Your Questions About Internet Marketing Association
Nancy asks…
Does this news article about textbook piracy make any sense?
A textbook case of piracy
By Alex Beam
Globe Columnist / September 9, 2008
I was heartened to learn that college kids are wielding the same Internet piracy tools they used to bring down the recording industry to download textbooks. Although the textbook oligopolists are fighting back mightily – the Association of American Publishers uses Covington & Burling, a take-no-prisoners law firm in Washington, D.C., to hunt down malefactors – there are at least two sites still around offering books: Textbook Torrents tends to be shut down, and moves around the Web, but the last time I checked, thepiratebay.org was offering such books as – well, you’ll see.
As a writer, how can I support this? I should be an absolutist on copyright protection for all books, magazines, and newspapers. But I’m not. The publishers have disgraced themselves, and they are paying the price. Three-hundred-dollar textbooks in the hard sciences are not unusual, and the companies are selling to a captive audience. Hundred-dollar add-ons, masquerading as digital workbooks, or problem-solving sets, are not uncommon.
Publishers love to put out bogus “new” editions to drive a stake though the heart of the used textbook market, which was gaining its second wind at online auction sites. It’s not as if calculus changed since Newton invented it, is the rallying cry you hear from student activists.
How do I know textbook publishers are nothing but pirates in pin-striped suits? Because when the fast-buck artists take over a company like Houghton Mifflin, they never talk about how proud they are to be publishing Philip Roth and J.R.R. Tolkien. They know they are going to make a killing in the profit-choked textbook division, which gorges on the goodwill of parents who want their children to be properly equipped for college courses.
Now most textbook publishers are going digital, and Amazon is promising a larger-format Kindle reader for the student market. The publishers say that iTexts, which often cost less than $100, save students money. But their opponents, led by a coalition of Student Public Interest Research Groups, point out that the password-protected digi-texts put the sword to the used-book market so despised by the publishers.
Congress has gotten into the act, legislating more “transparency” in textbook pricing in the just-passed Higher Education Opportunity Act. It looks like a jumble of half-measures to me. If it had any teeth, the publishers would be squawking madly.
A young Northeastern University student named Shawn Fanning wrung billions of dollars of excess profits from the record companies when he invented Napster. Yes, it’s true that recording “artists” now gouge young people 10 times more aggressively at the concert turnstiles than they ever did at Tower Records stores, which no longer exist around here. But Steve Jobs found the right price point for music at iTunes. Between the pirates and the publishers, we’ll find our way to the right price point for textbooks, too.
Now it’s time to arbitrage . . . tuition.
Don’t steal this book
Inevitably, a reviewer will call John Hanson Mitchell, author of “The Paradise of All These Parts: A Natural History of Boston,” a latter-day Henry David Thoreau, not necessarily a compliment. Call him what you will – in real life, he edits the Massachusetts Audubon Society magazine Sanctuary – he is a smart guy, walking around, paying attention. I’d name his genre nostalgic realism; Mitchell certainly knows where this city and its many peculiar institutions come from, and he understands modernity as well.
I love that his brother owns a boat named after Richard Henry Dana, and that it doesn’t have an engine – there’s Boston in a nutshell. I think this book will take its place next to Walter Muir Whitehill’s “Boston,” with engravings by Rudolph Ruzicka, as one of the treasured Hub tomes of our time.
Able was I . . .
Ere I saw Alaska? Send in your Sarah Palin-dromes! A palindrome is a phrase that makes sense read forward and backward – e.g., “Madam, I’m Adam.” I think there’s a lot to work with here: Is Levi vile? Close, but no cigar. I’ll buy the winner a used copy of the kind of book that Governor Palin wanted to keep out of her local library – “Huckleberry Finn,” perhaps.
Alex Beam is a Globe columnist. His e-dress is beam@globe.com.
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2008/09/09/a_textbook_case_of_piracy/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+–+Living+%2F+Arts+News
Jere answers:
Don’t you hate people that spell loses as “looses”
Betty asks…
If the housing market wasn’t monopolized by certain groups, would housing prices & sales commissions be lower?
