Our Product is Explanation
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Please Help Build Awareness for The Art of Explanation
Posted by: leelefever on November 27, 2012- 10:40am
Categories: Art of Explanation, book, buzz, marketing, promotion, social media
Dear Common Craft friends and fans, I’m writing to humbly ask for your help.
The Art of Explanation, my new book, recently became fully available in bookstores and online. And now, it’s up to us to get the word out - and I’m hoping you can help.
First, I hope you’ll consider buying the book. It’s meant for everyone and especially professionals. If you’ve already purchased and read it, please consider writing a quick review on Amazon or your website.
There a number of other ways you can... Continue Reading
We're approaching a new phase in getting The Art of Explanation into the world. Now that the writing is 99% done, we need to think about marketing and promotion. Soon I will have a meeting with Wiley (the publisher) and start putting together a marketing plan. In preparation for this phase, I hope to learn as much as I can.
I would love your help. If you have written/promoted a book, worked in publishing, marketing, PR, or simply have ideas, I'd love to hear your thoughts. I am a first time... Continue Reading
Video Explanations by 1/29 Explainers
Posted by: leelefever on October 4, 2011- 2:39pm
Categories: 1/29, Explainer Network, Explanation, marketing, video
From time-to-time we like to show off the work of a member of our Explainer Network of video producers. The videos below are by 1/29 Explainers in Oakland CA.
This first example on Next Gen Web Security from McAfee is a classic story-driven narrative. It works well as an explanation by telling a story through the experiences of a character that is likely to connect with the target audience, in this case, IT managers. It plays on the loss of control that IT managers feel (the pain) and shows... Continue Reading
We've been lucky over the years. Our videos tend to speak for themselves and have helped to build a little buzz and help our brand without too much formal PR. But with the launch of the new site, we thought a little buzz would help get the word out about the our new direction. Below are links and excerpts from a few blog posts about the new Common Craft.
Todd Bishop, Geekwire News: Paper, Scissors and New Membership Model for Video Firm Common Craft
Seattle’s Common Craft video firm has... Continue Reading
The Woot! service (known for their one-day, one-deal offers) has always been know for their light-hearted and fun communication style. It's a quality I love to see in companies. Any company that's prepared to be a little silly and not take itself too seriously has an opportunity to find loads of adoring customers and fans on the web. In the context of boring corporate announcements, these companies seem like the life of the party.
Thanks to their business model and adoring fans, Woot! was... Continue Reading
I'm the first to admit that we haven't done a great job on the much-requested Common Craft t-shirts, etc.
But we do have stickers!
If you'd like a few (supplies are limited), please be like the person below and send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:
Common Craft
P.O. Box 18322
Seattle, WA 98118-0322
We'll look forward to hearing from you!
Explainer Network - Animated Explanations Wins Platinum Seal of e-Excellence
A big congrats to Instruxion (the company behind Animated Explanations) for being awarded the Platinum Seal of e-Excellence in Europe, which recognizes companies who have a track record of innovation. Of course, we see this recognition as further proof that video explanations are a valuable and productive element of marketing and education. Animated Explanations is based on Brussels, Belgium and a member of our Explainer Network of video producers.
Here's the description of the award from the... Continue Reading
What Pitchman Ron Popeil Can Teach Us About Explanation
If you've been reading for a while, you've seen us write that a secret to a strong explanation is putting the subject in the context of someone's life. Don't just talk about what it does, talk about how it fits into their world - how it takes away pain or makes something easier, faster, better.
Recently I've been reading the Malcolm Gladwell book What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures, which is a collection of his past articles from the New Yorker. One of the articles is called The Pitchman and... Continue Reading
Online Videos, Testimonials and Conversion Rates
Posted by: leelefever on February 19, 2009- 4:00pm
Categories: business, marketing, statistics, video
It's too easy to just put up a web page and hope for the best. I can certainly attest to this practice for most of Common Craft's existence. However, as we've moved into ecommerce and built some traffic, I've become much more data oriented and learned more about things like "conversions" and "A/B testing."
Many web-based businesses have the same goal: drive traffic to your web site and then convert that traffic into some desired action. This is called conversion - converting traffic to... Continue Reading
Thanks to John, Maureen and the folks at Sticker Giant for their help with these little guys. We're planning to carry them with us at conferences, etc. If you see us at SXSW or anywhere else, ask for one!
Would you like a sticker? Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:
Common Craft
P.O. Box 18322
Seattle, WA 98118-0322