Information Markets - A Workshop Approach
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This document summarizes steps for creating an information market through conducting market research. It discusses analyzing demand and competitors, using keyword tools to explore topics, and shaping content by brainstorming keywords, analyzing search volume and competitor ads. Next steps covered include workshops on developing an editorial framework, designing an SEO-friendly site structure, and operations for writing, links, and measurement. The goal is to understand the information market and build a site that ranks well in search engines.
Information Markets - A Workshop Approach
- 1. Workshop Information Market Research AS New Media International Berlin, 23rd & 24th October 2008
- 2. If you choose the weapon, look at the battlefield, not in your arsenal! Aleksy Uchanski, AS Polska 2 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 3. Content is King but only the RIGHT one The users will valuate the website based on the content. Is it interesting? Helpful? Entertaining? Unique? Or, to summarize it: Does it make sense to come back? Axel Springer as a publisher has lots of content. Huge archives. Many editors. Millions of photos available. But, is it unique? Is it significant? Today content is (mostly) commodity. To the user its available for free everywhere! Axel Springer has a lot of strong brands and reputation. This is unique, or not? The biggest brands in the internet are mostly pure online. Brand value has to be re-earned in the web (i.e. spiegel.de)! 3 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 4. Print mindset versus web reality Print Web !! Information is precious and therefore !! All information is accessible from everywhere content is unique for free. Content became commodity and even professional writing can be purchased cheap. !! Production is expensive and capacity !! Everybody can produce a website within is limited minutes and it costs only some money (if any). !! Distribution is expensive and limited !! Distribution of information is much faster, includes more possibilities (pictures, videos etc.) and costs nearly nothing. !! Based on that bundling of topics !! In the internet bundling makes you insignificant made sense: a computer magazine did cover previews, reviews, tests, tips& tricks for hardware, software and even games 4 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 5. Before you start: Which way do you want to go? In general, there are two main reasons why a user could come to a website. The same user (person) will visit different websites in different situations. Entertainment Search/Information Be surprised, receive Search for solutions. Impulses. Kill time and be Learn new things and get entertained. things done. Looking for fun. Looking for help. 5 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 6. Group Work I: Entertainment vs Search in a nutshell Entertainment Information User mentality / need Publishers job Standalone examples Integrated examples Dominant entry page Editorial voice Signal to noise ratio Primary traffic source Preferred ad form Google ad strategy You want users to 6 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 7. Entertainment vs Information in a nutshell Entertainment Information User mentality / need Kill time / stay informed Learn things / get things done Publishers job Deliver news Fulfil impluse driven (mostly delayed) search demand Standalone examples Spiegel, engadget, social networks Wikipedia, holidaycheck, about.com Integrated examples Techcrunch crunchbase Dominant entry page Homepage Content pages Editorial voice Punchy, creative, editors, voice Down to the facts, keyword-orientated, users voice Signal to noise ratio Low High Primary traffic source Word of mouth/links Search engines Preferred ad form Banner / image / cpm Text / cpc Google ad strategy Doubleclick / admanager Adsense You want users to Navigate & generate Pis Leave through ad click Result: You cant optimize pages for both simultaneously- but you can run both types on a website. Or provide two websites! 7 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 9. Entertainment !! Speed: be first and correct !! Preferred Design: blog, pictures, few distraction, comments, short and funny texts !! Content: editorial, fresh content means unique content, gossips & rumours instead of analysis, previews than reviews !! Sales: maximum reach, mostly banner !! Marketing: word of mouth, linking, SEO/ SEM limited, (RSS) 9 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 10. How to build an Entertainment page? !! Relatively quick n easy with standard open source platforms !! Set-up within days at low cost and with little technology knowledge possible !! Few Features needed (all included in standard platforms): photos, short texts, archive, categories, search, community !! Which platform? !! For pure blogs: e.g. Wordpress, Simplog, Movabletype !! For blogs with advanced features: Drupal!, Typo3 " can be used for all kinds of websites e.g. integrated websites with blog and database 10 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 12. Information !! Preferred Design: Wiki, info graphics, facts, comments, detailed and serious texts !! Content: editorial & UGC, high quality content means unique content, professional analysis, detailed reviews and tests, experiences !! Sales: affiliate and ad sense, mostly PPC !! Marketing: SEO/SEM, backlinking 12 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 13. How to build an Information / search page? !! Design of a flexible and scalable database structure !! Critical