Librarian of Fortune

Competing on value, not price

I had a few talks that I had recorded and needed transcribing. I headed over to Elance to see how cheaply I could get it done. After looking through some listings of transcriptionists, I would up selecting Jenifer Toussant (jenifertoussant.elance.com), who's based in the US. I asked her how she survives while competing with $3/hour off-shore transcriptionists and here's what she said:

I do run into lots of people who use an offshore transcription service for about 1/3 of the price that I offer, but that has drawbacks for those clients, both tangible and intangible.  I  know I cannot compete on price so I must stand apart in quality, both the quality of my work and the quality of my relationship with my client.  To this end I also provide broader, one-stop services as far as article writing, editing and proofreading - skills that require an amount of critical thinking or artistic flair. I can build a larger network by offering higher-end freelance services than I could by just marketing to people in my local area, which is still depressed economically.

This is exactly how I think that info pros can also address the challenge of offshoring or outsourcing. Offer tangible value that an off-shored person can't offer, and you'll keep your clients, and your job.

Measuring the Intangible

Andrea Meyer is one of the smartest people I know, as well as a truly delightful person. I suggest you follow her on Twitter. And read this blog on Measuring the Intangible. It's a quick and thoughtful look at how companies can look at publicly-available data on your product, brand, or city...

Flickr, Twitter and blogs are all rich sources of user-generated photos, opinions or reviews. Analyze which features or aspects of your product are displayed or mentioned. This data helps reveal how customers portray, experience or feel about your product.

Augmented reality

I'm in the middle of writing a column for EContent magazine, and got caught up in the idea of augmented reality. The early iterations are smartphone apps like Layar or Google Goggles. This video from the 2009 TED conference shows some amazing prototypes from MIT's Media Lab of new ways of retrieving and displaying digital content onto the real world, presented by Pattie Maes. Think of how Tom Cruise in "Minority Report" and imagine actually being able to manipulate information by moving your fingers in the air.

20 Ways to Kick-Start Your Marketing

Head over here to see my list of 20 ideas for marketing efforts for an info business (or for any entrepreneurially-minded info pro) to get new clients in 2010. None require much money; all require a little time and creativity. Examples of the suggestions are:

• Look through your social networks. If you have not established connections with all of your clients, now is the time to do it. And see who their contacts are; if you see any that you think may use your services, ask your client for a connection or introduction.
• Look through all your projects from the last six months or year. Follow up on the issues that are regular concerns for your clients and send them on a recent article on the topic with a note to the effect of "I saw this and thought you might find it useful with regard to {our recent project}".
• Attend a local chapter meeting of an association you find interesting, even if you do not expect to find clients. Consider the visit to be professional development, not just marketing. I sometimes find my best clients when I am not looking for them.