Publisher Events: The Future of Media Revenue?

As a media company, one of your biggest strengths is your ability to create communities of people. From the comments sections of your articles to videos, meetups, and forums, you are bringing together great minds from many backgrounds and perspectives. Why not extend your value and offer in-person events to complement your content? Here’s why events are great revenue sources for media companies:

• You’re already collecting data you need to learn what interests your audience
• Your writing teams regularly conduct interviews with industry leaders who are also speakers
• Your audiences are hungry to learn from and connect with one another

From FastCompany to The Next Web, countless media leaders have benefited from hosting industry events. And this number will only increase. Our Publishing Benchmarks Report shows that over a third of publishers think events are poised to increase most-in-value as a revenue source over the next two years. To help you get in on the action, we've compiled some tips from the best. 

Here’s What You Can Learn From Some of The Most Popular Media Events Today

1) Gigaom’s Structure Data Conference

Takeaway: Diversify your revenue streams beyond events

In March 2015, Gigaom hosted its first-ever ‘pop-up’ data science event in NYC. Partnering with Domino, eBay, VentureBeat, O’Reilly Media and others, the media leader featured thoughtful listening talks to spark conversation around the data, robotics, predictive analytics, machine learning, and model-driven decisions.

The story, however, isn’t what you see at face value--who the event attracted and how it monetized. What’s interesting is what’s untold: in the week leading up to the Structure Data Conference, Gigaom announced that it was closing its doors and at the last minute, secured a media partner to oversee the event. 

Gigaom has long-relied on events to monetize but still ended up out of business. Why? Even though the company had widely publicized and attended events throughout the year, its other business arms (a research consultancy and advertising) just weren’t viable enough to keep the company afloat.

The moral of the story? 

Diversify your revenue investments and ensure that each channel is fully optimized to perform its best. Events are only part of your revenue equation. You’ll need to counterbalance your strategy with other business initiatives, no matter how awesome your events may be.

2) Rosenfeld Media’s Product Management And User Experience Conference

Takeaway: Host a virtual event

Not sure whether your in-person event will monetize or be profitable to run? Get a little practice by hosting a virtual event instead. An example to check out here is Rosenfeld Media, a book publishing company that specializes in research, product, management, and user experience.

Virtual events are especially appealing to B2B audiences who are looking for skill-building opportunities but may not have time to attend an in-person event. The value proposition is also strong for employers who want to invest in training for their teams.

Here’s what makes Rosenfeld Media’s virtual event especially appealing to the company’s target audience:

• Workshops led by known, expert practitioners within the field of UX
• A clear value proposition for user experience and product management professionals
• Access to a library of streaming content and downloadable recordings

The company also optimizes its monetization potential be offering two ticket types: while a $129 ticket is ideal for groups, a $379 ticket gets attendees a ‘group’ or ‘meeting room’ experience. From a buyer’s perspective, these price points are highly cost effective: typically conferences can cost thousands of dollars.

The best part for publishers? While in-person events are often limited in terms of capacity, virtual events are not: a media company could easily accommodate tens of thousands of attendees (for instance, The Lean Startup Conference regularly has thousands of attendees on its livestream). 

3) O’Reilly Media’s Strata Conference

Takeaway: Build a funnel into your other products and services

O’Reilly Media is a role model in revenue diversification. The publishing leader has created multiple streams for monetization including events, countless book series, and instructional videos. 

The beauty of these channels is that they’re funnels into one another. Book sales can help bolster event attendance, and events can help facilitate book sales. It’s a never ending distribution cycle that continues to build upon itself.

Consider O’Reilly’s Strata Conference, one of the most popular and known ‘big data’ events in the world. This forum provides an ideal opportunity for the publisher to sell its data education and technical books. It’s living proof of the power of multiple revenue streams.

O’Reilly Media is a company that has experienced slow, steady, and sustainable growth. Launching as a technical consulting firm in 1978, the company is still thriving: over the years, it has launched many different products and business units, including a VC firm that focuses on software, cleantech, and other trends. The company’s events arm builds a funnel into the organization as a whole.

Get Creative

Your company has many different ways to get into the events business. How do you get started? One low-risk option is to partner with peer companies in your industry. Consider co-hosting established industry players. Start small with one-day options, and grow from there. The beauty of an event is that you can always run another one, so keep learning, growing, and iterating. 

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Google Gives Road Map to Retailers With New Analytics

The more information a business has about its customers, the better that business can sell, right? It’s why marketers work so hard to develop buyer personas and then segment contact lists a million different ways—everything is designed to reach the customer exactly where they are and exactly when they’re ready to make a purchase.

The problem, until now, is that data takes a long time to aggregate. You can’t know everything you need to know about a particular buyer the very first time he or she visits your ecommerce website. You need several visits, some onsite searches, a social media interaction, and maybe even an abandoned cart to really know what your buyers are looking for, right?

