Dan Brown’s ‘The Lost Symbol’ new media marketing
In my previous post, I wrote about how writer Stephenie Meyer, now famous and rich author of the Twilight series, uses new media to reach out to their fans and attract new readers.
She’s not alone in exploiting new media for publicity and promotion of her books. Dan Brown, in promoting his much-awaited new novel, The Lost Symbol, is also launching a new media publicity blitz! The book is the third in the series, following Angels and Demons and the Da Vinci Code. You can log on to the official Lost Symbol website to countdown to book launch date. You can also download a widget online!
If that’s not enough, you can follow the progress of the novel launch via Twitter and Facebook, with puzzles and secret codes and other online teasers that fans can play to further whet their appetite!
Can’t wait.
Twilight writer’s website
Yesterday, I wrote a post on Celebrity Tweets, and talked about how Twitter allows us to get up close and personal with celebrities, as they send Tweets on their way to gala events, or when they are sunbathing at the beach.
Today, my post will be on how authors today are using new media to share their insights with the world, on their works.
Now, I remember the days when I was studying my literature texts, and was trying to think up what the author might have been thinking or referring to when he wrote something, and there was really no way of knowing what that was exactly. You could at best provide an interpretation of the text, and read others’ interpretation of the work. You could read about the writer’s life and times and from there, arrive at some understanding of his work.
And if a writer wanted to explain his work to you, he would publish another book, or write an article in a journal or newspaper. In fact, not many writers did that, as an important aspect of literary criticism necessitates dealing with the unknown – the very point was to make intelligent guesses and conjecture about what the writer might have meant.
Now, things are different.
Case in point – author of the famous Twilight series of books, Stephenie Meyer has her very own website. In the website, amongst other things, she gives the story behind Twilight, and explains how she came to write the books and how she got started, and she explains her choice of characters. Not uncharacteristic of our times, when every writer is looking for a blockbuster hit (very much helped by a movie deal or TV series), her inspiration for the book seems very much based on a potential movie deal.
Of course, this does away with the whole romantic notion of the reclusive writer. It does away with the speculation of readers – was it based on her life? What Edward Cullen based on a past love?
There’s even an FAQ page where she addresses common questions posed by readers.
But then again, you have to admit that the immediacy of the writer is a draw – that reader and viewers are able to have such close access to the writer is a big draw indeed. Meyer is indeed a writer of the times, and is still contemporary.
If only Shakespeare had a website!
Or if Shakespeare could use Twitter, no guesses what his tweets would be:
To tweet or not to tweet; that is the question.
Beware the tweets of March.
What’s in a name? That which we call a tweet by any other name would smell as sweet.
Brevity is the soul of tweet.
Getting into celebrities’ heads via Celebrity Tweets
I know that I have said this before - new media gives people a new voice.
There are so many new channels to choose from and one can be heard loud and clear – on blogs, personal websites, Youtube, Facebook and of course, the relatively new and currently very hot kid on the block, Twitter.
Sending Tweets now seems to be the de rigueur move by celebrities, going by what you see on sites such as what else, CelebrityTweet. Here, you can follow your favourite celebrities’ tweets and gain some hmm. .. insight into their lives and thoughts – what they like, what they don’t like, what they are doing, etc. It’s a voyeur’s dream come true and definite essential tool!
Now, we are all pretty familiar with aplusk aka Ashton Kutcher’s tweets. I mean, the guy tweets seems to tweet for a living! Just a couple of hours ago, aplusk was mulling over his summer tan. How else could one have known that? How else except through Twitter can you learn about the siginificance of the tan in aplusk’s life? Or get some perhaps useful advice:
apluskNever tell someone they can’t do something they dream of doing. Never!!! http://bit.ly/OUr3w
Time Magazine even has an online article about Ashton and Demi Moore’s Tweets – who needs reality TV when you have reality Tweets?
Well, when I mentioned that Ashton seems to tweet for a living, I may not be far off the mark. Celebrity tweets are the new marketing tools that help the stars keep in touch with their fans, and keep them in the public sphere.
Britney Spears has even turned hers into a marketing tool:
Yes! This is the real Britney Spears! We’ve got updates from her team, her website and yes, even Britney herself!
Now, of course, not only do the usual celebrities send Tweets. Do you know that you can also follow Al Gore’s tweets! And Barack Obama’s tweets!
Sweet!
Back to blogging basics
I came across this really useful post that serves as a good reminder about the essentials of blogging, ie, good content, so I’m going to reproduce the info here, from Ted Demopoulos:
Content, GREAT content, is the basis of long term success online.
Sure, you can produce mediocre stuff and then using some of the search engine and linking strategies we’ve discussed, see some success – but chances are it’ll be short term success.
I want you to produce great content, content that will provide value online hopefully longterm to both your readers and you!
Now one aside. Just great content is not enough. People need to be able to find it. That’s where social media, viral content, sound link building strategies as we’ve discussed (click here and here for some info if you missed it), and more matter. That’s not our topic for today.
Now I don’t want you to great content that just you think is great. Your readers, current and future, must agree that it’s great stuff as well!
