Our Product is Explanation
All posts for “business”
A couple of weeks ago, we announced The Common Craft Store. It was a pretty soft roll-out, but was a huge moment for us. Not only did it mark the end of a lot of preparation, but a new business model. So far, so good. Plus, the more-ready-for-prime-time Store will soon be coming to an Internet near you. A big part of preparing to open the Store was making new versions of each video in both Windows (.wmv) and Mac (.mov) formats. This gave us a chance to make improvements across the library... Continue Reading
As I wrote recently, we've been thinking a lot about Common Craft's future. In the coming year, Sachi and I want to make even more videos for you - videos that are useful, both on the Web and in the workplace. We've recently created a new resource that will hopefully help us get there.Today we're announcing the roll out of an early version of The Common Craft Store. It looks like this: commoncraft.com/store The Store is the home for "licensed versions" of our videos. Licensed versions... Continue Reading
It's been almost a year since we published our first paperworks video - RSS in Plain English in April of 2007. Since that time, we've been watching every comment, every blog post and every email. We are lucky to have fans like you that have shared our videos and helped us learn so much.It's through watching these conversations that we've been able to see new ways for Common Craft to have a bigger impact in the next year. We'll be more specific soon, but for now, I'd like to share some big... Continue Reading
Free is the Future
Posted by: leelefever on February 25, 2008- 4:00pm
Categories: beingsmall, business, lesson, ourwork
Chris Anderson, the author of The Long Tail and editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine, has moved his focus to "Free". His article is the cover story of the latest Wired (Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business) and has a book coming out in 2009. I think he's onto something.
A couple of quotes:
Once a marketing gimmick, free has emerged as a full-fledged economy. Offering free music proved successful for Radiohead, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, and a swarm of other bands on MySpace that... Continue Reading
Learn New Media from the Ninjas
Posted by: leelefever on February 20, 2008- 4:00pm
Categories: business, friends, recommended, video
Kent Nichols is the co-creator or Ninja Master of Ask-a-Ninja, which I'm quite sure you know about. I recently discovered his Twitter feed and blog and since, I've learned a lot from his perspectives on disrupting Hollywood, the business of new media, and the web video industry.
His no-nonsense and opinionated style really makes it clear where he stands, and I often agree. Plus, he's full of smart advice for content producers. Recommended.
On a side note, the story of my connection with... Continue Reading
What a year. I can say with ultimate confidence that we never would have guessed, one year ago, that 2007 would be so transformative for Common Craft. Here are some things we learned:
OUR WORK
Video works. Text, graphics, audio, they all have a place. But video is a different animal. Nothing engages people like the dynamics of a video. Ever read about a car chase? It's not as fun.
Simple is better. Approach an explanation by removing information instead of adding it. Remember Occam's... Continue Reading
Wouldn't it be nice if every author actually lived in the world that they wrote about? It's one thing to be an observer, but yet another to be a resident. That's why it's my pleasure to point you to a new ebook by Darren Barefoot and Julie Szabo of Capulet Communications.
It's called "Getting to First Base: A Social Media Marketing Playbook". You can learn more (and purchase it) at SocialMediaReady.com. This video provides a quick overview too.
I've known Darren and Julie for years and... Continue Reading
Have you even had two friends that you knew separately who fell in love and eventually moved in together, got married and created a great couple? That's what I feel about the news that two of my favorite tech companies (and groups of people) are merging. Rain City Studios is acquiring Bryght (Press Release) and I'm so excited about the news. Drupal worlds are colliding.
I've been a member of the Bryght and Rain City fan clubs since 2005. Bryght hosts (and supports) this site, Rain City... Continue Reading
The transition is complete. Common Craft has become a different company and our first products are coming out in the next two weeks.
A Bit of Background:
In 2003, I started Common Craft to focus on online communities. After being a professional online community manager for a few years (1999-2003) Common Craft gave me a chance to be a consultant for the first time. I loved it - I had a cozy little niche that enabled me to work on fun and interesting projects, like the March of Dimes -... Continue Reading
In the last couple of weeks two people I know have made the jump into the independent world and I think we'll all be better off for it. Both are focused on the social side of the web and bring with them a ton of real world experience.
Jake "Community Guy" McKee, someone I've known for years and consider a great friend created Ants Eye View. Here's how Jake describes his services:
At Ant’s Eye View we concentrate on providing as many services as possible within a very small niche, namely... Continue Reading