Google Knows Best

Who knows more about what consumers are looking for than Google? Whether those buyers want to order something online or head out to the closest retailer, one thing remains: they tell Google exactly what they’re looking for. That means Google has known way more about your buyers than you have. All they’d tell you was what you found in your Google Analytics report.

All that has changed. Google added a new feature to their analytics. Now, retailers and etailers can determine who’s searching for what…and where they’re searching. Not only can brands now identify where the majority of their buyers live and what products they’re searching for, Google also tells those companies what type of device their customers are most likely to use.

Make the Most of Your Analytics

There’s a sense of immediacy that’s removed when you track data over a long period of time, isn’t there? How many potential buyers did you miss out on because they were actually ready to make a purchase upon their first visit to your website? With the added convenience the latest technology has provided, buyers make snap decisions based on their current emotions and wants.

The latest analytics from Google will allow you to recognize those “I want to buy…” moments so you can act quickly. When you know where your buyers are and what they’re buying, you can create new marketing strategies that reach across all channels—search, social, display, content, video—to snag those buyers as their making a choice.

Your messaging will be more relevant when you know what is being searched, the terms used in those searches, and what questions the buyers are asking. And since 69% of online shoppers say that message quality, timing, and relevance influence their purchases, understanding who your buyers are also makes providing purchase opportunities easier than ever.

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How to Develop a Social Media Reporting System

Are you responsible for reporting your social media results? Do you need to develop a reporting system? Knowing who you report to and what metrics they need will help you streamline the process and ensure you’re delivering reports on time. In this article you’ll discover how to develop a social media reporting system for your [...]

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How to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable: 7 Tips for Having More Productive Discussions

George S. Patton once said: "If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking."

In business, stirring the proverbial pot can be a good thing. And while negotiating these matters can be challenging -- especially when they involve our teammates or bosses -- differences in opinion will often lead to progress. 

The most important thing to remember is that there is a big difference between healthy, productive disagreements and heated arguments. In order for two parties to come to a mutually beneficial agreement, there has to be a level of professionalism and respect. 

While navigating this territory can feel like a slippery slope, we've defined a few tips below to help you speak your mind without letting the situation spiral out of control.

How to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable

1) Be mindful of your tone.

Research has found that the sound of a person's voice has a lot to do with how he or she is perceived. In fact, the sound of a speaker's voice matters twice as much as their message, according to a study of 120 executives' speeches.

So if you're raising your voice during a disagreement, will it negatively impact the delivery of your message? Or will it help you command attention?

MIT research fellow, Michael Schrage, suggests that your tone is often dependent on the situation, as well as the person you're disagreeing with.

"If you’re yelling because humiliating and demeaning people is part of who you are, you’ve got bigger professional issues than your decibel level," he explains. "But if raising your voice because you care is part of who you are as a person and communicator, your employees should have the courtesy and professionalism to respect that."

The lesson? Be in control of your own voice. If you feel yourself becoming agitated, take a moment to pause and think about the situation before choosing to raise your voice.

2) Don't use "you" statements.

Falling back on "you" statements when you're disagreeing with someone can easily be perceived as combative. Just look at the statements below to see what I mean.

"You always ask me to complete an last-minute assignment when you know that I already have my hands full," sounds more argumentative than "I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by the amount of work on my plate. Is there anyone else that can take that on?"

Notice the difference?

Let's look at a few more:

• "You never fact-check your reports before sending them in." vs. "I noticed a few errors in your last report. Would it help if I showed you my approach for fact-checking?"
• "You always forget to attach documents when you send an email." vs. "I had trouble locating the document you referenced in the email, mind sending it again?"
• "You should pay more attention to what's being said in the meetings." vs. "I find it helpful to take notes during meetings to make sure I don't miss anything."

"Most people don’t like being judged or told what to do, and when we use 'you' language plus directives, it’s easy to arouse in others feelings of resentment and defensiveness," explains professional communication specialist, Preston Ni.

While there are situations where someone should be held accountable for their actions, leaving "you" statements out of small disagreements can help to ensure things don't escalate into an argument. 

3) Avoid filler words or hesitant phrases.

Filler words like "um," "ah," and "uh" tend to signal doubt. These disruptions can instantly take away from the credibility of your claim, and also serve as a distraction for those listening. 

Researchers John Sparks and Charles Areni set out to prove the influence of these hesitations by asking 118 undergraduate students to read a transcript of a testimonial about a scanner. One version of the testimonial used hesitations such as "I mean" and "um," and the other was fluid with no filler words. The results of the study revealed that when hesitant language was used, it was more difficult to convince them that the scanner was worth buying -- even when it was positioned as a better, lower priced scanner. 