I ask the Q after reading this article: Settlement reached for online real estate agents
Tuesday May 27, 5:10 pm ET
By Lara Jakes Jordan, Associated Press Writer
Justice Department forces Realtors group to stop blocking online access of home listings
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department gave a boost Tuesday to online real estate brokers — and potentially their clients — by forcing new industry policies that give Internet-based agents access to home listings they were previously denied.
The tentative settlement, which still requires court approval, could save consumers thousands of dollars when buying a home.
Online real estate agents often charge discounted commission fees and let buyers review listings at their own pace.
For years, however, Internet-based brokers have complained that the National Association of Realtors wanted to let real estate agents exclude some of their listings from their online competitors, many of whom offer discounted prices.
To see full article goto—-> http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080527/realtors_settlement.html
“The presupposition of the article is that **SOME ** homesellers **LIKE ME** can negotiate with the same expertise and lack of emotional attachment that licensees can” SOME people do not need the services of a middleman! America is about responsible freedoms. Some people do not need the baby sitter!
“are the ones who determine the final selling prices” Who has implied or stated differently! At least I respect the opinion of the members of the industry who self-identify themselves. Some people need the services of an agent and need to pay for it. But the option, the freedom, the choice to go solo or to negotiate lower commissions is not to be infringed upon or limited by phony excuses. The internet is a new source of doing business more economically and I think everyone should adjust to it! Where are the Randians(Atlas Shrugged fans) when you need them!
A reasonable fee for access to MLS w/o the broker might be the way to go! But to take advantage of people isn’t!
BTW Nobody has Answered the Q I have asked -bec too many are only defending your financial interests and attacking a news report I did not write or make up!
“mo?nop?o?ly ?? (m-np-l) KEY ?
NOUN:
pl. mo?nop?o?lies
Exclusive control by one group of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service: “Monopoly frequently … arises from government support or from collusive agreements among individuals” (Milton Friedman).
Law A right granted by a government giving exclusive control over a specified commercial activity to a single party.
A company or group having exclusive control over a commercial activity.
A commodity or service so controlled.
Exclusive possession or control: arrogantly claims to have a monopoly on the truth.
Something that is exclusively possessed or controlled: showed that scientific achievement is not a male monopoly.”
Pls do not quibble over the word “monopoly” or “monopolize” That’s not answering my Q!
?
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“mo?nop?o?lize ?? (m-np-lz) KEY ?
TRANSITIVE VERB:
mo?nop?o?lized , mo?nop?o?liz?ing , mo?nop?o?liz?es
To acquire or maintain a monopoly of.
To dominate by excluding others: monopolized the conversation.
OTHER FORMS:
mo?nopo?li?zation ? (-l-zshn) KEY ?(Noun), mo?nopo?lizer (Noun)
SYNONYMS:
monopolize , absorb , consume , engross , preoccupy
These verbs mean to exclusively possess or control: a service monopolized by one company; study that absorbs all her time; was consumed by fear; engrossed herself in her reading; was preoccupied with financial worries.”
I appreciate answers that show respect for my intelligence. Denigration by insinuation or insults however is infuriating and a very poor way to make a case for your position after you A the Q I asked!!
“Yes, commissions will be lower, but housing prices may not be.” well I might agree but aren’t commissions deductions to the selling price by custom? I have split them 50/50 in negotiations as you agents and realtors do by custom between the listing broker and the brokers involved in the sale/purchase!
Jere answers:
I run a full service brokerage firm and a flat fee, for sale by owner assistance, online firm, the type that this article refers to.
The presupposition of the article is that homesellers can negotiate with the same expertise and lack of emotional attachment that licensees can. By that metric, commissions seem like a waste.
Here’s the problem: most homeowners are awful salespeople. They just suck. They’ll trail people around the house, pelting them with mostly useless information (call me crazy, but I bever saw a buyer say “I’ll take it!” after a 10-minute sermon on how the guy replaced all his sewage pipes with PVC), they are notorious for overvaluing their own property, and they lack the objectivity to negotiate rationally.
