Professional Web Video: Plan, Produce, Distribute, Promote, and Monetize Quality Video Review

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(More customer reviews)As an amateur video editor with several music videos under my belt, I was hoping that this book could "ground" be in some solid principals. For the most part, this book delivered.
I already knew a lot of the information delivered in this book... and most of what's in here is covered in other books. However, "Web Video" strayed away from techno-babble for the most part; and when it was used, it was justified.
But, to the major point of the book, Professional Web Video: this book is no different from any other book covering the top of digital video production. I suppose that could be taken as a good thing, though, because this book does tell you some key pitfalls to avoid and some essential techniques that you must learn.
Wanna take your YouTube videos to the next level? This is your book. (Except Nataly from Pomplamoose... she doesn't need this book.)


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Add professional-level video to your Web communications toolbox with a complete understanding of the process, potential and limitations of Web video. Step up from the mini-cam experience with this solid introduction to professional planning and production techniques, ensuring that your video meets the same standards you set for every other communication program element. Audio, lighting, editing, encoding, are just a few of the essentials you learn how the pros produce top notch video for the Web. The companion Web site includes planning and production templates, demo files, and blog updates to help you put it all to work for you on a daily basis.

* Production management from soup to nuts in an accessible form

* Full color presents lively, engaging illustrations of the professional team executing every facet of the job

* Companion web site featuring planning and production templates, demo files, and blog updates

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Curation Nation: How to Win in a World Where Consumers are Creators Review

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(More customer reviews)Curation Nation could use some curation itself. The book contains a lot of information, but it doesn't really say anything. The first 100 pages summary: there is a lot of crap on the Internet and it needs to be curated... I know that already, that's why I bought your book!
It goes on to profile different acts of curation such as the Huffington Post, aggregation through twitter, blogging, etc. Nothing really jaw dropping. Don't expect a unique insight here. Chapter 4 says don't piss of your consumers with crappy customer service because they have a voice now...this book was published in 2011 right? Do people/companies not know this by now? Did we really need a whole chapter on this?
The book's plea is "attention is the new economy." I partly agree with this, but don't expect this book to give any spectacular information on how to turn that attention into a tangible profit making business. While the book's purpose is not solely making money off of curation, it does suggests more of a "build it and they shall come" strategy hoping for your attention to somehow be monetized later through advertisers. If that floats your boat, this book may be for you.
Curation Nation contains thoughts from notable figures such as Clay Shirky, Alan Webber, Robert Scoble, Andrew Keen, Seth Godin, Mark Cuban, and others. Unfortunately none of the interviews led you the reader to know where curation is headed...all they know is we need it. Again, I know we need it, that's why I bought this book for some direction and to help make sense of it all. Ughhh
Alan Webber perhaps gives the best quote from the book: "Nobody has figured out a killer model of what exactly is exciting about a wonderfully produced movie, magazine, book, or record. Creating unique, memorable content isn't a formula -it's a happy accident. In the same way publishers struggle to figure out curation, there will be few leaders and lots of followers searching for the future economic model for content."
Curation Nation is for the lowest common denominator who are absolutely clueless that there is too much unfiltered information online and that it needs to be sorted. It will fill you in, provide you with a history of how we got here (unnecessary to the book) and where we currently are with no breathtaking insights. You'll get a bunch of information, but again, the book doesn't say much other than we need curation.
With the text being 259 Pages, it could have been cut AT LEAST in half. The future of curation fascinates me very much and I wanted to like this book. I expected this book to be GREAT judging by all the big name endorsements...but sadly I was let down.
P.S. If you happen to stumble across this book in the bookstore, just skip to the conclusion...you'll get all you need to know about the book saving you time in our limited "attention based economy."