Point being, it's important to be aware of these placeholders -- and limit the use of them during disagreements. One way to work these fillers out of your speech? Try wearing an elastic band around your wrist and shifting the elastic to your other wrist any time you catch yourself using "um" or "uh." 

4) Do your research.

To make a strong case against your opposition, it's important that you do your research. 

Let's say, for example, that you and your team are planning your marketing strategy for the quarter. Your boss is set on keeping up with your direct mail and print efforts, but you think it's time that the business head in a new direction -- an inbound direction. 

Rather than base your suggestions on what you think could happen if you shifted gears, start the conversation with a data-backed assessment of why the current strategy isn't working and what you can do today, next month, or next quarter to fix it. 

But don't just throw around numbers: "Tie data like this into the overall vision and goals of the business. A statistic in and of itself isn’t all that impressive. If you’re looking to resonate with your more traditional boss, provide context," explains John Bonini, Growth Director at Litmus.

This type of strategic preparation will make it difficult for others to poke holes in your assessment. It will also help to communicate that you're passionate about your resistance, and that you're not just disagreeing to disagree. 

5) Don't get personal. 

When a disagreement gets heated, it's easy for people to call upon "low blows." These personal attacks are often used as an intimidation tactic or defense mechanism, but that doesn't make them appropriate in business situations -- or any situation for that matter. 

When disagreeing with someone, your claims should be based on the outcome over that you are debating, not on what the other person has done (or not done) in the past. 

“Try to make sure the conversation stays focused on facts, not personalities,” encourages management professor Nate Bennett. And if the other person gets personal, remember that you are not your job. 

"It's a lot easier to embrace criticism of your work when you don't let your work define who you are," insists Jeff Atwood, co-founder of Stack Exchange and Discourse. Even if someone says something out of line, avoid the itch to retaliate by keeping this notion in mind. Instead, refocus the discussion back to the subject matter at hand. 

6) Be mindful of your body language.

When communicating disagreement, it's important to be aware of our non-verbal body language. You might be saying one thing, but if your gestures or facial expressions suggest another, it's easy to rub someone the wrong way. 

"Avoid putting up a barrier like a hand, your bag, or whatever else you have between yourself and the person with whom you are speaking," urges former U.S. Army interrogator and body language expert Greg Hartley. 

If you want to disagree politely, try raising your eyebrows slightly to convey receptivity, or smile and nod along while others are speaking. This way, when it's your turn to talk, those around you will feel that you've actually listened to their take on things. (Want more body language tips? Check out this infographic on body language in business.)

7) Know your non-negotiables. 

When you disagree with someone or something, there's no guarantee that it's going to be well received. In fact, often times, it probably won't be. But then what?

In an effort to disagree respectfully, you'll need to learn how to compromise. Aside from the obvious differences, business relationships are a lot like any other relationship we share with someone -- even a significant other. 

"Lots of happy couples have differences in relationships -- the trick is to learn which ones are more important to you than the relationship," explains relationship expert April Masini.

That said, go into every disagreement knowing your non-negotiables -- things that you absolutely aren't willing to compromise on. While this approach may vary depending upon the exact situation, it will often make it easier for you to prioritize what matters and what you're willing to reconsider. At the end of the day, it's all about give and take.

What are your top tips for disagreeing in the workplace? Share them with us below.

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How to Crowdsource Your Blog Content: Tips for Finding and Collaborating with Your Crowd

B2B marketing survives and thrives on the steam engine of content. But it can be hard to fuel that engine with constant inspiration day after day, and week after week.

Nonetheless, you’ll still need to produce high-quality blog posts and articles on a regular basis to build credibility and visibility, with 91% of B2B marketers using content marketing and 84% using it to spread brand awareness.

How do you keep up? One good answer is crowdsourcing.

As a B2B marketer, you can leverage your online relationships to have content produced for you, whether it’s user-generated content (UGC) produced by customers, or commentary from industry thought leaders. In one study, 70% of U.S. consumers noted that they trust brand recommendations from friends, above and beyond a company’s own content marketing, which means, at least some of your content should come from people similar to your readers.

By crowdsourcing, you’ll get content that’s relevant, targeted, and full of new insights. What’s more, you’ll gain fodder for your own creativity, as well as more free time to put inspiration to work in your marketing endeavors. Here, we’ll share some best practices for crowdsourcing your next blog post.

Step 1: Determine Who Your “Crowd” Is, and Why You’re Crowdsourcing

The very first step in crowdsourcing is determining the makeup of the crowd itself. It might consist of your customers, employees, thought leaders, industry professionals you’re connected with on social media, or any number of other groups. The purpose of the eventual blog post will help guide the composition of the crowd.

Is the goal to increase customer engagement? If so, you might look through your CRM to get a sense of customers’ expressed opinions, and ask the enthusiastic ones to expound on the benefits of your products and services.