They often don’t get that their weekend handyman, jury-rigged, noncode “improvements” cause title problems and hurt value, and often think that just because they do OK on ebay that they can outwit a sharp attorney or broker representing the buyer.
We just had one of these guys close on a sale for $670,000 after almost a year on the market and after sabatoging previous deals for well over $725,000. His commission line item was lower, but he lost $40,000 overall because of his own hubris.
I could save a bunch of money practicing dentistry on my own kids too, right? How can an online broker speak with a baseline of competence about asbestos in a basement, a leaky gutter, or granite countertops they have never even seen? This business requires human beings on the scene, period.
You get what you pay for. And all those studies that say that people listing with a full-service broker net more money than a for sale by owner are not realtor propoganda. I have seen it firsthand for years now. People need to understand that for a transaction involving hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions that they risk disaster without a professional representing them.
All the bad realtor stories I hear, by the way, usually involve an atrocious choice of agent, like a part time buddy from work or cousin Joe. You have to get a full time agent with a track record and references. For every guy who sold his house in a week without an agent I can show you 10 people who had no business representing themselves and screwing up royally.
I don’t disagree with the justice department’s decision, however. People should be free to risk screwing up. It’s the American Way.
Michael asks…
Why is hating America cool these days?
OK, I get it. I hate Bush too. I hate our stupid Republicans, our undereducated high school dropouts, our ignorant nationalists, our miserable healthcare, our violent and invasive foreign policy, our wasted tax dollars, and probably everything else you hate about America.
The difference? I don’t hate America. Just some things about it.
Everywhere I go online I see someone starting a big “I hate America” party, talking about how dumb Americans are and how we’re going to blow ourselves up “LOL LMAO OMG ROFL” and all those colorful internet chat emotive phrases. I am not amused by this.
Let’s lay down some facts about America:
Fact: Americans are some of the greatest innovators in history; we invented the telephone, the TV, the internet, the satellite, the radio, the light bulb, the nuclear bomb, the telegraph, the sewing machine, the computer, the refrigerator, the automobile, the motorcycle, the vacuum cleaner, TOILET PAPER (you’re welcome), the hearing aid, the skyscraper, the smoke detector, the assembly line, the air conditioner, the airplane, masking tape, scotch tape, duct tape, the photocopier, the defibrillator, the cell phone, the video game, the LASER, the artificial heart, the Hubble Space Telescope, etc.
We also are the only country to reach the moon, the oldest thriving democracy on earth, and even in our worst recession ever we’re still the most powerful economy in the world. Hell, our founding father (Benjamin Franklin) discovered electricity. We also set the standard for the modern free market, which many countries around the world still follow.
The average IQ in America is sadly below average (98) according to most pollsters, but I’m proud to say in my home state, the average is 102. The average in London is 100, and the average in Canada overall is 97. Not that this proves anything; America is so large and diverse in comparison to these other nations that it is expected that there would be a huge discrepancy. What’s interesting is that in China the average is also 100, which I find absolutely unbelievable considering the 300 million illiterate peasant farmers and factory workers that have yet to see a day in school.
Another thing interesting is that a clear majority of Americans just elected a black president named Barack Hussein Obama, showing that we as a country have begun to move out of our irrational fear of Islam and Black influence.Obama, while not Muslim, has been accused of being Muslim. To that I say: so what? I have a problem with that way of thinking and I shun those who are so anti-Islam that they would attempt to defame someone by association with a non-christian religion. I am not alone in this either.
America has committed some terrible atrocities throughout history. We’ve occupied countries and colonized in a manner much against the wishes of our founders, but that doesn’t mean every American is evil and/or stupid, or has a drive for world domination. Some of us want peace, cooperation, and progress. Some of us want equal rights afforded to all citizens regardless of gender, race, sexuality, religion, etc.
