It is important for podcasters to start out on the right foot when setting up the RSS feeds for their podcasts. The RSS feed is their main connection with their subscribers and losing control of that feed can be disastrous to communicating with and maintaining their audience.
Another cool time-lapse video for your inspiration.
Where could you take a cool time-lapse? I think they give a great feeling for the location as you can see a large amount of time and activity compressed into just a few minutes.
If you take time-lapse videos, do please share it with me and I will share the best ones here.
Douglas presents his podcast process from the beginning of recording to the final release and download of the podcast file. If you have been wondering how to share your podcasts with the world, this presentation gives a thorough overview of the entire process.
My friend, Liam Johnson (@editorliam) just told me about this free New Media event happening in early June in Orange County, California. It sounds like a great day and — based on Liam’s recommendation — something worth attending. I have already registered to attend. Hope to see you there. — Douglas
MCAI LA/OC MediaProCamp 2012!
Saturday, June 9, 2012 8:15 AM
The Digital Media Center 1300 S. Bristol Street, Santa Ana, CA (map)
MCA-i’s signature event, MediaProCamp, sponsored by Panasonic for the second consecutive year is again FREE to media pros who pre-register on line!
MediaProCamp is really an all-day (9:00 to 3:00 pm) series of roundtable discussions among working media professionals.
The idea is that no one is an expert on everything and yet we all have valuable expertise and experience to share.
The result is a dynamic, unpredictable fun experience of problem-solving, sharing and networking among expert professionals!
As you will see by our video it is a very special day that literally every working pro gets value from! http://www.mcai-oc.org/
Here are some of the Special Features you can expect at our 2012 MediaProCamp on June 9th:
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Doorprizes: We’re gathering number of professional services and products to raffle off. Again this year Adobe has offered us their new CS6 post production software package to give away to one lucky attendee!
And Colin Smith Smith, a noted Adobe trainer, best-selling author and award-winning new-media designer, will be holding a training session on CS6. Colin is also founder of the world’s most popular Photoshop resource site, www.PhotoshopCAFE.com which boasts over three million visitors.
Panasonic is in the process of arranging for a filmmaker-cinematographer to speak to us about what we can expect from the many changes in digital videography that have recently affected movie making and other media.
MCA-i’s Walter Davis, a producer-director-writer, and generous mentor will be giving a presentation as well. He is also an internet media entrepreneur with several Internet TV and Radio channels currently running. At past MediaProCamps, Mr. Davis enthralled attendees with valuable tips on Utilizing Internet TV for Profit; Mobile Apps; and Making Money On The Web. So you can be sure that his offering at the 2012 MediaProCamp will be interesting and valuable to your media business.
You can expect to meet any number of well-known media pros at the event but it’s not about lectures it’s about collaborating! Bring YOUR ideas. You may be voted on to make a presentation!
EVENT: MCA-I’s MediaProCamp presented by the LA/OC Chapter, sponsored nationally by Panasonic
Monthly meeting of the LA/OC Chapter of MCA-I. Pre-register HERE
DATE: Saturday June 9, 2012
TIME: Doors open at 8:15 AM for Registration and networking over free coffee etc.. Roundtable Seminars begin at 9:00 AM FREE LUNCH included thanks to Panasonic!
Event Ends no later than 3:00 PM
As always, bring a friend and plenty of business cards. Come early and network with other media professionals over light food.
EVEN THOUGH THIS EVENT IS FREE, SPACE IS LIMITED
YOU MUST REGISTER ONLINE SO WE CAN GET AN ACCURATE COUNT FOR FOOD!
This presentation was recorded as part of the ELearning Guild’s Online Forums in 2010. I still find it to be a great overview of why new media is important and how it can be used in a variety of environments — not just elearning.
I was having a difficult time releasing my latest gardening podcast last night. The PowerPress plugin I use from Blubrry.com was silly refusing to accept a podcast enclosure link. I could past in the URL of the media file, click verify to assure the file existed and press Update on the WordPress post, but once that complete the enclosure information would be gone. It was very frustrating.
