Introduction Platform integration is a major issue for publishers. The question, as interpreted by some of them, takes the form: friend or foe? Although it would be naïve to answer “friend”, platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are not foes either. At minimum, they are necessary evil to cope with, at maximum they are strategic leverage. […]
Tag: platforms
Google and the Prospect of Programmatic
Introduction This is a short post taking a stance on programmatic ad platforms. It’s based on one single premise: Digital convergence will lead into a situation where all ad spend, not only digital, will be managed through self-service, open ad platforms that operate based on auction principles There are several reasons as to why this […]
A major change in AdWords – How to react?
Introduction Google has made a major change in AdWords. Ads are now shown only in the main column, no longer in the right column. Previously, there were generally speaking eight ads per SERP. For some queries, Google didn’t show ads at all, and additionally they’ve been constantly testing the limit, e.g. running up to 16 product listing […]
Organic reach and the choice of social media platform
(This is work in progress.) Introduction It is a well-established fact that the organic reach in a dominant platform decreases over time, as the competition over users’ attention increases. There is thus an inverse relation: The more competition (by users and firms) in a user’s news feed, the less organic visibility for a firm. The problem How […]
Using the VRIN model to evaluate web platforms
Introduction In this article, I discuss how the classic VRIN model can be used to evaluate modern web platforms. What is the VRIN model? It’s one of the most cited models of the resource-based view of the firm. Essentially, it describes how a firm can achieve sustainable competitive advantage through resources that fulfill certain criteria. These […]
A.I. – the next industrial revolution?
Introduction Many workers are concerned about “robotization” and “automatization” taking away their jobs. Also the media has been writing actively about this topic lately, as can be seen in publications such as New York Times and Forbes. New York Times: After Jobs Dry Up, What Then? Forbes: Now, Even Artificial Intelligence Gurus Fret That AI […]
Bugs and problems in Facebook Ads [UPDATED 10/08/2016]
Introduction I’ve been doing a lot of Facebook advertising. Compared to Google AdWords, Facebook Ads is missing a lot of features, and has annoying bugs. I’m listing these problems here, in case anyone working at Facebook would like to have an advertiser’s opinion, and that people working with programmatic ad platforms see how difficult it […]
Notes on Customer Development
I keep forgetting this stuff, so noting it down for myself (and others). 1. Don’t ask “would you” questions, ask “did you” questions. People are unable to predict their behavior. 2. Don’t ask about your product, ask about their problem. Wrong question: “We have this product A – would you use it?”. Right question: “Do […]
Crowdfunding pitch to media – an example
Here’s an example on how to do PR for a crowdfunding campaign. It should be sent at least a couple of weeks prior to launch. — Hi [name], this is [yourname] from [yourcompany]. We are preparing to release a new product in [yourplatform], and I wanted to give you heads-up since you wrote about [a […]