Harry Potter and the Joys of Reading

I'm still only half-way through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, so don't blow it for me, okay? This week the Apple iPhone's buzz generation machine had it's ass handed to it by none other than The Boy Who Lived, as the 7th and final Harry Potter book was released. There really doesn't seem to be any way to artificially generate this kind of buzz, which is what makes it actually seem so charming. For once kids weren't clamoring to have their parents buy them something because some commercial drove them crazy with product lust, but because of a genuine interest. In reading of all things!

Meanwhile, reports are already drifting out that the iPhone has a few problems, like the inability to work. The servers clog, the battery doesn't hold charge... otherwise it's a fabulous piece of technology. But back to Harry Potter. Does it strike anyone else as amazing that a book can generate this much attention? In an age where everything is digital media? In 2003, the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released the same weekend as the film, "The Incredible Hulk." The book, which cost three times that of a movie ticket, outperformed that summer's Hollywood blockbuster. Someday someone will do a comprehensive dissection of the marketing that went into making Harry Potter the phenom that it was. I only hope if it is used again, it is used for another series of books. Kids sure seem to be reading again thanks to JK Rowling. It would be sad to have the following generation dip back down into disinterest with reading because they don't have a Harry Potter of their own.

About the Author: Eric Reid

I am the Social Media Services Manager for Off Madison Ave. I've been with the company since 2006, when I was hired to do SEO, and link building in particular. When social networking sites started cropping up, at first I started using them to create backlinks - but they weren't the best for that, given all of the "nofollow" attributes. However, I did see the potential for all of the direct referral traffic they represent. Since then I've been actively pursuing both tactics for clients: Links that can help them for search, and social postings that get them involved in the conversation. It's about the coolest job you could ever get. ;)

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