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Alternate epublishing: How to Succeed with Mochila
Are you a publisher of a magazine, or a newspaper, or a newsletter and think that the only way to sell the product is as a complete package? What if you were to be told that you have a market for each of the articles in your publication, either singly or all together?
Are you looking for quality content to add to your website and dream of featuring syndicated material from reputed publications, but the cost is a deterrent?
Are you a website owner generating articles, case studies and white paper of quality and would like to find a wider market for the same?
Are you an advertiser wanting to showcase to an audience, which comprises the well read, the choosy and the quality conscious?
You have heard of brand names in products, but did you think that ‘branded content’ was possible?
You have heard about Audio and Video on Command. Are you ready to provide or access ‘content on demand’?
Well, the answer for all these questions may well be in Mochila.
The name is intriguing, but a little research tells you that it is fitting. A Spanish word for knapsack, Mochila was used to carry letters during the 19th century, on what was called the pony express. (http://www.xphomestation.com/mochila.html) Mochila was a leather cover over the saddle and had pouches in which the mail was kept locked, physically transported and delivered, between the mid-west and California. The present day avatar of Mochila is as a transporter of content, over the Internet, to and from a supermarket for syndicated content.
Mochila will be a name to watch out for, over the next few months. Tapping into the $2 billion market for articles syndication, Mochila aims to create an online store of content. Imagine this – you can browse the shelves according to the category, pick up content that will add value to your publication or website, ensure authenticity by scrutinizing the ‘developer’s background’, pay at the checkout counter and publish it in your web page immediately. It will truly empower publishers. The idea of content syndication is not new, the RSS feeds being a popular tool, but Mochila seems to be a value-added model, targeted at the well-known publishers and quality websites.
In the words of the CEO, McAllister, "People want to get any kind of content they want, anywhere, anytime, by any kind of device. We are helping media companies transform their business operation models to seize that opportunity." (http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/27/business/wires.php)
The Mochila model – in simple terms:
Mochila provides shelf space and invites content developers to fill it with content, build the inventory and create the product line. At the same time the invitations goes out to potential buyers to come to the store and browse. A third category of invitees is the community of advertisers. Seems a win-win solution for all the players. This is such a simple model that it may not be long before many others enter the fray. Mochila expects the leading wire services, newsprint publications and websites to place their products for sale.
The advantages to a seller:
Provides a new revenue model for publishers;
Every content sold on Mochila is given credit and offers the potential to attract fresh online traffic to the original web page or publication from where it was syndicated;
Content creators of repute stand to gain, as ‘branding’ of their products will be a direct spin off;
The advantages to a buyer:
Access to a veritable supermarket for quality content;
Possibility of selecting the best and the most relevant content under a category, to meet the objective of publishing such a piece;
The flexibility of selecting only the articles one needs and not having to buy the whole publication, thus reducing costs;
Possibility of improving search engine ranking by adding relevant content;
Possibility of improving corporate image and acquiring a branding by publishing highly focused features and articles.
Opportunities for Advertisers:
High visibility, by tagging on to the more popular articles;
Higher chance of the target community spending more time on the page, as quality of the content is expected to be high;
Placing targeted ads will be possible – the content will help direct relevant, related ads.
Note: The buyers can choose, whether to accept online advertising or not. Accepting will mean free content and a share in the revenue! Note: the revenue from the advertising is shared among the buyer, seller and Mochila.
How does one shop in the Mochila market place?
Registered members can search for content using a customized search engine;
The search can be made in a variety of ways, from subject, to the name of the publisher, to the author, or even search for keywords;
If a product appeals, review price and see if the terms are agreeable and add it to the shopping cart; (pretty much like how a discerning customer would look at the name of a company, the date of manufacture and the nutritional information before buying a food article from a supermarket!)
Once purchased, the content is available for use immediately.
Note: The cost of the article will depend on the length of the article and the projected circulation etc.
How does one place ones ‘wares’ for sale on Mochila?
Seems simple. The steps:
Upload content;
Indicate the price; and
Indicate any restrictions that you may want to impose.
Note: Only members have this privilege
The people behind the venture:
Headed by Keith McAllister, who has over 18 years of experience in CNN, the group behind the venture brings with it expertise in the area of business media, publications and software.
Early bird members:
Some of the notable early sign ups are:
Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc. (HFM U.S.). Based in New York, with over 20 publications, the group circulation in the US is estimated to be nearly 50 million.
Metro, an international newspaper publishing over 60 Metro editions across Europe, North & South America and Asia; and
Inc.com, the website which delivers advice, tools, and services, to businesses.
How to make Mochila work for you:
The first step is to have the passion to be the best and offer original, quality content in your own publication, which could be a website, an online newspaper, a newsletter, or a magazine;
Know the types of articles, in general, and the topics in particular, to source from Mochila. Remember that what you wish to add to your website should provide value to visitors.
Monitor traffic, specially to judge whether the new pages, syndicated from Mochila, are becoming ‘entry pages’;
Use the top key words for your website while searching for content on Mochila;
Understand all about the advertisers before choosing to ‘link to an ad’.
Note: Joining this group would mean increased visibility. Take stock of what you need to do, to make your website stand out as a professional and a dependable one. See what is the brand image you want to create for yourself.
Vilasini, seen here with a cat, is actually a dog lover! Started her stint with Chillibreeze as a writer and is presently the Chief Operating Officer of the content division. This is who she says she is "a Masters in Math by qualification, a Coordinator by birth and a 'people person' by nature." Seeing Chillibreeze become a globally recognized company, adding value to clients and making a difference in the lives of Chilli writers, is her mission in life now! You can reach her at vilasini@chillibreeze.com
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