Who?
Every entrepreneur, marketer, and product manager.
When?
Now.
Why?
The Long Tail is one of those books that puts changes to world markets in perfect perspective.
Best Quote
The three main observations:
- the tail of available variety is far longer than we realize
- it’s now within the reach economically
- all those niches, when aggregated, can make up a significant market – seemed indisputable, especially backed up with heretofore unseen data.
Review
Some people have greatly criticized this book by saying that Chris Anderson took one step too far by trying to force the Long Tail model onto market that do not conform to it. I disagree with their critiques.
Having been exposed to this idea as a result of statistics courses in college and then my work in SEO, I did not find this idea all that shocking. That being said, The Long Tail was a very impressive book. It is extremely well written, and if you’re not familiar with the topic, it is the book to read in order to help understand changes in media and marketplaces of all types and why it is that your one big bet is unlikely to succeed, but your 1,000 little bets all just might.
Last Word
Whether you agree with the critiques of The Long Tail or not, Chris Anderson’s book is a must read that will give entrepreneurs, marketers, and product managers significant insight into market fragmentation, indie success, and the growth of niche upon niche upon niche.