I could see that the PowerPress plugin was working on my other blogs and even on past posts to the garden blog, so it looked like something that had changed recently. I try to keep all my WordPress plugins up-to-date to prevent malicious attacks on my blog, but it looks like this time an update had broken something else. In this case, an older plugin, unrelated to PowerPress itself, was the culprit.
After quite a long time trying various searches for an explanation, I finally came across this post — “PowerPress Media URLS keep vanishing” on the Blubrry.com Forums. It seems that the plugin PushPress was no longer compatible with newer versions of WordPress and it was interfering with the PowerPress plugin in some way. Sure enough, deactivating the PushPress plugin cleared up the problem and allowed me to, once again, post my podcasts.
I am posting this in hopes that if and when someone else runs into this problem, my post will be easier for them to find during their search for a solution.
It deals a host of new social media tracking reports that provide an amazing amount of detail on how various social media sites are driving traffic to your web properties i.e. blog, web site, store.
You can find the new reports under Standard Reporting, Traffic Sources, Social…
It can be a bit daunting to locate and use these reports, as powerful tools can often be a bit hard to use. Still, I was able to reach in an tease out some very detailed information about which sites are sending traffic to my web site and exactly what they articles they are linking to. You can slice and dice the information in a number of ways which I have only just begun to discover.
If you use Google Analytics, check out these new reports. I am sure you will find a wealth of information there about how social media is effecting your web efforts.
An interesting acquisition, but I wonder what Discovery is getting out of the deal. Are they looking to do more web-based entertainment or are they basically hiring a bunch of web video talent to create new properties for Discovery or bolster their existing properties. Only time will tell. I wish them the best and hope that they can find a fit within Discovery.
Discovery Gets a Web Video Arm, Courtesy of Revision3
“…Here’s a proof point: Discovery Communications, parent of the Discovery Channel, has purchased Revision3, a Web video start-up that makes and distributes its own shows, like “Tekzilla” and “Epic Meal Time.”…”
Nimble is looking for a Social Media Manager to aid in building relationships with various groups of stakeholders: customers, partners, bloggers, press and other members of the ecosystem. Reporting to the director of social media, the Social Media Manager will communicate and champion the vision externally, while helping develop and establish best practices, metrics and KPIs internally.
Responsibilities
Become one of the voices of Nimble, demonstrating thought leadership in Social Media initiatives.
Monitor social media for mentions of Nimble, key executives and initiatives, as well as competitors and industry trends and events.
Engage daily via various social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and blogs.
Build relationships with thought leaders, lead customers, bloggers.
Provide customer service via social channels, working with internal feedback forums and Nimble product and engineering teams.
Collect and communicate insights that can help identify top issues, unmet needs, and other inputs that can be useful to the company from a product development, customer service, and marketing standpoint.
Work with the director of the social media and the rest of the social media team to provide regular updates to internal stakeholders and partners on insights gathered through regular monitoring and measurement.
Create and aid in creation of content, such as blogposts, videos, tweets, webinars, briefing decks.
Help foster a culture of innovation and advocacy in among employees and partners.
After many years of talking about marketing, learning about marketing and consuming marketing. I feel confident in saying that “Marketing”, with a big M, is dead. The term carries so much baggage — so much angst and, in some ways, so much hatred, that it is worse than useless as a definition. Marketing’s meaning is perverted and distorted so much that people now have a visceral, physical, hateful reaction to the mere mention of the word. Marketing is dead…or should be… and we need to find not only new methods of “marketing”, but also new theories, new tactics and basically a whole lot a NEW ideas.
