Our Product is Explanation
All posts for “strategy”
Richard Byrne over at Free Tech for Teachers has been one of our biggest supporters in the edu-blogging world and was kind enough to highlight a few of our videos in a recent post called "Three Common Craft Videos That Should Be In Your Training Library." In this post, Richard states:
I like Common Craft videos for the clear simplicity of their presentations. For that reason I actually purchase copies of the videos to save on my hard drive. I encourage you to do the same if you use their... Continue Reading
Erring on the Side of Happiness
Posted by: leelefever on February 15, 2010- 4:00pm
Categories: beingsmall, business, couplecompany, strategy
Not everyone knows, but Common Craft is a two-person, home-based business. We're 100% independent, with zero employees or investors. While we work with specialists by contract, everything that Common Craft does comes from us and impacts only us. This has been our goal since 2006 when Sachi and I started working together and today, we're starting to really understand what it means to be a two person "couple company."
It's not all unicorns and rainbows. Along with our important video-making... Continue Reading
Almost anyone can make a video and put it online, but there are relatively few good models for earning a living from online videos. We've been experimenting over a couple of years and believe more than ever that video licensing is a model that has huge potential.
The Current Options
Of course there's the advertising model. A video is made, it attracts eyeballs, eyeballs are distracted by ads. A tiny percentage of people click the ads and the video host and video owner make a bit of money. It... Continue Reading
Through going to conferences and talking with people about Common Craft, it's apparent that people have no idea how Common Craft could be a successful business. From their perspective, they can watch the videos for free, so how does it work?
I want to answer this question because I think it's important context for understanding why we make the decisions we do.
In business terms, we are a "B2B" company, which means business-to-business. We make videos that are focused on helping businesses,... Continue Reading
For the last few months, we've been "foundation building." For us, this means taking the time to focus on the business behind Common Craft and how we communicate our business to you. Our goal is clarity - if we are clear about the exact business that we run, then we're more able to illustrate our value to potential customers. It's hard work and something we're excited to see come to fruition. Now that it's in place, we can really focus on videos.
The elements of the foundation:
Licenses -... 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
Marketing Profs: How to Manage Your Corporate Reputation Online
Posted by: leelefever on March 24, 2004- 4:00pm
Categories: community, marketing, reputation, strategy
How to Manage Your Corporate Reputation Online
Online discussion forums�??commonly referred to as consumer generated media (CGM)�??are increasingly being used by consumers to ratify or criticize products and brands. Because consumers use these online discussion forums to check out other consumers’ opinions and experiences�??for pre- or post-shopping advice�??they are shaping the perspectives of millions of consumers globally.
Good perspectives, and the author provides good advice for... Continue Reading