If you’re one of the people out there who has posted something anti-American, especially with no real basis, I hope at some point you realize that what you’re doing is not helping to solve the problem. I hope you realize that it isn’t “cool” to be racist. I have traveled abroad in many countries and value my experiences and my friends from around the world, and I like to think I changed some of their stereotypes and perspectives about Americans, just as they did for my views of Russians, Germans, Chinese, English, Danish, Latin American, Japanese, Dutch, African etc. All of the people I have met from other great nations have touched me in some way and I have refused to judge you based on the failures of your government, economy, or even your people. I hope you can give me the same courtesy as I say this: God bless America. God bless the whole damn world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_and_the_Wealth_of_Nations
http://perdurabo10.tripod.com/id1048.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_inventions
I feel compelled to clarify something: I meant no offense to Chinese people when I mentioned the 300 million people without formal education who live in rural areas and villages. I do wish, however, that they would be given education. What I meant to demonstrate in that statement was that it is pretty unlikely that, unless the average Chinese person in the city has an IQ of like 120, that the massive amount of underprivileged rural workers should be holding back the national average considerably.
John M –
I would like to invite you to edit your answer. At this time I am unable to find a way to respond to the tone you chose to use. I see that you harbor some hatred for America, but I would like to point out that this hatred should not be directed at myself, as it has been in your statement. By saying “you”, you are equating myself and all Americans together, as if we have the same opinions. This is obviously not the case.
Thank you for your post, and I look forward to your revision.
Isn’t it good? –
I’m sorry you chose not to read further. As for the list of inventions, I can assure you I am not mistaken.
Please see the following sources.
http://www.150.si.edu/150trav/remember/amerinv.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_inventions
http://jc-schools.net/write/ppt/inventors_files/v3_document.htm
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/When_was_the_first_tv_invented_in_america
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/auto.html (America invented the first successful gas-powered car but others invented related things… another similar example is the refrigerator. The US invented the first working refrigerator through Oliver Evans but others went on to perfect it)
Obviously in the Manhattan Project the US invented the nuclear bomb.
What else in question?
By pointing out inventions I was not intending to claim ultimate supremacy for America in science and tech. I just think people should shut up about Americans being stupid. There is no need to be defensive. Everyone can name a boatload of contributions to science and technology that their countries have made, of course, and I don’t want to cheapen that. You’re right, Germans invented an electric 4 wheeled vehicle, but it wasn’t effective or marketable. American’s invented the first commercially available gas-powered car. I believe I have a website about that in my sources just above.
I am fully aware of the atrocities my people have committed, but hatred based on the past doesn’t get anyone anywhere. If you’re bent on hating me or my country because of the choices of politicians decades, years, or even months ago, I’m sorry. I cannot help you. I just would love to see a world not despising me solely because of my race/nationality.
Katerina P, much of that last post was addressed to you, however I also have to point out when you say “God bless America? Why not God bless…”
If you actually read the whole body of my original text you would see I said “God bless America. God bless the whole world” or something that effect. I am proud to American despite the problems with my country. I believe we have the potential to change.
I voted for Kerry in 2004 and, had I been old enough, I’d have voted for Gore in 2000. I actively protested in the streets the whole time Bush was in office, even in my early teens. Does this make me “responsible for the governments we elect”?
Many of the points you make seem good, but I’m afraid much of them are based on misunderstandings of my intent and what I have been saying. I know the whole world has made countless contributions to every field before and after America. It is not fair to say that American invented everything, because it’s not true. I merely tried to prove a point.
luvwater… hahaha I DID study our invention of the toilet paper in grade school. And I think it may be more important than when Morse invented the first working telegraph, or when Scotsman Alexander Graham Bell gave us the research we needed to invent the telephone, or when our people invented the first TV. Toilet paper is the quintessential achievement of man.
Jere answers:
Ha ha, I like the column you wrote. I think that it will change to a love America party soon. But I think I’m starting to like this Bush guy tho. I want to hang out with him and see if he’ll buy me a drink, ha ha.
Mary asks…
Does anyone have a link to a good online marketing site or free internet marketing workshops?
