I’ve been working hard on Gateway Blogging (even changing my blog consulting services business around in a way that frees up time for me to write). All the while, I’ve been thinking about the best way to present the material. There are so many possibilities: ebooks, interactive learning environments, video, audio…
Or all of the above!
It’s a tough call. I have to think about what are the real goals with Gateway Blogging, and what are the real needs of those who will benefit from the program?
To a business person, having downloadable, printable, and portable media is key. You’ve got to be able to take it with you. You’ve got to be able to take it in the media of your choice, such as audio for your music player when you’re on the go or multitasking in the office.
Thoughts like these are moving me away from a central learning environment and towards ebooks, audio, and video. All of these media are highly portable and do not require an internet connection to be of use once acquired.
A physical book can be hundreds of pages and still be perfectly manageable, but an ebook cannot. An ebook becomes a pain in the butt after about a hundred pages. Large ebooks are unwieldy to navigate, download, and they’re certainly too big to print.
So we’re looking at several ebooks and multiple audio & video files. I might even consider a physical product: printed books and real DVDs and CDs. That would crank up the price, but the value of a physical product is in its portability and reliability. Files can take a long time to download from the web. If something happened to your computer, at least you’d still have the product–all of that knowledge wouldn’t vanish. And many people simply learn more effectively when they’re not sitting in front of a computer.
We’ll see. My mind is not completely made up, yet. Those of you who are on the alpha tester list are going to get something to test pretty darn soon!
Do you have any thoughts on the format of the course? I welcome your feedback via blog comments below or you can contact me directly.
14 Comments
I think the physical tools would be a great way to go. Portability is the key for a fast-moving society. I like knowing that I can pick up and take it wherever even if a computer or internet is not accessable.
I agree on the portability.
One thing to consider is preferred methods of learning. Personally I like scannable text best. I’m impatient, and I don’t learn well from auditory-only information. So if there’s a good reason for things to be in video I’ll watch them, but it takes more convincing for me to bother with it than if it’s text I can scan. If it’s just a podcast there’s a very high chance I’ll never listen to it. But there’s many kinds of learners and lifestyles out there…
@Sal - Thanks for the vote on a physical product!
@Tzaddi - Text will be the chief “modality” for learning, in that the text versions of everything will be created first. Afterward, the video and audio components will be created. Alpha testers will receive a portion of the text files coming up soon for evaluation and feedback!
@Michael: No problem, it also adds a lot of value if you can put something physical in your customer’s hands, as if the content wasn’t enough already. Also, if you are looking for beta testers, I would love to volunteer.
@Sal - You can sign up to be an alpha tester here. Thanks for your interest!
Personally, I really like podcasts and audio that I can listen to with my iPod. I have a long commute and it works out well. I take notes as I listen. I’d love to get an MSI Wind to make that more productive work time also. My current laptop is too big and heavy.
Something else that I thought might be interesting is putting course content on a $49 iPod Shuffle. If you have an expensive course, the $49 might make the buyer feel pretty VIP. Of course, you just add the cost into your price.
I’d also be happy to help with any kind of testing that you want to try.
@Steve - Thanks for your take on this. I really like video, myself, but a smart teacher knows how to address multiple learning modalities and gives people what they need. You can expect plenty of audio for Gateway Blogging.
I’m a big fan of audio for the same reason Steve is–I listen on my commute. I’ll listen to great stuff 5 or 6 times over the course of several months, which really helps the concepts sink in.
Video, therefore, doesn’t work as well for me. I don’t have convenient chunks of time to watch video, so it has to be on my A+ list for me to make the time unless it’s very short.
I’m definitely a reader, so written stuff is great, but written stuff with an audio backup is even better. I read once then listen to reinforce the concepts.
Love physical! And I’m happy to pay more for it.
Different learners learn in different ways. I prefer old fashioned reading. With the internet, you can add a lot of value by having hotlinks. This allows those unfamiliar with a topic to dive in deep and those who already “get it” to move on.
And with learning, a great teacher is one who can simplify and clarify. The media is less important than the content.
@Sonia - Commute time = learning time. I hear that! I plan on having an audio equivalent to every text course in Gateway Blogging.
@Jim - Very true! Certainly the media is not as important as the teacher, but I’m sure you’ll agree that when selling a product, the format/delivery vehicle is a very important consideration.
Hi Michael,
I agree with Jim Estell. I like old fashioned reading of a paper book or a Kindle book. I absorb information better if I can sit quietly with a book and read it at my own pace. I love Kindle books because I can store them on my Kindle and I don’t have to find shelf space.
Regarding video: some video takes a long time to download for example on You Tube. Your readers may get frustrated waiting for the video downloads.
Audio is a second to reading for me. I use audio to supplement what I’ve read or if I have a commute and want to reinforce what I’ve read. Podcasts are great because you don’t have to figure out where to store the CD.
At any rate, I’ll be following what you do with Gateway Blogger as you know I’m trying to start up a blog.
Shelley
@Shelley - Thanks for the feedback! Video is better for marketing than for teaching, except for some cases like walk-throughs or screencasts. Most people definitely prefer text first, and audio as a secondary option. I’m considering audio version of the text materials as well as audio with transcripts. That way, everyone gets the best of both worlds.
Hi Michael,
My vote would be to stick with your idea of multiple ebooks + multiple audio. I really like ebooks, but depending on how dense the material is I’ll often print it so I can read it somewhere outside my office and mark it up with notes. But I’m usually pretty hesitant to print an ebook that’s more than 30-40 pages… so the really long ones usually go in the “To Read” folder on my desktop (that I usually never get around to reading).
I’m also a big fan of audio since I can put it on my Zune and listen anywhere. Even if the audio topics cover different but supplementary material than the ebooks/text, I think that would be fine. When I find a really useful audio course I’ll usually refer back to the transcript as a reference, too.
Since most of the how-to information for blogging is along the lines of “how to make money blogging!” I expect your course/training will be a great and much-needed resource for those of us who see blogs as a tool to grow/supplement our business, instead of something that will BE our business. No pressure there or anything.
I’ll look forward to the day when everything is available. Thanks!
@Larrisa - Thank you for making your preferences known. The ebook and audio 1-2 punch is proving to be the favored format. Your comment about how long of an ebook gets read vs. gets “filed” is very enlightening! Duly noted!
The emphasis in Gateway Blogging is about business, yes, not monetization blogging. There will be info to help the “make money blogging” folks turn their blogs into a business (so that they can actually make money). But existing real businesses who are getting into blogging as a marketing tool will get real value out of Gateway Blogging.