Since the term marketing is so loaded, I think we need to usurp or create a new moniker for our active efforts to sell our books, music, movies, shows, arts and crafts. After some quick thought, the term Introduction seems a useful replacement. Instead of screaming our marketing at someone, via television, newspaper, magazine and radio, we should instead seek to introduce people to our work. We should then support them — in any way possible — in introducing our work to others. These introductions aren’t tied to money, prestige or other perks, but rather introductions are given on the basis of value. Each person is told, “if you like this, introduce it to your friends, family and peers.”
Author Seth Godin often talks about the need for a Purple Cow — something so unique, so fun so great — that people simply cannot NOT talk about. (Link to the book) When that happens, old school marketing goes out the window and new school Introductions begins. Still, you only have to watch TV, listen to the radio or read a newspaper to see that old school marketing still seems to be the only thing that people understand.
We must share our work!
As content creators, we MUST market — er, Introduce, — ourselves to the world. Books and scripts don’t sell themselves in a drawer. Music doesn’t sell itself in your computer recording studio. Photos can’t be hidden in the dark. In order to sell our products, they must be seen by the world — seen and appreciated. To start this process, we must introduce them to the world through people that appreciate them and activities that share them to like-minded people. This isn’t the scattershot screaming of today’s “Marketing.” It is a careful cultivation of people who can grow with you and your product over the years.
In seems only smart to change our tactics. If you talk to people about marketing most seem cynical, distraught and angry. Some even wish they didn’t do the marketing work they currently do. How sad! Is this where marketing has led us? You can understand their cynicism, though. The methods that were so carefully honed over the last 2-3 centuries are failing us. Changes in the our world, economy and technology have systematically stripped away the usefulness of old marketing, but as of yet, very little new thought has arisen to take its place. It is almost like we are shipwreck survivors who would rather go down with the debris from the ship than try to swim to the nearby shore. We are too afraid to try something new, even though the old is sinking beneath us. Instead we wallow in our cynicism and anger.
Introductions
Enter Introductions. Introductions are not about shouting at strangers, it is about conversing with friends. It is not about seeking the mass market, but rather the close knit niche markets that the Internet has made possible. It isn’t about sell, sell, sell as much as it is about share, share, share, talk, talk, talk and then, hopefully, sell, sell, sell. You aren’t trying to convince people to buy, you are rather introducing them to a product and then helping them come to their own thoughts of the benefits and desire to buy your product. Yes, it is still selling, but in a much different way. The old method of marketing is like some carnival barker shouting about all the great wonders you will see inside the tent. Introductions are more like a casual discussion over a latte at your local coffee bar. Marketing is about short term, one chance, buy it now or get out of my face. Introductions are more “Check it out. See what you think. Tell your friends if you think it is fun, cool, useful.”
Are Introductions the answer to are current marketing woes? Who knows? That is one of the problems today. No one knows what is coming next and so they cling to the past. It frightens them to the point of inaction. That can’t see what the future holds and are scared to death of going there. Unfortunately, the future doesn’t care what we feel or how afraid we are. The future arrives regardless. It is time to start thinking new thoughts about marketing. My concept of Introductions is simply one possible way. Maybe you have something better, just waiting to be discovered.
The marketing ship is sinking! Isn’t it about time you let go of the ship and started swimming to shore. I know I am paddling as fast as I can to get there.
What are your thoughts about the future of marketing? Does it even have a future under a different name? Share your thoughts in the comments. I would love to hear what you think!
It always thrills me when I look at my Google Analytics pages and see something like this.
Readers from around the world (Los Angeles, Limerick, Paris and Nei-Heu, China) on my web site.
While I sit her writing this, people from all over the world are looking at the content on my web site. This might be a blog post, a photo, listening to a podcast — whatever. How cool is that?
One fact I try to bring home to others is that they too could be doing the same. There is nothing stopping them — perhaps their own fear — from addressing a worldwide audience with whatever message they might want to deliver. Imagine stepping up to a microphone that broadcasts around the world simultaneously. All you have to do is step up to it with something to say. Scary? It can be, but the benefits to you, your business, your cause and the world should far outweigh any fear.
