Archives for November 2006

What is DRM?

By Alex Mandossian

Digital Rights Management, or DRM, is an umbrella term that refers to several technical methods used to control or restrict the use of digital media content of electronic devices.

Basically, this is a way to keep consumers from copying content by making it inconvenient.

It′s what Steve Jobs had to employ to ensure the success of the iTunes store. DRM is the very technology that launched the iPod revolution. People wanted a safe way to broadcast their content without fear of theft.

The question is, “Is this the future of all online audio and video content?” Specifically, “Is DRM a must for premium podcasts?” Almost all download music media sites use DRM.

We don′t know where the future of premium podcast is going to go because it hasn′t gone there yet. Some groups like Audible say that spoken work content – premium podcasting – absolutely must use DRM. Others, like Rush Limbaugh, don′t use it at all. Nightingale-Conant and the Chautauqua Institution provide their websites′ MP3s without DRM. MyAffiliateGuy podcasts do so as well.

DRM is tightly integrated into some players like the Apple iPod. Others, like the Arcos line, have absolutely no DRM at all, and those from Creative, the MuVo line, and all the PlaysForSure products have some DRM, some unlocking.

Who is Harry Potter to iTunes?

By Alex Mandossian

What does Harry Potter have to do with podcasting?

Steve Jobs of Apple Computer announced that they had acquired digital rights to Harry Potter for their iTunes store. The significance of this is that Apple has digital products that people want, and they are only available through iTunes. There is only one place you can download Harry Potter and only one place you can listen to it: on an iPod device. There has been much discussion about which type of media player is best for information marketers to use in marketing their products to their customers. The debate has been whether to used locked players such as the Apple iPod or unlocked players such as the Zen.Locked players present several security challenges and preloading iPods with your own content can be a challenge. In contrast, an unlocked player allows anyone to upload information onto it and use it.

Podcast Directories

After some hesitancy I decided to use the iPod Nano media player to market my information products. The main reason I caved in is because of the iTunes podcast directory.After some hesitancy I decided to use the iPod Nano media player to market my information products. The main reason I caved in is because of the. In the first two months, the iTunes directory brought 15,000 podcasts into the directory and 7 million podcasts subscriptions. It has its own search engine, so you can use keywords to attract exactly the type of market you want. It is growing the same way search engines did in the late 1990s. Anyone not listed in this directory is going to be left behind.

Apple & iTunes Phones?

By Alex Mandossian

Dominating the Market

Apple announced that iTunes is selling 1.8 million songs a day. This shows that people are going to the internet for content and are willing to pay well for it. Songs are soft content. If consumers are willing to pay $0.99 for soft content, how much more are they going to be willing to pay for hard content?

I think the biggest news is that iTunes just released the iTunes phone, a cellular phone that holds about a hundred songs. Because it has a screen, people can choose the song they want to listen to, unlike the iPod shuffle that has no screen.

Another announcement is that 30% of all cars sold in the U.S. in 2006 will offer an option of including some sort of iPod connectivity. This opens a whole marketing channel for information marketers.

Perhaps the most exciting item announced by Apple is the release of the iPod Nano. It has a gorgeous color display, is thinner than a pencil, and weighs 1.5 ounces. It also uses Flash memory instead of a hard drive resulting in fourteen hours of battery life.

Revolutionizing the Marketplace

Most people don’t want to buy and carry around multiple electronic devices, but most Americans today already have a cell phone. Now Apple has come out with the iPod phone.

Although not everyone is going to buy the iPod phone in the next two months, I think that in the next year every phone is going to have some sort of MP3 capability on it, and Apple is going to lead the way.

“Your Retirement Your Way”

By Alex Mandossian

Alan Bernstien & John Trauth

Listen to Virtual Book Tour…

Alan Bernstein is a psychotherapist practicing in New York City. His previous book, Princeton Review’s Guide to Your Career, is now in its sixth edition. John Trauth is a management consultant based in San Francisco. He is President of the Olympic Club Foundation . He also serves on three other nonprofit Boards.