mass of content is needed to start !! Find content sources to feed database !! unstructured data: Manual input takes time and needs human resources !! structured data: Automatic input needs development of tools !! Set-up usually takes more time, resources and technological skills !! Features depend on project and often have to be developed separately ! Database: e.g. MySQL ! Frontend: CMS: e.g. Drupal, Typo3 ! Backend: e.g. CakePHP framework for input templates 13 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 14. Entertainment versus Information Blog-Database integration Points for reflexion and discussion: !! Does a database need a blog? !! Does a blog need a database? !! One blog for several databases? !! Several blog from one database? !! Channel vs Subpage vs own domain 14 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 15. Revenue streams Points for reflexion and discussion: Reach vs. Relevance Banner vs. PPC-Models !Skyscraper !Google AdSense !Rectangle !Pay per lead !Pop-under !Pay per order (e-commerce) !Top-layer !Pay per download KPI# eCPM (effective Cost per Mille) #Key Performance Indicator 15 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 16. Manual for Information Market research
- 17. Steps for creating Information Markets Information Markets are content topics !! Need for that content? You have to find out, if there is enough demand for your topic. Are people interested in it (more than just a few single ones)? !! Can I answer the need? Make sure, you are really versed in that topic, which has a huge demand. You offer specific knowledge e.g. or provide special services. !! Can I sell my answers? Brilliant ideas and a huge demand dont bring you any profit. Analyse, if your site will be financially rewarding. Who could be the potential advertiser? !! Who are the competitors? At last you have to analyse your competitors. What separates your offers from those of the competition? Are there already big players? !! Which approach do I use? Blog or Database? !! Do I have a voice? Think about a clear opinion. Are you willing to give and defend a point of view? How to Step-by-step with Google Adwords Tool 17 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 18. Shaping your Information Market 1. 2. 3. Analyze 4. 5. Use Adwords Check Adword Analyze Googles Brainstorm tool to check competition, competition suggestions for keywords selected words check keyword (SEO/SEM) for relevance, describing your and find in Google your typos, user content alternative Search for information voice, search combination Adword clients market/content volume Keyword cloud General list Sorted list Impressions Competition of keywords of relevant about sales from organic keywords opportunity search and sponsored links !Is there an information market for your content / product? !How big is the market? How relevant is it? !Can you narrow down your topic, making it more specific? 18 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 19. Next steps / workshops
- 20. Workshop EDITING Editorial Framework Form follows function Topics (discourse oriented site conception) !! Shape our voice (cynic, ironical, critical, euphorically) !! Define market to be served (who is our target audience?) !! Define and limit sites content (which type of games are we reporting on) !! Frequency of publication (how many daily updates?) !! User Integration (trigger user participation?; feedback management) !! Size of Editorial team (time zones, backup, holidays etc) !! Content (sources: picture and text, depth of structure) !! Linking style (give credits, own work?, link to foreign language sites) !! Trial editorial conference RESULT Editorial Concept 28 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 21. Workshop - DESIGNING Design Framework How to build up a site, which will be high ranked in Google Topics (SEO Friendly Site Design, Website design & technical issues for setup) !! Editorial concept !! Site-Structure (Domain Name, Subdomains vs. Directories, Directory-Tree (Depth / Naming) !! Tools & Utilities Setup (HTML Sitemap, Google sitemap / Webmaster Tools / Analytics) !! Page-Template (Title tag, text and elements order in html) !! Readability Tests (Browsers, print) RESULT Pilot (beta site) 29 October 2008 WS Information Market Research
- 22. Workshop - OPERATING Operations Framework How to build up a site, which will be high ranked in Google Topics (SEO Friendly Writing, Link and PR Management, Measurement, Google) !! Wording (Keywords: selection /amounts / clouds / variation, vocabulary, signal to noise ratio) !! Formatting (Abstract, lists, etc., signals of quality, length of text blocks, column breadth) !! Link and PR Management (internal links / hierarchy / anchor texts, links to / from own properties, PR development and inheritance) !! Measurement (setting up measurement tools, understanding and analyzing data, implications for redesign and development) !! Google Watching (understand Google's strategies, get proactive, make sure you're not doing evil, understand changes in algorithms) RESULT Final Site 30 October 2008 23rd July 2008 WS Information Market Research Results and Learnings
- 23. Thank you! Contact: Nils Reimelt Martin Scholz Manager Business Development Manager Business Development Axel Springer AG Axel Springer AG AS New Media International AS New Media International Axel-Springer-Strae 65 Axel-Springer-Strae 65 10888 Berlin 10888 Berlin Phone +49 (0)30 2591-79613 Phone +49 (0)30 2591-79606 Mobile +49 (0)151 1683 0078 Mobile +49 (0)151 1683 0120 nils.reimelt@axelspringer.de martin.scholz@axelspringer.de 31 October 2008 WS Information Market Research