So what are the two types of killer content and how do you know if your readers will think it’s great?
The two types first:
1) “Flagship Content” – definitive articles on topics of widespread interest in your niche. This is your content, whether a blog post or regular article or ebook or whatever that people will link to, tell their friends about, read multiple times, etc.2) “Narrow Niche Content” - super focused articles and posts on topics that far fewer people care about, but that don’t have a lot of competition, meaning content about, online.
This can be researched using keyword tools, and a whole book could be written on the topic (does the term “Long Tail” sound familiar?). We’ll talk about this later.
Let’s talk about “Flagship Content.”
First some examples of Flagship Content:
My free ebook Effective Internet Presence, at www.EffectiveInternetPresence.com – 30,000 downloads can’t be wrong!
My Article on Striped Bass Flies The most popular page by far on my hobby fly fishing site.
(and incidentally, one of the most profitable).It can be video too of course, like Rich’s video I mentioned I’m watching above.
Flagship Content – also known as Pillar Articles or Cornerstone Content, has a few characteristics.
1) There is a lot of interest in the topic!
Since presumably you are an expert or on your way to becoming one in the areas you write on, you should have some clues as to what topics would be perfect for pillar content.
For example, I’ve fly fished for two decades for striped bass and I KNEW that there would be widespread interest in an article on the flies you need to be successful.
2) Your content speaks authoritatively
I don’t say here are three good flies, I say these three are responsible for the vast majority of the fish I’ve caught over the past 20 years – they work, period. Discussion welcome, other viewpoints OK, but these work for me and many others too!
3) It’s “Evergreen Content”
Evergreen content is content that is useful for a long period of time. I expect my striped bass fly article to be just as valuable in 20 years as it is today. And I expect it to be attracting readers for probably the rest of my lifetime if not longer.
If your content’s useful lifespan is short, it’s NOT what I consider to be flagship content. It may be great, but it’s a flash in the pan, (which isn’t necessarily bad – some types of info are very valuable for short periods of time and that’s cool, but we’re not discussing that here).
So how do you discover topics for flagship content development?
- What are people in your niche asking you about regularly?
- What are common threads or topics of discussion?
- Where is there a need for knowledge?
- What do people really care about?
Some common types of flagship content include:
- PDF formatted ebooks
- “How to” Articles
- “Special Reports” that have a high perceived (and hopefully real) value
- Content that solves common problems (often “How To” as above)
- Lists – “The top 10 . . .” type articles are always popular.
- “Newbie” or beginner guides.
So, lets summarize: Flagship content is content lots of people value in your niche, whether it’s breeding champion pugs, competitive bowling, or endurance juggling.
It’s your niche, you’re part of your audience, so you should have some
insight!
Flagship content has no fixed form. It could be a blog post or blog series of posts, a PDF that readers download from your blog or Web site, or a video.
Flagship content will help:
- Put you on the Internet map as a great resource
- Build readership and fans
- Get you links, which will build even more readership and fans
- Provide these benefits for a looong time!
I’ve rambled on a long time, so we’ll continue later on “Narrow Niche Content.”
Here are two example to wet your appetite:
- On my flyfishing site, the article Maine Atlantic Salmon Fishing
- Or how about Female Hair Loss Shampoo ?
Probably not too many people looking for this information, but those looking may really care and just might find the articles mentioned above.
And actually, people do – everyday. More soon!
Wouldn’t it be great if you had killer Flagstone Content that brought you lots of links and readers, possibly forever, and well as some “Narrow Niche Content” – which as we’ll see can bring QUICK results
to beginning as well as established blogs and Web sites.
Demopoulos Associates
20 Tall Pines Road
Durham NH 03824 USA
As we are on the track of getting back to basics, here’s an interesting link sent by 2ton (who does an amazing job with the MiG Ayesa sites) on a Brief History of Social Media.
Now, with Twitter getting all hyped up, esp with the celeb tweets, I’ve caved in and started reading Ashton Kutcher’s tweets, well, at least I think it’s his Tweets as there are so many Ashton Kutchers on Twitter now. Can the real Ashton Kutcher please stand up!
Can’t live without the Web?
Hi there. I must apologise for the absence. Work pressures and other demands on my time have kept me from blogging. I know, I know, excuses. But they are true. Once upon a time, I would be so obsessive about updating my blog that I would feel uncomfortable about not getting online to update it. But then, real life pressures have caught up and face it, I have not been able to Facebook for a while too.
Of course, many of the young digital natives out there would be horrified at that thought! What, no blog updates, no Facebook update, and not even a Tweet for days, horrors, or weeks!
A recent article talks about how Asian youths can’t live with out TV and the Web. I am not surprised. I did a quick check amongst a group of young people just the other day and learnt that many spent their waking hours while not in school or outside online. Once they are home, their computers/laptops/netbooks will be on. No wonder too that there’s growing concern about the use of energy to power up all these machines.
Hm..sometimes one wonders how it will all go – companies need to seek new ways to power up their systems – perhaps pedal power – get people off their feet and outdoors before they can go online. Win-win?
