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March 7, 2010
The Changing Face of Content...and Content Creation.
Joe Wikert is General Manager and Publisher at O'Reilly Media whose legendary "animal books" have been supporting software/tech developers for years. Being embedded in the tech world, you expect a certain degree of forward-thinking in his perspectives on and use of technology. But in a March 1, 2010 post on his blog Joe Wikert's Publishing 2020 titled "The End of Ebooks" he touches on a topic of universal interest -- the value of content and the impact of what he calls the "network effect".
Simply, the "network effect" is hyperlinking. In his description of an iPhone app called Logos, he describes how a unique Bible application hyperlinks interior content to related content or services. The effect amplifies the value of the content -- a big deal to a publisher.
But there is a lesson there for all marketers. Content is no longer constrained by physical media, e.g. a book or brochure. In the online world, content can be connected in context which can aide understanding, interpretation or utilization. And making content convenient to access/use, increasingly from mobile devices, is an important part of the marketing challenge in many B2B markets or information-centric consumer markets (e.g. healthcare, insurance or financial services). In the Logos example, Joe emphasized how Logos created a title with greater economic value. Note...Logos created something with more value by creating the links. That editorial role is a transferable skill.
Manufacturers, healthcare companies, insurers...all create content, but that information exists in a much larger framework, one that is often confusing and challenging to customers and prospects. The ability to curate content, editorially link related third-party information, embed useful tools, etc. into your internally created information can amplify value in the same way the Logos application does.
Content, or lack thereof, is a topic of constant debate in marketing departments at companies large and small. Learning the changing roles of content creation, curation and management is becoming an important part of the job description for marketers who want to succeed in the new media environments emerging today.
Posted by jcioban at March 7, 2010 11:34 AM
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