1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good experiment--difficult results, February 9, 2009
This review is from: What Would Google Do? V-Book (Amazon Instant Video)
I'm glad to see video-book experiment. The topic and format intrigued me. I liked the presentation, though I was initially skeptical of whether he could hold my attention for that long and whether it would amount to $8 of value and how it would impact my decision regarding buying the book.
Here's my working conclusion: We should keep trying with a video book format, but I think it's ultimately a great marketing vehicle and not a new revenue stream, especially for b2b book market.
The one clear trend in selling content online, in my view, is that you sell the most after sharing the most. The direct mail "magalog" and the TV "infomercial" formats work because enough information is shared for free that the reader/viewer can feel comfortable completing the transaction.
In this case, having paid $8, I'm actually a little bit conflicted about going the rest of the way (not the ideal outcome for the marketer/publisher). If the video had been free and then offered or linked to a buy page, I'd have bought immediately, since I'm a big consumer of biz books.
I'd suggest Mr. Buzzmachine and publishers set up an experiment and share with the rest of the world. Drive some to the $8 v-book page. Send others to a free page with a promo offer. See what happens and share the results.
Among many biz book readers, there's a common sense that many books are really magazine articles dressed up at a slower pace and higher price point. So, the challenge is whether there's a better format for biz books that can overcome that perception. I'm not sure that adding v-books, as conceived in this experiment, will increase the total universe of buyers for a title. I gather the audio-book data must answer "yes" to that question. But the v-book here, I sense, is not the same value as an audio book.
For future experimentation and consideration:
--Could a 1-2 hour (or more, or multi-part) video (DVD, etc.) be produced cost-effectively that expands the universe of buyers and increases overall revenue and profitability?
--Could a FREE v-synopsis included on the Amazon page drive more book sales than a similar page without the v-synopsis?
--Could a PRINT/PDF/PPT synopsis (say 20-30 pages with illustrations,and a PPT deck of 20 or so slides, etc.) be sold for some price into certain channels--the buyer has the right to include the slides in presentations that cite the book and the author...
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Executive Summary for the Digital Age, February 3, 2009
This review is from: What Would Google Do? V-Book (Amazon Instant Video)
This first attempt at a v-book by HarperCollins is good. The author's points were succinct and well delivered. He was easy to understand, paced fast enough, and clear. I think the niche it fills is for those who want an executive summary as a video.
I like that Amazon is keeping track of my videos, and the video player I downloaded worked easily the first time. The resolution at full screen was a bit fuzzy, but then so are many youtube videos at full screen. Makes me wonder if there is a plan for a Kindle 3 that will let me view my videos as well as read ebooks.
I'm not sure the price point is right. It did make me want to read the full book but the plug at the end gave it the feeling of an infomercial. I'm not so sure I'd pay $9.99 to view another infomercial, but I'm glad I had this experience.
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