ContentVille, Phillips, Wall Street Transcript

CONTENTBIZ.COM
BiWeekly News & Tips for
Marketing Content Online

February 15, 2000
Volume I, Issue 2

1. News: Fanfare for Contentville.com;
Pricey Newsletter Whupped by Freebies

2. Marketing: Selling Subs via Online PR

3. Syndication: Making $ with Health Content

4. ecommerce: We Slap Powerize.com on the Wrist

5. Resources: Electronic Publishing Suppliers

6. Classifieds: Seven Hot Job Openings

** Note: Please pass this issue on to friends, but do so in its entirety so people know where the stories came from. Thanks!

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NEWS
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Contentville Launches W/ Great Fanfare (But No Clue)

Feb 2nd CBS and Bill Media Holdings announced they're partnering to create ContentVille.com, "a Web service devoted to selling all varieties of content, including magazines, e-books, traditional books, transcripts, original works, academic treatises, speeches and archives of magazine articles." How seriously should publishers and online competitors take this? When we called ContentVille's PR contact she couldn't tell us ... much of anything.

Nobody is sure if the store will carry broadband (audio or video) content; there's no word on what kind, if any, security will protect electrically published documents; and completely contradictory statements have been issued as to whether the site will carry b-to-b products or not. The only definites appear to be that the store will launch in "early summer" (hard-to-believe given Web programming realities) and famed playwright Wendy Wasserstein has been engaged to offer content reviews. Sounds like other online content stores shouldn't start shaking in their boots yet. For more info call 212.824.1986.

High Priced Newsletter Loses Battle W/Freebies

Last month Phillips International (previously known as Phillips Business Information) folded its biweekly newsletter Interactive PR & Marketing News. Published since 1995, the high priced $495 per year title couldn't compete in a marketplace where there are so many high-quality free emailed newsletters on the same topic. Reportedly as far back as three years ago, Phillips staff had suggested the publication switch to an ad-based business model but this request was denied. In the meantime, top free competitors Iconocast (http://www.iconocast.com) and ClickZ Daily (http://www.clickz.com) are enjoying sell-out ad space and are under constant pressure from advertisers to create more ad-bearing vehicles.

Forrester Analysts Book Tops Charts in Concord Mass.

According to Amazon.com's sales rankings, Forrester Analyst Mary Modahl's book "Now or Never: How Companies Must Change Today to Win the Battle for Internet Consumers" is the #6 Bestselling title to Concord Mass, a relatively small town outside of Boston which just happens to be home to Forrester founder and CEO, George Colony. Coincidence???

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MARKETING
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Subscription Marketing Brilliance In Our Time: Wall Street Transcript's Online PR Tactics

Last week, for only about $100, Wall Street Transcript reached tens of thousands of potential subscribers surfing Yahoo! Finance for news. No they didn't buy a banner ad, instead they sent out a low-cost press release through PR Newswire.

Wall Street Transcript wasn't trying to the press with this release -- they were trying to reach directly to potential subscribers, i.e. members of the public who read Yahoo newsfeeds. All press releases sent through PR Newswire (or its main competitor BusinessWire) automatically appear on Yahoo News channels.

The release was sent Monday February 7th at 9:07 am, just in time to reach people turning on their office PCs. The headline,"The Wall Street Transcript Publishes Investing in Publishing - Newspaper Stocks Issue" was cleverly worded to include several keywords that surfers might search for news on.

The release itself gave full details on the publication's latest 46 page "special issue", plus a phone number and a URL link that interested people could use to purchase it. The exact price wasn't mentioned.

How can you use this idea? Next time you publish a special issue (and really, what issue isn't special?)
consider sending out a press release to entice orders!

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SYNDICATION/LICENSING
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Syndication Tips for Health-Related Publishers

Last week, HealthOnline (http://www.healthonline.com) announced a signed deal to distribute content online from Rodale, publishers of Prevention Magazine and other health-related titles. HealthOnline syndicates personalized health information for consumers to mainly regionally based or topical health Web sites, such as Medformation.com a Web site for Minnesota residents and the Cancer Survivors Network. Consumers then view the information on their regional sites for free. If you publish health-related content for consumers and would like to chat about syndication opportunities, contact HealthOnline's Business Development department at: bizdev@healthonline or call 800.463.6482.

Healthonline is only one more than dozen companies syndicating this type of content, and few content syndication deals are exclusive. In fact, Rodale's been actively syndicating their content on the Web via a variety of channels for the past two years. Their first major deal was with Women.com's health channel. Other major health content owners who have done multiple syndication deals include John's Hopkins Intelihealth.com and ReutersHealth.com.