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Business Leaders Are Buzzing About Curation Nation

"An indispensible guide to the brave new media world."—Arianna Huffington, editor in chief, the Huffington Post

"Gives me hope for the future of the Information Age. Rosenbaum argues for the growing importance of people—creative, smart, hip—who can spot trends, find patterns, and make meaning out of the flood of data that threatens to overwhelm us."—Daniel H. Pink, New York Timesbestselling author of Drive

"A testament to the strategic mind of a genius and a road map for developing engaging consumer experiences by curating content around your brand." —Bonin Bough, Global Director, Digital and Social Media, PepsiCo

"Perfectly on-trend—an insightful guide to the future. So entertaining you won't put it down."—Chris Meyer, author of Blur

"Read this book. Embrace curation, and you'll be ready to ‘crush it' with focus and passion in the noisy new world of massive data overload."—Gary Vaynerchuk, New York Timesbestselling author of Crush It

"Provides a wealth of real-world examples of how businesses can use the Web to give their customers a valuable curated experience."—Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com, and New York Timesbestselling author of Delivering Happiness

"Our best hope for sorting the good from the mediocre in our increasingly overwhelming media landscape."—Clay Shirky, author of Cognitive Surplusand Here Comes Everybody

About the Book:

Let's face it, we're drowning in data. Our inboxes are flooded with spam, we have too many "friends" on Facebook, and our Twitter accounts have become downright unmanageable. Creating content is easy; finding what matters is hard.

Fortunately, there is a new magic that makes the Web work. It's called curation, and it enables people to sort through the digital excess and find what's relevant.

In Curation Nation, Steven Rosenbaum reveals why brands, publishers, and content entrepreneurs must embrace aggregation and curation to grow an existing business or launch a new one. In fact, he asserts that curation is the only way to be competitive in the future.

Overwhelmed by too much content, people are hungry for an experience that both takes advantage of the Web's breadth and depth and provides a measure of human sorting and filtering that search engines simply can't achieve. In these shifting sands lies an extraordinary business opportunity: you can become a trusted source of value in an otherwise meaningless chaos of digital noise.

In Curation Nation, Rosenbaum "curates the curators" by gathering togetherpriceless insight and advice from the top thinkers in media, advertising, publishing, commerce, and Web technologies. This groundbreaking book levels the playing field, giving your business equal access to the content abundance presently driving consumer adoption of the Web.

As the sheer volume of digital information in the world increases, the demand for quality and context becomes more urgent. Curation will soon be a part of your business and your digital world.Understand it now, join in early, and reap the many benefits Curation Nation has to offer.

Learn more at CurationNation.org.

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Clout: The Art and Science of Influential Web Content (Voices That Matter) Review

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(More customer reviews)First, I'd like to say that I normally don't write book reviews. Being a student of the web, I read *a lot* of material and I typically don't have time to write a reaction. But every once and a while, something strikes me as noteworthy. Clout is just such a book.
Having run an industry publication on User Experience Design for quite some time, I'm of course familiar with the discipline of Content Strategy. Unfortunately, though, running it means that most of what I read online or hear at conferences sounds the same. "Yes, I know I have to prioritize things and think strategically about content, thanks." What I like about Clout is how novel it really is. In short, Clout:
(1) Got my attention: its a new angle on what could easily be seen as a tired subject.
(2) Is very "practice" driven: I don't like reading about theory, I want to see how content strategy functions in the real world.
(3) Is for beginners and experts: Clout starts small--a bit of history--and ends with a bang, a call to action for all web professionals.
The author, Colleen, did a great job gathering insightful case studies and overseeing the creation of illustrative diagrams. Reading about content strategy is one thing, but *seeing* it is quite another, and Clout delivers. I find it quite remarkable that such an unassuming volume delivers such a high quantity of information. Here you'll also find some of the major takeaways from books such as Groundswell and Here Comes Everybody.
So, save yourself some reading and grab a copy of Clout. For the budding content strategist, blogger, entrepreneur, etc., I highly recommend it.

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Results. Everyone wants them, whether to sell more products, spread good ideas, or win more funding. In our busy digital world, the way to results is influencing people on the web. But how? An ad campaign won't cut it. A Twitter account doesn't guarantee it. Manipulative tricks will backfire. Instead, you need quality, compelling web content that attracts people and engages them for the long haul. Clout explains the key principles of influence and how to apply them to web content. Along the way, those principles come to life with practical examples from HowStuffWorks.com, Newell Rubbermaid, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and many more brands. With this book, you'll:
Discover why a technology feature, marketing campaign, SEO effort, or redesign aren't enough to influence online.
Understand the business value of compelling web content.
Learn 8 principles for influence from the art of rhetoric and the science of psychology.
Find out what context is and why it's so important to influence.
Jump start your planning for content with a content brief.
Learn how to evaluate your web content and determine whether it's making a difference.
Foreword by Karen McGrane, managing partner of Bond Art + Science

