Cripes, it has been a long day, because in rereading I realized I just went right past your final point in my reply. Err, sorry about that -- had a three-hour meeting this afternoon and that much talking (and meeting of people) tends to send my brain into a dull state when I get home. Introversion regroup time! (And what do I do? I sit on DW and REPLY TO PEOPLE. Logic, there.) Anyway!
I have no idea how much fandom spends online, via clicks. I know that most smaller sites using Amazon have to target very specifically -- the Amazon bookstore isn't really kind to the process of adding new titles, last time I checked (that is, I don't think it'll randomly bring stuff up; you have to log which titles you'll be listing). But thinking about it now, I don't see why it couldn't be that, say, a community suggests (or maybe even adds, itself) five or six titles that pertain to its fandom. Then, when someone clicks a tag that's the same as whatever the community's chosen as the item-tags, those particular selections would show up. Hmmm. That's targeted based on your current page-reading, but at the same time, it's not just Amazon being random. It's a community of fans who know this stuff saying, "this is good stuff!" or whatever.
I'm not sure I'd put all my eggs in that basket, but in terms of bolstering the site -- and letting the fans speak for themselves in terms of which copy/format/whatever to buy, in their fandom -- I think that works better than the alternative of just opening up advertising to any/all. I mean, if it's "so-and-so community recommends..." then, hm, I think I'd be more inclined to at least give it the benefit of the doubt, if I'd already thought about purchasing or were open to it. It's kind of like how we're more willing to spend money on an unknown if a friend swears by it... so I wonder if some geek could come along and tell me whether it's possible to link all that together: the Amazon books, the Amazon (or Powell's) sales-API, and the recommending community. I imagine it is, but it'd be nice to have someone say they know how to do it!
no subject
Date: 8 Oct 2011 06:40 am (UTC)I have no idea how much fandom spends online, via clicks. I know that most smaller sites using Amazon have to target very specifically -- the Amazon bookstore isn't really kind to the process of adding new titles, last time I checked (that is, I don't think it'll randomly bring stuff up; you have to log which titles you'll be listing). But thinking about it now, I don't see why it couldn't be that, say, a community suggests (or maybe even adds, itself) five or six titles that pertain to its fandom. Then, when someone clicks a tag that's the same as whatever the community's chosen as the item-tags, those particular selections would show up. Hmmm. That's targeted based on your current page-reading, but at the same time, it's not just Amazon being random. It's a community of fans who know this stuff saying, "this is good stuff!" or whatever.
I'm not sure I'd put all my eggs in that basket, but in terms of bolstering the site -- and letting the fans speak for themselves in terms of which copy/format/whatever to buy, in their fandom -- I think that works better than the alternative of just opening up advertising to any/all. I mean, if it's "so-and-so community recommends..." then, hm, I think I'd be more inclined to at least give it the benefit of the doubt, if I'd already thought about purchasing or were open to it. It's kind of like how we're more willing to spend money on an unknown if a friend swears by it... so I wonder if some geek could come along and tell me whether it's possible to link all that together: the Amazon books, the Amazon (or Powell's) sales-API, and the recommending community. I imagine it is, but it'd be nice to have someone say they know how to do it!