, I go crazy for the latest equipment reviews and letters to the editor.  I read cycling, golf, skiing and mountain biking magazines for chill out time.

When I realized I might being seeing the end of Printed Media

I was reading a cycling magazine and the editor was making comments about why cyclists don’t stop at stop signs. I didn’t agree with what he was saying and I was going to comment which probably would have started a lively discussion in the comments area.  One problem.  This is printed media! You can’t talk back. You Mr. reader have been silenced, you are not able to see what your fellow readers think.  The writer makes his statements and that’s the end of it…

You Mr. reader have been silenced

When I read articles online, the writer presents their article with their point of view and the readers can add to the article with their comments and give their view points on the content of the writer. For me, this interaction unearths a new level of insight and creates a much richer experience. With the printed media we are only getting half the experience.

For some reason I really like product reviews, in my cycling or skiing magazine the reviews are good but you really don’t get sufficient information.  You also wonder if the reviews are biased due to advertising placed in the magazine.  Online I get reviews from fellow readers who share their experiences in detail.

What’s the Verdict? Is the last of printed media going to be extinct?

I still enjoy reading leisure magazines but I’m doing less of it, the equipment reviews are becoming hollow bumpf because I get more real reviews online.  I still like athlete profiles, life stories and experiences written well.  I spend a lot of time in front of the computer so when I’m chilling out, the magazine is still my choice for leisure reading.  As I sit here now the Apple iPad has sold over 300,000 units and the Amazon Kindle is a great success, both offer a new medium in the consumption of content. It won’t be long before I get my hands on one of these new devices and start consuming my favorite articles and interacting with readers and writers around my areas of interest.

I do believe the end is getting near for printed media, probably not for some time but…

The End Is Near…

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Are we just Barnacles on the underbelly of Google?

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Michael Cooney

It bothers me that our company is so reliant on Google. I was listening to one of our sales people and their main selling point was “we can get you great search engine results”.

I may feel some comfort in knowing that our competitors are also in the same boat

Our competitors, scores of companies and entire industries rely on the favor of Google. One of our competitors has been a publisher for over 110 years and their sales people are selling their  number one sales benefit as “We can get you great Google results”…  It’s sad in a way but also the reality on how people cherish the Google Love.

Asking this question puts me in a Cold Sweat…

What if the Great Google algorithm decided your website was to be cut loose? Set adrift where the flow of traffic dries up and all the Google traffic you once enjoyed is now a dried up beach where no barnacle can survive.

Make sure your company is not a Barnacle

Google is awesome! It’s market share continues to grow even though Microsoft launched Bing with a $100 million ad campaign, Google continues to gain market share. Just make sure that you don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

  • Build Relationships and Partnerships.
  • Add tools, services and info which keeps visitors coming back.
  • Implement other marketing programs that capture visitors information to be used with other marketing methods.
  • Improve Social Media and other sources of traffic.

If you do all this you’ll probably get even more Google Love and increase your stature from Barnacle to small fish in a big pond.

Now, how do I become the Big Fish?

What’s Your Take?

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