I have a small business and I’m trying to generate more traffic to my website. The thing is, there is so much information online it’s hard to filter through it. If someone has had success with an online marketing site or company, shoot me a link. Or even internet marketing workshops or classes in the orange county, california area that you’ve attended. Thanks.
Jere answers:
Try Technology Brokers Association. I just went to one of their free workshops and let me tell you – they are very imformative. Crisantos Hajibrahim, the workshop instructor can give you a lot of insight on how to market your business online. Here’s an excerpt from their site:
“Crisantos will teach you:
-how Google AdWords works and little known secrets to get the most out of your Pay Per Click budget
– Google Analytics, the eyes and ears of your website without which you can’t hope to succeed with your Internet strategy
– how Google’s Webmaster tools are essential for Google Search success
– the power of Video and YouTube marketing
– the truth about traditional SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques and cheaper yet more effective alternatives for small businesses;
– online Drip Marketing, tracking Craigslists, and so much more… ”
I don’t know anything about website maintenance so i’m having them install Google Analytics for me on my site. They’re also helping me with a marketing plan tailored for my business.
Workshops are held twice a week in Huntington Beach, CA.
Here’s their website address where you can register online www.technologybrokers.org
Ken asks…
Do you know of any free business marketing methods?
I need to promote my business, but don’t have a big budget for advertising. I’m not terribly internet savvy either, so I’m not sure if I’m missing out on possible free internet marketing opportunities? Any ideas? Is facebook a good place to market a business?
Jere answers:
First thing Identify who your target audience is then do the following
1. Branding – logo and business card very important the logo will determine if people want to be associated with you or your brand
2. Get yourself an on-line on all the directories specific to your location things like freeindex, yell, thompson
3. Create yourself a facebook/linked in account specific to your business – show off your work there, get customer quotes on there recommendations etc try and get as many quotes from your customers you need to keep this consistent and monitor what people are saying etc make friends with your clients on these sites
4. Get yourself a website if you haven’t already does not have to be huge site but make it slick, easy on the eye get a good logo done make sure the site is reflective of how you feel the quality of you styling is…services, seasonal special offers,
5. Direct marketing…you can either buy data from a data agency or sift for it online we are not talking about 000’s of pounds here but more like 16p per record try and get contact address email phone (mobile preferably). Also for your existing customers to ensure you keep them get them to fill out a satisfaction card after each cut. Store all this in excel a spreadsheet this now will start giving you a direct relationship with your customers. You can notify them of special offers, reminders they might need a software update and you can send all this via email, text and post i would prefer the text and email that way you can send them to your website and keep your costs low. This way you will have a pool of existing customers to ensure they stay with you… Remember your marketing so will your competitors. Then you also have a pool of potential customers remember buy data specific to your market (business, 190-100 employees, etc).
6. Association – maybe with a complimentary product, where if they send anybody over to you they get a % off and vice versa but remember this association need to be specific to your business and should complement what you do. Also look at what your competitors are doing and imitate the best bits.
7. Advertising on local websites, magazines newspapers etc….i’m not a big fan of this especially for small businesses as i find it very costly with not the same return. Radio advertising is good but again find the radio station specific to your audience
The purpose of doing any marketing is to deliver an integrated campaign targeting customers from a number of angles to give you awareness and leads so this will enforce you message and your brand which will then give you consistent leads…. Remember nothing happens over night and you need to be consistent with your marketing to ensure a successful marketing campaign. The intensity and frequency of your marketing will be determined by how busy you are. They key thing to remember is that your core competence is your development skills that needs to be consistently good to ensure your marketing works…and marketing has a habit of biting back where people are not delivering on what they promise on their marketing.
Reputation is imperative if you stay on top of your game and stay in tune with the latest developments in the industry and are consistently improving your skill levels then your customers will not want to go anywhere else.
The above can be the crux of your marketing other elements may come from your research and planning not all the points need to be implemented look at the timing and look at the budget. Also ask your customers how do they prefer to be communicated with that should narrow down your marketing effort.
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