Printers are the Rodney Dangerfield of the technology publishing industry — they don't get no respect. In the mid-1990s, I subscribed to Flash, a zine that covered laser printers for hobbyists, but you would be hard pressed to find such a publication nowadays. Printers tend to work more reliably than other equipment once configured so perhaps that explains this void.
Nonetheless, we think printers deserve a publication of their own given their important role in our homes and offices. Fortunately, so does our client, Databazaar, the largest independent online retailer of printer supplies. So Databazaar hired us (our LandingPage agency to be precise) to do exactly that.
Databazaar Blog launched earlier this month. Every day, we cover printers and related topics using a variety of recurring features. For example, Printer News covers new printers for home and office use, PrinTips provides FAQs, how-tos, and other tips, and DoubleSided covers the unusual and esoteric.
Importantly, Databazaar has provided us with editorial independence. The blog is a marketing vehicle only in the sense that it's designed to generate traffic. The best way to do that is with helpful content.
I always hesitate to use the "i" word, but in this case I feel it's warranted. Databazaar Blog features a number of innovations that I have not seen in other blogs. For example, we grouped a create bookmark script, email subscription form, and RSS feed together in a section called Subscription Center, which should enable people to better understand how to "subscribe" to a blog. Perhaps someday every blog will have a subscription center.
As for the content, it's more interesting than you might think. For a sampler, check out these posts:
Savvisoft Draws Up a New Blueprint for Microsoft Outlook
Kodak EASYSHARE 5100 All-in-One Printer: The Holy Grail of Inkjet Printing?
How Can I Share a Printer Connected to My Windows Vista PC?
Seeing the Light: Xerox Invents Self-Erasing Paper
Believe it or not, Databazaar Blog is not the only game in town. Several other printer blogs also exist:
The Ink Blog: A printer blog by another online printer supplies store.
Jim Lyons Observations: A blog by a printer industry consultant.
The HP LaserJet blog by Vince Ferraro: A blog by HP LaserJet's vice president of worldwide marketing.
Please send me your thoughts and suggestions for Databazaar Blog. Also, we would like to publish an article about the oldest printers still in use. If you still use a printer more than 15 years old, please contact us.
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A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.