If you've got consumer, professional or scientific health content (books, newsletters, Web site, etc.) you'd like to syndicate to other Web sites and online services, your best bet is to attend the next eHealthCareWorld show Las Vegas Conference - May 1-3, 2000. Plus, learn more about who's who by checking out the invaluable links to exhibitors at their Web site right away. (http://www.ehealthcareworld.com)

You should also sign yourself up for the new free emailed newsletter, ihealthcareweekly (http://www.ihealthcareweekly.com). Sign up by going to their site or sending a blank email to ihealth-html-on@sar.exactis.com

Last but not least as with all content topics, health publishers should contact the folks at iSyndicate to learn about their syndication brokering services. (http://www.isyndicate.com)

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ecommerce: ONLINE CONTENT STORES
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******* SPONSOR: SellingbyDesign.com ****************

Planning an email marketing campaign soon? SellingByDesign's publication marketing specialists have dozens of record breaking campaigns under their belts! To learn more contact kim@sellingbydesign.com or go to http://www.sellingbydesign.com

****************************************************


How to Guarantee People Won't Open Your Email: The Powerize Member Newsletter

From Amazon.com to USAData.com, almost every online content store has learned the best way to get repeat visitors and buyers is to offer a free emailed site newsletter. But, emailed newsletters can be useless (or even hurt you) if they aren't done well.

Case in point: Powerize.com's emailed newsletter

Powerize (http://www.powerize.com) is one of the larger business information sites online, offering visitors free and for-fee access to searchable content from 1,500 newspapers, business magazines, newsletters and newswires. This December the site tested sending a long, multi-paged monthly newsletter to subscribers. Instead of offering personalized or topical versions, Powerize only offered one version. You can imagine how unappealing that must have been to busy businesspeople without the time or patience to wade through news that didn't matter to them.

This January the newsletter launched with a daily frequency. Unfortunately it's still long, it's still not personalized and the subject line never changes beyond the date. It's doubtful that most recipients bother to open it every day -- or at all after a while. And now when they see the brand name "Powerize" it's linked in their mind with something they have to constantly delete.

Yes, a daily newsletter can work for you, but there's an art and a science to it if you don't want to have your subscribers end up hating you. (Short length being one of the more critical factors.) We'll examine emailed newletters that work in our next issue. In the meantime, just don't copy Powerize.

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RESOURCES
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Useful Exhibitors at AAP's Professional Publishing Conference

Last week's Association of American Publishers (AAP) conference went pretty much the way most industry conferences go these days. Everyone looked spiffy in their dark blue suits (except your friendly editor who dropped by in leather trousers, but hey you can get away with a lot with a speaker badge) and everyone talked about the Internet at least 90% of the time. Here's a quick resources list of our faves for everyone who couldn't attend:

Softlock.com -- copyright security software that stops people from stealing or forwarding your electronic content (such as emailed newsletters.)
http://www.softlock.com 978.461.5944

PaperPath.Inc -- software that helps you manage your editorial via the Web, including workflow management, manuscript editing by outside editors, database management, etc. http:www.paperpath.com or call 617.232.4900

CadMus Rapid Review -- software for Web-based review management, so your in-house and outside writers, proofers and editors can work together more easily. http://cpc.cadmus.com 800.257.5529

CatchWord -- tailored Internet publishing services, including converting your current archives into easy-to-search and deliver files. http://www.catchword.com 212.481.8484 x336

Ingenta -- helps research publishers sell their articles via pay-per-view, add Internet links to text easily and prep content for 3rd party distribution.
http://www.ingenta.com 617.576.5815
Xerox Reciprocal Electronic Publishing Clearing Service -- start-to-finish Web publishing services for content owners, including moving archives to Web-ready electronic files and developing ecommerce Web sites. http://www.recipocal.com/epcs 888.871.1600

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CLASSIFIEDS
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Four New Hot Jobs in Alexandria VA Consulting Firm

Cool, fast-paced Old Town-based interactive marketing and business consulting firm seeks talented, creative, hard-working people to keep up with its growing business. Clients include some of the most recognized and respected names in the online space, as well as a number of companies that will make tomorrow's headlines. Currently hiring for the following positions:
1. Online Media Analyst (Req: Background in statistics or similar discipline with 5+ yrs. work experience, 1-2 in online environment)
2. Online Media Tracker (Req: expertise in statistics and online media and familiarity with online advertising trends and issues)
3. Project Manager (Req: 3-5 yrs. project management experience, preferably in online media)
4. Brand Champion (Req: 10 yrs. brand marketing experience with 2-3 in an online environment)

To apply for any of these jobs, please send resume, cover letter and salary history to jobs610@yahoo.com

Three Openings at Leading Email Marketing Firm

Copywriter (Freelance) - Looking for a solid copywriter with seasoned experience creating email promotions. Must be prepared for quick project turnarounds and have the ability and experience to write for both a consumer and B-to-B audience. Must have at least 1 to 3 years of copywriting experience. Please submit resume and samples to the email address
or fax below.

Graphic Designer (Freelance) - Need experienced graphic designer who can create dynamic, original (and innovative!) HTML email promotions. Creativity a must. 3 - 5 years of experience preferred. Please submit resume and samples to the email address or fax below.

Account Coordinator/Marketing Assistant (Full Time) Creative multi-tasker needed for managing all aspects of client campaigns and creative. Included, but not limited to, ad trafficking with project partners, vendors and list owners...client inquiries...project
proposal writing and follow up...industry and competitive research...and training new personnel as they come on board. Please submit resume to the email address or fax below.

Please submit all required documents to:
Personnel Department Fax 301.515.6479
or email personnel@sellingbydesign.com

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Copyright 2000, ContentBiz.com

Please send your stories, comments and advertising inquiries to:

Anne Holland, Publisher
ContentBiz.com
annehillsholland@hotmail.com or 202.232.6830

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http://www.contentbiz.com