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Content is Cash: Leveraging Great Content and the Web for Increased Traffic, Sales, Leads and Buzz (Que Biz-Tech) Review

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(More customer reviews)When it comes to marketing online, content is an afterthought for far too many marketers. It's a pity because, as Wendy Montes de Oca points out in her new book, content can be a huge source of income for any business. That's why I love that Wendy has comprehensively explained dozens of ways to leverage content for an online business. The best part is that, like the pro direct marketer she is, Wendy's strategies are all trackable and quantifiable. So you know exactly how valuable your efforts are to your business

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"Wendy's book is an impressively thorough account of the marketing options open to Internet businesses today. I have it within reach of my desk and I intend to make good use of it."–Michael Masterson, Publisher, Agora, Inc., Early to RiseYou've already got great content — now, monetize it!Dozens of top publishers, marketers, business owners, and entrepreneurs are already using Wendy Montes de Oca's SONAR Content Distribution ModelTM to earn amazing ROI from content they already have. You can, too—even if you've never done Internet marketing before! Content Is Cash shows you how to systematically integrate and synchronize today's best web marketing techniques to drive more traffic, buzz, leads, and sales for your business. It's not theory. It's a proven, cost-effective and real-world strategy allowing anyone with content to turn traffic into profits...and the results are quantifiable! Inside you'll find powerful, easy, and virtually no cost ways to maximize content syndication, online PR, social networking and bookmarking, article directories, and guerrilla marketing inforums and message boards…to achieve breakthrough results on even the smallest budget!You'll Learn How To:• Discover and leverage useful, valuable, actionable content you didn't know you had• Drive more value from content by repurposing, repackaging, refreshing, re-bundling, and republishing• Create more visibility, traffic, and awareness for your website and brand• Link content more tightly with prospecting and sales initiatives• Syndicate and aggregate content to extend its reach• Make your content easier to find on the Web—simply and inexpensively• Adapt your strongest content into high-performing online press releases• Encourage viral marketing, pass-along readership and word-of-mouth buzz• Measure your performance against the 3 O's: outputs, outcomes, and objectives• Apply SONAR techniques and increase search engine presence, organic visits, lead generation, and sales efforts• Use SONAR with other tactics such as affiliate marketing, joint ventures, online advertising, ad swaps, guest editorials and more

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Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (New Rules Social Media Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)I should preface this review by saying I have been podcasting and creating content for the web for over five years now, and that I regularly help clients do the same. This said, I was expecting Content Rules to be a good book on the subject, but perhaps one of those that did not speak to me, because of my experience. I was wrong- Content Rules speaks to everyone- even seasoned content creators, by providing the metrics we may know around content creation, but haven't yet articulated, and helps make the case for content for everyone from people getting their feet wet on the Web for the first time, to those who are looking to raise their game and up their level of engagement with others online.
Content Rules is compelling and honest from the introduction on. It is a book I can hand my clients, friends, teachers- almost anyone who wonders why people need to or bother creating content for the web- to help not only explain why compelling content is important, but how to create it. It helps people break down the barriers that often get in the way of creating compelling content, and instead gives them some parameters on how to make sure your authentic and compelling voice shine through. In addition, the examples and case studies in the book bring the rules to life, in a way that will help folks understand how to find their human voice, and why that is so important to success in contrast to another paragraph of over-polished, sanitized, personality-free "safe" messaging.
I'm really excited by Content Rules as a book I can enthusiastically pass on to friends, colleagues, clients and more. If it's between a more generic book on social media or online marketing and this one, you need Content Rules because it will help you understand the fundamental approach you need to take regardless of the tool, platform, network or marketing plan- you need to concentrate on your Content first.

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Blogs, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other publishing platforms are giving everyone a "voice," including organizations and their customers. So how do you create the bold stories, videos, and blog posts that cultivate fans, arouse passion for your products or services, and ignite your business?
Content Rules equips you for online success with a one-stop source on the art and science of developing marketing content that people care about. This coverage is interwoven with case studies of companies successfully spreading their ideas online-and using them to establish credibility and build a loyal customer base.

Learn the art of storytelling and the science of journalism
Find an authentic "voice" and craft bold content that will resonate with prospects and buyers and encourage them to share it with others
Leverage social media and social tools to get your content and ideas distributed as widely as possible
Written by the Chief Content Officers of marketingprofs.com

Boost your online presence and engage with customers and prospects like never before with Content Rules.

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