The OIO Brand
Published by on May 12th, 2008I was thinking the other day about how to consolidate the OIO brand. As mentioned in earlier posts, there are a number of alternative blog monetisation ideas (as opposed to just selling ad space) being floated around to extend the brand.
Before that can be done effectively however, the underlying infrastructure needs to be in place. Let me use the upcoming partnership with ViralBlogAds.com (VBA, due to go into alpha testing this week) to explain the situation.
VBA is a standalone product, and will hopefully provide its own useful service to all blog owners. It is designed to integrate with the OIOpublisher API, in such a way that it will automatically fill ad slots that have yet to be filled through direct advertising. This way of working means that all avenues are left open - anyone can use the site, but OIO users get specific benefits too.
This is perhaps the route that further innovations should follow. Instead of these “addon” services being a part of OIOpublisher (as previously planned), they should instead be created as standalone products, with the OIO plugin being the hub for all the different blog monetisation methods created.
Take the DigiZine idea from the labs. If it were restricted to OIO users only, then there is a barrier to entry (the price tag of the plugin). But if it was built as a standalone product, and therefore free to use, it would have broader appeal. The main OIO plugin would then be integrated into the “zine” product to give those users an optimal experience.
In essence, the OIOpublisher plugin becomes a blogger’s personal monetisation platform, with its own core features, but also the ability to easily integrate with other products produced under the OIO brand / through partnerships.
The challenge then becomes one of making sure that all the different products can communicate. By that I mean the API. If you signup to use one product that requires blog authentication to function, an API key will be needed. The key must then be linked to that particular blog throughout the OIO product range. A central database of blogs, users, and API keys may then be necessary.
Something to think about…
5 Responses to “The OIO Brand”
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May 16th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Hey Simon!
I see OIOPublisher everywhere now - great job with the marketing! I took a quick look at VBA - shoot me an Alpha key if you can - I would like to try it on DeepMarket. Thanks!
May 19th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I tried to sign up for a VBA account but it asks for an alpha key. What do we use for an alpha key? Our OIOPublisher API?
Looks like the way to go but we need explicit instructions.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Same question as Jim. Where can I find an Alpha key?
May 21st, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Sorry, haven’t checked the blog for a few days, and so missed the comments!
@ Eric - nice to know you’re still alive hehe. I’ll mail you the alpha key.
@Jim & Robert - the alpha phase is currently private, which is why you can’t access it from OIOpublisher yet. However, if you email me via the contact form, I’ll send you an alpha key.
It’s still very early stages - we’re looking for user feedback regarding features etc.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Just curious if the aplha key available now and where can I get it?
Thanks