Lonely at the Tail-End of the Long Tail

Can Social Media

Spice Up my eLearning Initiative?

Presentation made at

‘Learning with Social Media Educating the Facebook Generation’

Conference

New Delhi, 10 December 2010

The Long TailThe Long TailThe Long TailThe Long Taill

If you are an aggregator or If you are an aggregator or If you are an aggregator or If you are an aggregator or a platform, life on the Long a platform, life on the Long a platform, life on the Long a platform, life on the Long Tail is Tail is Tail is Tail is usually goodusually goodusually goodusually good!!!!

Amazon, Amazon, Amazon, Amazon, NetflixNetflixNetflixNetflix b

But if you are But if you are But if you are But if you are an author, an author, an author, an author, independent educator independent educator independent educator independent educator or or or or aaaasmall publisher…small publisher…small publisher…small publisher…Oops!

Oops!

DON’T WORRY.DON’T WORRY.DON’T WORRY.DON’T WORRY.

SUPPLY CREATES SUPPLY CREATES SUPPLY CREATES SUPPLY CREATES

ITS OWN DEMANDITS OWN DEMANDITS OWN DEMANDITS OWN DEMAND

ZERO

I built I built I built I built but they but they but they but they never camenever camenever camenever came

DON’T WORRY.DON’T WORRY.DON’T WORRY.DON’T WORRY.

SUPPLY CREATES SUPPLY CREATES SUPPLY CREATES SUPPLY CREATES

ITS OWN DEMANDITS OWN DEMANDITS OWN DEMANDITS OWN DEMAND

Started a Started a Started a Started a company to company to company to company to provide provide provide provide eLearning eLearning eLearning eLearning products for products for products for products for imparting imparting imparting imparting skills skills skills skills rrrrequired for equired for equired for equired for flourishing in flourishing in flourishing in flourishing in the 21the 21the 21the 21stststst centurycenturycenturycentury

m

My experience of dealing with loneliness at the tail-end of the long tail

First Product:First Product:First Product:First Product:an iPhone an iPhone an iPhone an iPhone App App App App on Critical on Critical on Critical on Critical Thinking Thinking Thinking Thinking SkillsSkillsSkillsSkills

l

Then an eBookThen an eBookThen an eBookThen an eBook::::

Fire Up the Learner WithinFire Up the Learner WithinFire Up the Learner WithinFire Up the Learner Within---- The Art of SelfThe Art of SelfThe Art of SelfThe Art of Self----Directed LearningDirected LearningDirected LearningDirected Learning

Created a website :www.TimelessLifeskills.co.ukCreated a website :www.TimelessLifeskills.co.ukCreated a website :www.TimelessLifeskills.co.ukCreated a website :www.TimelessLifeskills.co.ukz

Tried fostering ‘Learning Conversations’ Tried fostering ‘Learning Conversations’ Tried fostering ‘Learning Conversations’ Tried fostering ‘Learning Conversations’ on the websiteon the websiteon the websiteon the websitez

Started a Started a Started a Started a BlogBlogBlogBlogz

Migrated the Migrated the Migrated the Migrated the ‘Learning ‘Learning ‘Learning ‘Learning Conversations’ Conversations’ Conversations’ Conversations’ to Facebookto Facebookto Facebookto Facebook

nnnn

Experimented with Twitter and other forms that Experimented with Twitter and other forms that Experimented with Twitter and other forms that Experimented with Twitter and other forms that would appeal to the Facebook generationwould appeal to the Facebook generationwould appeal to the Facebook generationwould appeal to the Facebook generation z

Created Visual Tweets and put them on platforms Created Visual Tweets and put them on platforms Created Visual Tweets and put them on platforms Created Visual Tweets and put them on platforms like like like like ScribdScribdScribdScribd and and and and SlideShareSlideShareSlideShareSlideShare z

ssss

ssss

On On On On ScribdScribdScribdScribd alone 8 months statistics were…alone 8 months statistics were…alone 8 months statistics were…alone 8 months statistics were…

Moral of the Story!

If you are an independent educator, selfIf you are an independent educator, selfIf you are an independent educator, selfIf you are an independent educator, self----publishing publishing publishing publishing author or a small publisher…author or a small publisher…author or a small publisher…author or a small publisher…

- Use Social Media as an ‘Use Social Media as an ‘Use Social Media as an ‘Use Social Media as an ‘AMPLIFIERAMPLIFIERAMPLIFIERAMPLIFIER’ to promote your ’ to promote your ’ to promote your ’ to promote your eeee----learning initiativelearning initiativelearning initiativelearning initiative

- Use Social Media as a ‘Use Social Media as a ‘Use Social Media as a ‘Use Social Media as a ‘GLUEGLUEGLUEGLUE’ to foster learning ’ to foster learning ’ to foster learning ’ to foster learning conversations and help your learners deepen their conversations and help your learners deepen their conversations and help your learners deepen their conversations and help your learners deepen their understandingunderstandingunderstandingunderstanding

Plan to try social media in mPlan to try social media in mPlan to try social media in mPlan to try social media in m----learninglearninglearninglearning---- like Bubbly, which is Twitter like Bubbly, which is Twitter like Bubbly, which is Twitter like Bubbly, which is Twitter with a VOICE!with a VOICE!with a VOICE!with a VOICE!

What Next?

z