Would I recommend the Long Tail?
Imagine you wanted a song. Just one song, not the entire CD. Or DVD. How could you get the song? Your answer would be simple. You’d go to a site like iTunes and download the song, right? And the Long Tail digs deep into this single song download phenomenon. And starts to unravel how most products can have a shelf life of forever.

Forever?

Yes, forever!

Understanding this simple concept of ‘forever’ is what will make your business realise just how your revenues can be linked to this ‘forever’ concept too. And how a lack of understanding, can cause you to lose revenue (and customers). Yes, forever!

Overall stickiness:
I’d rate it as a four-sticky book. And it gets that slightly lower rating, not because of the concept (which is superb, by the way). But more so, because of the application-factor (see below). Over time, however, we may see the ‘Long Tail’ change software and the way we work–at which point, I’ll be glad to revise this review.

Application:
It’s a three-sticky on application. And that’s not because the book itself lacks ideas, but it’s kinda hard for a small business owner to wrap their heads around how to apply the concepts effectively. The concepts are simply: Put everything up there that you have to sell. And then help me find it.

Which is a great idea, but requires a fair bit of back-end programming and most certainly the ability to do a mini-Amazon.com or mini-iTunes.com. With many of the bigger sites, the client already knows a bit about what they’re looking for. It’s much easier to get to Amazon.com looking for a book or a DVD. It’s much harder getting to an anonymous site, and then knowing what to look for. So yeah, I’d be looking for a sequel that gives me examples of application.

Ideas:
Despite the application being a little hard to wrap your database around ;), the book scores a perfect five-sticky on ideas. There’s a good reason why. The ideas are progressive. You quickly see how certain formats are going the way of the dinosaur (CD Sales have plummeted like, forever). And why these formats aren’t working. But more importantly, the book also gives you an insight into how you can take new technology (e.g. Facebook, mySpace etc.) and still muck up big time. The Long Tail delves deep into distribution (and why it works/and why it doesn’t). It looks at how democratisation of tools of production and distribution changes all the rules we know so well.

But most importantly, it explores markets without end. And it does so, with solid data and tons of style.

Style:
Talking about style…well, here we go. Chris Anderson slides you through several new concepts quite effortlessly. The style of writing is simple, and if anything slows you down at all, it’s the realisation of what you’re going to have to do to live in a world where several ‘Long Tails’ extend forever. Your business brain is going to hit quite a few speed bumps, but it’s not for want of style. I read this book thrice (maybe four times) and each time it just flowed from page to page.

Click to see bigger image

My Biggest Insight
Well, that’s kinda hard to say, because this book has a lot of ‘emerging technology and consequent customer behaviour’ stuff. But what really took me by surprise, was the concept of the 80:20 Rule. And how the 80 and the 20 don’t have to add up at all. I know it sounds obvious, but you do get taken aback when you learn that 80:10 works just as well as 80:35 or 80:20 for that matter.

Some of the powerful concepts in this book (and how you start applying them today): (Note: The links go to similar-kinda Psychotactics articles.I’ll add more links as I write more articles.)

Introductory concepts:
1) The ‘Internet-Only’ Generation: How do you market to a generation that won’t watch TV?
2) The 98% Rule: How tiny, tiny, tiny niches sell via the digital medium at least once.
3) How Geography Matters in distribution (And why it may not matter any more).
4) Markets without end? Is there such a concept?
5) How Long Tails exist everywhere: And the rise and fall of ‘hits’.
6) Is Choice good or is it bad? I’m saying it’s bad. Chris says it’s good. (Read my version: The Curse of Choice)
7) The Three Forces: Why the world of supply and demand is changing.
Why ‘My Chemical Romance’ succeeded, but Bonnie McKae failed in an almost identical environment (and despite the best of stats and data).
9) Why Context is King. And how filters work for or against you.

Where To Get This Book (Nope, this ain’t an affiliate link)
At Amazon.com : ‘The Long Tail’

• Author: Chris Anderson
• Hardcover: 238 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (July 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401302378
• ISBN-13: 978-1401302375

Another website you’ll find useful to understand customer psychology:
www.psychotactics.com

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Would I recommend ‘Made to Stick?’
Absolutely, I’d recommend it! It’s a five-sticky book (where a five-sticky rating is the top score) on Application, Ideas, as well as style.

Application:
It’s a five-sticky on the application score, because each chapter gives you a ‘clinic’. This ‘clinic’ is not just a very good summary of what you’ve just learned, but can also test your abilities–and measure them against the concepts. And there’s a rating system for ’stickiness’ in the ‘clinic’ itself. So you can go ‘duh’ when you realise, what you could have done to make the communication a little stickier–and didn’t.

Ideas:
It’s hard to turn too many pages in this book without getting a bucket-load of ideas. This book is packed to the brim with real examples, and well-told stories. And it’s quite easy to connect the concepts to your own business. And once you’ve made the connection, the ideas start to flow. I ended up with 48 stickies. And read the book three times. And yes, I’d read it a fourth time, just to mop up what I didn’t see on the first three passes. So heck, ideas just flow. Which is why the ideas get a five-sticky too!

Style:
Many books have ideas. And applications. Few have an inherent style. Ok, so style is kinda subjective, but I couldn’t put the book down. And I started reading it at 2am. It kept me absorbed. A thriller couldn’t have done much better! Ahem, a five-sticky on that too!

Kinda summed up on this brown paper bag

Click image to see bigger picture of this brown paper bag

My Biggest Insight
Story telling is dramatic. We all know that. But this book tells you a story on literally every page.

And then underlines how the story links up to the concepts that are being taught in the book. If there’s one thing I’ve got that would make this book worth the read, it’s the importance of story-telling vs. cold analytical facts; That figures aren’t a patch on story-telling; That testimonials don’t work their magic without the story behind the testimonial.

That when facts meet stories in the boxing ring, stories come out champions every single time.

Some of the powerful concepts in this book (and how you start applying them today): (Note: The links go to similar-kinda Psychotactics articles.I’ll add more links as I write more articles.)1- Break the pattern: How to get the attention of the customer.
2- The Curse of Knowledge: Ah, the term says it all-but distraction helps
3- The low-fare airline: The ability to cut through the crap.
4- No school next Thursday: What does it really mean?
5- Disco lights on the floor: The Southwest girl with a sense of humour.
6- It’s the Economy, Stupid! - One Idea, not three!
6- Sour grapes: Sour. Not sweet. That’s concrete.
7- Stephen Covey’s description of a football team (ok, ok, soccer): Bringing abstraction to life.
8- Don’t Mess With Texas: Is your advertising being wasted? Memorable messaging
9- Shop talk at Xerox: Geek talk ain’t always Greek

Where To Get This Book (Nope, this ain’t an affiliate link)
At Amazon.com : ‘Made to Stick’

• Author: Chip and Dan Heath
• Publisher: Random House (January 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400064287
• ISBN-13: 978-1400064281
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches

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