During this 1-hour Virtual Book Tour, Alan and John reveal the story behind their book, Your Retirement Your Way. The book’s promise is “Why It Takes More Than Money To Live Your Dream”.

Click here to add this book to your library.

From Suspect to Prospect

By Alex Mandossian

What is Web Conversion?

Conversion is the percentage of people converting from one phase to another. Are visitors converting to leads or to orders or to action?

Your goal is to get your suspect to become an evangelist as quickly and inexpensively as possible.

Conversion Ratios

The biggest mistake people make is that they attempt to leapfrog the suspect over the prospect to become a customer. This is something that doesn′t happen overnight.

The biggest mistake people make is that they attempt to leapfrog the suspect over the prospect to become a customer. This is something that doesn′t happen overnight.A good conversion rate for converting a suspect to a prospect is 50%.

Conversion from prospect to customer is much lower. 2% is fantastic. 1.5% is fantastic. The percentages will all depend on the dollar price of the item.

Converting a Suspect to Prospect

Have you ever talked to a salesperson, such as a car or insurance salesman who “vomits” information on you without finding out a thing about you?

Instead of vomiting on my suspects, I have developed over the years something called the “shy yes” page. It′s the page where I get my first yes; it helps visitors make the first decision.

Visitor Value

Visitor value is the other part of the equation. If 100 people come to a site and one converts to a sale of your $100 product, then 1% gives you $100 or a $1 visitor value. One hundred visitors divided by $100 is $1 visitor value.

One hundred visitors divided by the value of $50 with 5% conversion is only a 50 cent visitor value, half as much but five times the conversion rate.

Do you see how visitor value has everything to do with a combination of conversion and the price of the offer?

Video iPod to Increase Podcasting Monetization

By Alex Mandossian

Almost everyone is podcasting for free these days. So in the information marketing world, the main question is, “How can I monetize a podcast?”

Future of Communication – In the information world, the technology that wins in the consumer market is always the one that is the most user-friendly. I believe that podcasting will eventually make the DVD and the CD obsolete. Podcasting is another time-shifted form of communication. However, podcasting is cheaper, faster, and far more convenient and efficient. In the information world, the technology that wins in the consumer market is always the one that is the most user-friendly. I believe that podcasting will eventually make the DVD and the CD obsolete. Podcasting is another time-shifted form of communication. However, podcasting is cheaper, faster, and far more convenient and efficient.

Middle Ground – Most of us tend to be creatures of reference and comparison. We do not like extremes, and given choices, we will usually gravitate toward the middle.

Most of us tend to be creatures of reference and comparison. We do not like extremes, and given choices, we will usually gravitate toward the middle.How does this apply to the Video iPod? On one end of the spectrum we have the iPod shuffle. It was very small, inexpensive, had few features, and no viewing screen. Now with the Video iPod we have the other end of the spectrum. It has up to 80 gigabytes of storage, a colored screen, and plays audio and video. It is full of features.

So now the 4 gigabyte iPod Nano is in the middle of the choices. Some people will look at the Video iPod, decide it has more than they want to pay for, and choose an audio iPod, such as the iPod Nano instead.

I don′t see the Video iPod′s video features being used for information marketing purposes. However, I do see it being used as an audio iPod.

Through the years, information marketers have utilized phonographs, eight tracks, cassettes, CDs, and DVDs. The next step is podcasting. There is no other choice. The video iPod has cemented it.

Archives for November 2006

What is DRM?

Who is Harry Potter to iTunes?

Apple & iTunes Phones?

“Your Retirement Your Way”

Listen to Virtual Book Tour…

From Suspect to Prospect

Video iPod to Increase Podcasting Monetization

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Archives for November 2006

What is DRM?

Who is Harry Potter to iTunes?

Apple & iTunes Phones?

“Your Retirement Your Way”

Listen to Virtual Book Tour…

From Suspect to Prospect

Video iPod to Increase Podcasting Monetization

Search this Blog

Ask Alex Live!

Subscribe To This Blog

Background

Alex’s Marketing Courses

Contact Us

Recommended Blogs

Archived Posts

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