Are you looking to increase your company’s thought leadership gravitas? In that case, you might reach out to a few top bloggers and/or academics in your field to offer their informed opinions on a meaty topic.

Step 2: Develop a Plan for Reaching Out to Your Crowd

Once you’ve defined your crowd and the goals you want to achieve through your content marketing, it’s time to make contact.

Here’s three of the main things you need to do when creating an outreach plan:

• Think about the length of the eventual post, and number of content pieces you’ll need. Perhaps you’ll need one long customer testimonial about a certain aspect of your product, or maybe you can gather 3 quick quips from industry insiders to construct an informative and impactful blog post. Or, if you gather a series of 5 or 10 tips from respected bloggers, you can put together an article that will help you connect with big audiences online.

• Determine the best ways to reach out. You might find that your influencers engage a lot with commenters on their LinkedIn blog posts, or that your customers are highly interactive on social media with brands similar to yours. Depending on your crowd’s preferred means of interaction, send a private social message, shoot off an email, or make a phone call offering the prospective content creator an opportunity to gain more exposure through contributed thoughts or ideas. (With the most popular influencers online, you’ll get the best results by building up a relationship first.)

• To engage customers, consider surveys and contests in exchange for content. Either method is a good way to show customers you care about their opinions and will reward their loyalty.

Step 3: Collect, Edit, and Promote Your Crowdsourced Content for Maximum Impact

Once you’ve sent out your requests for content, it’s time to sit back—of course, while you’re hard at work on other aspects of your campaigns—and let the material come to you. As it comes in, make sure to do the following:

• Put the content in context. Whether you have two short essays from influential bloggers presenting dissenting opinions or 10 short sentences from your customers emphasizing what they loved about recent projects, it’s up to you to contextualize everything. You’ll want to weave the content pieces into a purposeful whole, with a beginning, middle, and end. The end result: a thoughtful, engaging piece that will stand out in your digital ecosystem.

• Edit without changing the essence. Honesty is paramount in crowdsourcing content. Keep all the material true-to-life, even as you place your own spin on it. Once the piece is finished, not only will you maintain your integrity by presenting content creators’ views as they were originally expressed, you’ll keep your crowd happy and willing to work with you again.

• Promote your crowdsourced content everywhere. Whether it’s on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, or Twitter, post on your social profiles with links to your crowdsourced blog post. If you have your customers on an email newsletter list—and you should be—invite them via the next issue to check out the post, especially if it’s relevant to their needs and interests.

• Finally, keep the content creators in the loop. Send out a friendly Tweet, email, or other type of message to let your crowd know that the blog is published. Encourage those who contributed to the blog post to respond to the eventual blog comments as well. The more engaged your crowd is with the finished product, the more exposure they’ll get—and your chances of repeat business with them increases.

And there you have our roadmap for crowdsourcing a blog post, a method which will add greater efficiency, variety, and engagement to your content marketing campaigns. Take this method out for a spin and reap the benefits of involving multiple, highly-interested content creators in your marketing efforts.

Interested in learning more from Penguin Strategies? Check out their whitepaper, The Quick and Dirty Guide to Curated Content.

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7 Ways to Stand Out With LinkedIn Visual Content

Do you want to attract more attention on LinkedIn? Have you considered adding visuals to your profile? Consider using images to build out each section of your LinkedIn profile. In this article I’ll share seven ways to improve your LinkedIn profile with visuals. #1: Connect a Face to Your Name While it might seem obvious, many [...]

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January 12, 2016 at 11:00AM http://bit.ly/1l2nRgN
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Budget Planning, Hiring, Training & More: The Ultimate Kickoff Toolkit for Marketers [Free Download]

Ah, the start of a fresh quarter -- a time when setting realistic and attainable goals is at the top of every leader's to-do list.

To help you stay organized and focused through all of your January priorities, we've gathered a complete collection of executive tools in our latest guide: 2016 Kickoff Kit for Marketing Leaders.

Included in this guide, the Growth of Inbound Report will help you communicate your goals with valuable insight from a diverse collection of global marketers. Once you determine the year's targets, use the 8 Budget Templates to manage your marketing spend at a monthly and quarterly level. In this offer, you'll have access to the templates in both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. 

As you build out your budget, you may begin to see some holes in your team. Use our 29 Job Descriptions for Hiring Excellent Marketers to identify what positions you might be missing and easily copy-and-paste descriptions into your next job listing. 

Finally, start this year with a commitment to higher quality training for your team. In our Top Training Needs for Marketing Teams report, we've compiled the questions marketers miss most from our Inbound Marketing Certification test and provided a refresher for the sections that proved most difficult. As you prepare your decks for the training sessions, use our beautiful PowerPoint templates to ensure your presentations are engaging and impactful. 

Sounds too good to be true? It's not. For access to all of these resources, download our 2016 Kickoff Kit for Marketing Leaders today.

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