cdixon - Latest Comments in Why content sites are getting ripped off

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Yaniv Nizan — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:21:30 -0000

I really think that the change is on the way. Google Adwords can play a major part in that as it allows upper-end funnel publishers to get compensated when flagging a user for retrargeting.
http://www.yanivnizan.com/2...

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

falicon — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:36:17 -0000

To me, a big part of the problem is that very few consumers actually care who gets the credit for the things they buy...the content generators and the sellers can work out as many systems and deals as they like, but in the end, if the consumers don't have an advantage to helping make it work...there's little chance it will actually 'fix' the problem...

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

AgeOfSophizm — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:01:57 -0000

This is an amazingly prescient comment and a look into how society operates and what led us into the current downturn. Unfortunately, the socio-economic DNA in the U.S. revolves around sales vs. value add productivity. If everyone focuses on salesmanship, you are ultimately creating a giant ponzi-scheme environment made up of snake oil salesmen. Thank god there are content creators that are willing to innovate even though they are underpaid. Hopefully they will be redeemed soon.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Statey-Obvious Guy — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:45:41 -0000

No 'shift in revenues' of a 'purchasing funnel'. Pipe dream. Content expanded much. Marketing budget not so much.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

JamieEi — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:35:20 -0000

Amazon is the obvious example of a site that does both (user reviews + sales) and profits from the synergy.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Darren Herman — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:58:39 -0000

Chris, this is a very well said example.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Marshall Clark — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:23:59 -0000

Agreed - great discussion here, glad to see it's still going strong.

I'd like to throw a fascinating tangent into the conversation - a recent Cornell study called 'Meme-tracking and the Dynamics of the News Cycle'
http://www.cs.cornell.edu/h...

Can't help thinking there's a content attribution/monitization system somewhere in here.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Mark Essel — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:18:24 -0000

I'd much prefer attribution, over content control. I just don't see how this works in practice without the generators at least monitoring access. How can a store owner get paid unless the users somehow pay for their product.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Jeff Janer — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:00:53 -0000

Hi Mark; it's not so much controlling access but rather attributing the orginator as the source and subseuently sharing monetization revenue generated [off-site]

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Mark Essel — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:48:10 -0000

I commented on this idea a little earlier as I was catching up on Chris Dixon's popular posts.

A transparent protocol must be communally accepted to allow transparent and equitable utility of intent driven data.

Great idea.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Mark Essel — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:45:56 -0000

Great analogy to defogging the mirror. We are learnig about motivational psychology as much as we are working to construct an evolving monetary value sharing content stream.

It's no easy problem. But additional measures from independent sources help us track historical patterns for an individual user. Their usage pattern is what counts, not the median of all users. Statistical clumping is part of the fog.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Mark Essel — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:41:50 -0000

Yes all over to this comments points.

I'd like to add the horizontal value of social media into an opt in advertising system. Let the tools I use to share and communicate benefit both serendipitous search for me, and relevant offerings from advertisers. Check http://victusmedia.com for some examples we're building.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Mark Essel — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:38:01 -0000

The devil is in the details. A behaviorial protocol of information would be required to be an opt in user system, and a transparent information pipeline to advertisors and intent/content generators.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Mark Essel — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:30:33 -0000

Thanks Marshall for the heads up. Learning at top speed depends on valuable shares/links like this. Much appreciated.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Mark Essel — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:29:27 -0000

Great tie in Aaron, appreciate the opinion/question.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Mark Essel — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:28:13 -0000

Interesting connection Jeff. Controlling access at the content generation end then is your solution, but not necessarily by direct monetization, but by attribution or an API.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Mark Essel — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:24:59 -0000

Hells yeah Chris.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Mark Essel — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:18:55 -0000

Fifth popular post reviewed, and absolutely a hit on something vital to monetary rewards- intent generation, 10/10.

We are challenged as curators, content generators, information specialists, and entrepreneurs to create a system which optimally and fairly rewards value creation. An unbiased editorial review is worth so much more to a rational reader than a shill. But how can we best construct an information trail that connects that content generator to the action of a purchase?

Advanced tracking tools that allow browsers to remember a users history across systems would enable a user to select a source that most influenced their buying decision. But even this questionable spy network requires conscious recognition of motive forces.

My latest project has some relation to this problem as it connects a users actively shared social communication to personalized ads. At least a content generator could host an ad widget like this and allow for the connection between interest and purchase action on their site. This doesn't help down the road purchase actions.

How can we socially support unmonetized editorials/reviews to enable this valuable service. Micro payments could cover the cost of an opinion independent of marketing. But somewhere along the information value curve we as users have to either pay this cost, or accept product shifted opinions.

ps: the comments to this post are incredible, marking off time to review them later.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

maconic — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:04:53 -0000

I've been thinking about this problem for a while also. My startup is working on addressing this using what seems like an obvious solution. At first I was baffled why we couldn't find a vendor utilizing this "obvious" technique, but after a while we realized this is probably due to functional fixation. Vendors are using new variations on old themes to address this: banner ads for facebook apps, extending text ads to real-time search (like twitter), etc.

As I see it, the problem is broader than content sites or publishers. It can be generalized to popular figures and social authorities who cause referrals by their actions or recommendations but aren't compensated. These can be popular tweeters like Ashton Kutcher, popular bloggers like Seth Godin, or popular journalists like Leo Laporte. The solution to the problem Chris Dixon mentioned should also be general enough to cover these other cases as well.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

maconic — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:03:16 -0000

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

marklittlewood — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:49:18 -0000

And an excellent post by the way.

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

marklittlewood — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:48:46 -0000

There are a few ways of harvesting intent emerging that are less reliant on old advertising models. Have a look at Skimlinks - one good and elegant example. I am also seeing a lot of entrepreneurs approaching this problem in different ways and I expect there to be a lot of startups tackling this problem in the near future.

For many digital publishers, advertising has not been the major contributor to revenue for some time. I was surprised to hear from one B2B publisher recently that they have 7 ways of making revenue from visitors to their site and advertising was the least important. http://thebln.com/2009/10/w...

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Alicia Navarro — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:19:24 -0000

This is a topic close to my heart - I would love to fix the problem so publishers are sufficiently rewarded for the part they play in creating intent to buy, not just through display ads but through editorial content.

I think perhaps a solution is that merchants pay a much higher bounty to editorial sites when they do lead to direct sales, or there is a first cookie check alongside a last cookie to see what publisher first sparked the customers interest in their products. Every solution will have its pros and cons, but completely agree a solution must be found, or the web will become populated purely by comparison and cashback sites, and content sites will start to wither and die. No one wants that, surely.

I for one, would love to actively explore solutions - Chris, do you know if this is being looked at by PMA or other bodies?

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Tyler Willis — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:00:15 -0000

Fred Wilson had a good post on the defense of using both search and display advertising: http://www.avc.com/a_vc/200...

Re: Why content sites are getting ripped off

Yaniv Nizan — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:14:00 -0000

Great post - I completely agree with distinguishing the functions of display advertising and performance (click/affiliate) advertising fill in the buying process. This is also why:
1. Video is not good for display advertising - http://www.yanivnizan.com/2...
2. Video is perfect for performance advertising - http://www.yanivnizan.com/2...