Earlier this weekend, someone used the Alexa web stats service and compared the daily reach of GigaOM with that of my friends at Techcrunch and that on Mashable, and wondered if I was sad.
Now I could have easily answered this question over on GigaOM, but instead I am leaving that for what it is for — news, analysis and the unfolding story about business of technology. For everything else, I have this blog and that includes questions about my perceived sadness.
For now I wouldn’t bother to point out that we are actually a network of seven blogs and are syndicated to mainstream publications such as The New York Times, BusinessWeek, CNN Money and Salon. Instead, I will just focus on our philosophy and business strategy which doesn’t revolve around mere page views.
When we relaunched the brand new GigaOM design in November 2009, I wrote that “we’ve tried to do is strike a fine balance between what is a blog and what would be an online magazine.” It was so because we wanted to focus on more analysis and in-depth posts. It was not to just compete with other technology publications, but was also standout amongst what has become a very crowded market.
That is why I have admiration for Michael Arrington and his team at Techcrunch and what they have been able to do to dominate the technology news market. Everyone from Techcrunch to Business Insider to Venturebeat to Readwriteweb and not to mention technology blogs from mainstream publications such as AllThingsD and Bits have their own unique playbook to covering technology industry. We have our playbook. What we do is focus on what we do best: take years of experience, a professional approach and use our sources to present the best news analysis and informed opinions in near realtime. In a post last year, I wrote:
As Twitter has become increasingly ingrained in our everyday lives, its value as as source of information tidbits has become clear. Think of it like that plate of chips and salsa you get before the entree arrives: tasty — spicy, even — but not entirely satisfying. Meanwhile, blogging has become the main course — the source of context. And the evolution into that role has injected new life into the blogosphere.
In this age of instant information, thanks to the rise of Twitter and Facebook, the demand is for tools of context, and that is why I think we are on the right path. Jeff Jarvis, a noted media critic and veteran of the publishing business writes:
If you are selling a scarcity — an inventory — of any nonphysical goods today, stop, turn around, and start selling value — outcomes — instead. Or you’re screwed. Apply this rule to many enterprises: advertising, media, content, information, education, consultation, and to some extent, performance.
That is what we are offering to our readers: value.
You know the biggest reason why there is no reason for me to be sad: our community of readers know exactly what we stand for and what they get when they come to GigaOM.com. In response of the said post , several commenters on the Hacker News reflected how we think of our publication. To them I say thank you for making it all worthwhile by noticing our efforts. That is precisely the encouragement we need to keep doing better for you.
To me their comments are a reason to be elated: we are in sync with the needs of those who we serve.