Susan Boyle’s Youtube Way to Fame
Filed under: Youtube, interactive digital media, new media | Tags: simon cowell; new media, susan boyle; youtube
Comments(7) In a post some time back, I wrote about the Youtube way to Math fame.
Now, a lady in her 40s who took part in Britain’s Got Talent is on her way to phenomenal Youtube success and also real-life success. An Internet clip of her audition has garnered 85.2 million hits!
That’s definitely one for the history books! She’s even got her own Susan Boyle wikipedia entry, and she’s not even won the competition yet.
In a way, it’s not hard to understand the appeal of Susan Boyle. She looks as un-singer/pop star as can be, and therein lies the appeal. When she sings, people listen, and jaws drop (view the video clip if you don’t believe me.) Even the usually caustic Simon Cowell is speechless, and he’s already considering signing her on and planning her album!
So, even if doesn’t win the the competition, she’s won already.
‘Crossroads of the East 1938′ heritage video on Youtube
Filed under: Singapore, Youtube, digital story, digital storytelling, globalisation, interactive digital media |
Leave a Comment Recently, I caught a news article about a heritage video of Singapore, entitled Crossroads of the East 1938 that has been found on Youtube. It’s an interesting take on old Singapore from a colonial perspective, and offers a great source as a video for NE!
Youtube does offer a treasure trove of interesting nuggets if you dig hard enough!
At this point, let me share with you my very own video. It’s my first digital story based on my trip to Israel. Hope you will enjoy it. It goes to show how easy it is (well, not so much the creation of the digital story – from the writing, to recording, to editing, etc – all that took longer than I expected) to share your personal story with the world on Youtube!
It’s entitled Road to Emmaus
.
Shalom and Happy Easter!
New Media Faith
Filed under: Youtube, facebook, interactive digital media, new media, podcast | Tags: church, faith, religion
Comments(5) I wrote previously about the Pope being on Youtube. Not surprising, many religious organisations have gone online and are using new media to reach out to the faithful!
I think it’s great that we can now listen to sermons online via podcasts, or even view services online. Many churches in Singapore have also started posting videos on Youtube, so that members of the congregation who missed the service or who want to watch or listen to it again can do so.
You can read or even view others’ testimonies online, or post your own at http://www.newcreation.org.sg/testimonies/testimonies.htm. You can even watch Miracle TV on Lighthouse Evangelism and view a youtube video on the Book of Revelation . And if you want to donate to the church, you can also do that online at http://www.covenantvision.org/index.php?option=com_donation&Itemid=88.
There are online bookstores where you can purchase books, CDs and more.
Some may say that such online faith is only a substitute. Listening to a podcast or watching a Youtube video is not the same as going to church. But such online resources can be of great help. Church services could be on only once or twice a week, but online, you can get your faith messages at all times of the week! Church Facebook groups also help to connect members of a congregation.
New media is making it convenient to have faith and build up faith. I think that’s a good thing, as long as it doesn’t become a convenient faith.
What do you think?
Facebook updating and anti-Facebook advocates
Filed under: facebook, interactive digital media, new media | Tags: Facebook. Hatebook, twitter
Comments(12) I just came across a new development in Facebook. It’s going the way of Twitter and allowing more Twitter-esque updates as it realises that many of its users prefer to do quick updates while on the move. This new feature will be out 11 March, so why don’t you guys try it out too and let us know what you think about it.
Strangely, just as Facebook is getting more popular with more Facebook fans across the globe, there’s an increasing number of anti-Facebook fanatics who have even gone so far as to sustain an anti-Facebook site known as Hatebook. Yes, I know – not very original.
It’s ironic that it touts itself as an anti-social networking site, for all anti-social networking people to network : Hatebook is an anti-social utility that disconnects you from the things YOU HATE. Everybody loves to HATE.
And what’s the purpose of the site, well it’s for users to Upload somebody’s lies or publish secrets • get the latest gossip from your enemies and friends • reveal photos and videos on your hate profile • tag your enemies • join ahate-clan to get rid off all annoying things around you • take over the world.
And what’s priceless about it? We are told: The enemies of your enemies are your friends – find them here
Cute.
No, I have not signed up for a Hatebook account and I certainly hope I don’t have need to do so.
Is Facebooking a disease?
Filed under: facebook, interactive digital media, new media, social networking |
Comments(8) We have discussed on several occasions previously, the irony of how increased social networking could lead to less face-to-face communication and thus could in fact make a person less sociable!
A recent news report on Social Networking = disease? has highlighted that excessive social networking and reduced face-to-face contact could have more than a social impact.
It could actually hurt your health and cause health risks like dementia or stroke! As people spend long hours online, they have less time for exercise and other physical activities. Not only that, the social isolation that results from reduced contact with others could impair genes that help to fight diseases.
Now, it seems that social networking can also hurt the health of your computers. It seems that facebook is linked to social networking diseases and also causing your PC to be a target of more computer viruses.
So, next time you are on social networking sites such as Facebook, remember to spend time on them in moderation, lest you want to become less sociable, less healthy, and more alienated, and I believe these are the things that you never expected or wanted when you logged on to a social networking site!