Your job is to put your message out there and let your audience find you. With today’s powerful search engines, no matter how esoteric your message, or how small you might think you are, an audience — YOUR AUDIENCE — will find you. All you have to do is make your message available in some way.
What’s holding you back? What frightens you most? What information do you think you need? Ask your questions in the comments and I will be glad to offer any help I can.
This is my personal invitation for you to try it. By the power vest in me I give you full license to explore New Media, in all its forms, and what it can do for you. Like the Wizard of Oz, I am merely showing you what already have in your heart and head. Your courage is already there in your hands. It is time to wield your New Media tools to make a better life, a better business and maybe even a better world. Go!
Update: I have already checked out a couple of the shows released from Geek and Sundry today.
Felicia Day’s “The Flog” was cute and gives out some good recommendations as well and a great segment on Blacksmithing. It is silly and fun. I look forward to seeing more of these.
Tabletop with Wil Wheaton looks interesting too. I need to set aside time to watch the compete show, but it is part talk show and part gaming show. Along with each episode are in-depth interviews with the guests from each show, which is a nice addition.
Check out Geek and Sundry and let me know what you think. I am looking forward to more from them and other YouTube Channel partners in the future!
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Ok, call me a geek (and many do) but there are several shows on this new channel that I would consider watching. I already watch the guild, of course, but the sizzle reel makes the other look really interesting too.
There is not a lot of info, but some of the shows listed and showing quick video snippets are Felicia Day’s The Guild, which already has a large following, Wil Wheaton’s Tabletop, which looks to be a show with celebrities playing various board games. (Which looked more interesting than it might sound), Dark Horse, which provide animated versions of indie comics, Written by a Kid, which looks like writers listening to kids tell a story and then they animate the story, and Sword & Laser, a science fiction and fantasy book review show.
It is hard to tell the exact focus of these shows from the short video, but I am subscribing to the YouTube Channel. It looks to be a very interesting lineup. The channel premieres April 2, 2012.
Wow, this is great news. Audacity has long been the goto audio app for Windows-based podcasters and others who wanted a capable audio editing environment. That said, it has had some stability problems over the years and has been slow to update. The crash recovery mode alone is worth the upgrade. You could recover from crashes before but it was a fiddly and time consuming process. I hope this makes it easier.
Audacity also carries one big banner feature…it runs on nearly any computer platform including Windows, Mac and Linux. No wonder it has been the audio recorder of choice for so many for so long.
Windows/Mac/Linux: The free, open source sound editing program Audacity has been updated with a few new features. The most notable include improved effects, a ton of new keyboard shortcuts, and a handy automatic crash recovery mode.
The big change is the subtle improvements to the sound effects, but you should also notice an increased stability on new operating systems, a new import feature for WAV and AIFF files, and a significantly better device toolbar to manage your inputs and outputs. The new list of keyboard shortcuts is also a handy way to move audio around. You can check out the huge list of changes and big fixes in the release notes if you want to get into the details. Audacity is a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Audacity 2.0
It is a sad fact of the entertainment business that many of the entry level workers are unpaid interns who are working in order to build their “reel”. Working to build your portfolio is fine, up to a point. In reality, we all need to eat. We all need clothe ourselves. We all need to support our families. Low pay is one thing. NO PAY is another thing entirely!
I understand that in the past, New Media projects have been cash poor. These shows and channels were typically bootstrapped on nothing more than the time and pocket change of those involved. Pay was little, if any, simply because there wasn’t any money to give. That’s not true anymore.
Today, money is beginning to flow into New Media projects, through advertising and programs like YouTube’s Content Initiative, Amazon and Netflix production programs, DVD sales, merchandising, online rentals and more. As this money comes in, producers need to make sure that some of it makes it down to every level of their production organization. Asking someone to work for free when the producers are working for free is one thing.
Asking others to work for free when there is revenue coming in — revenue they helped to generate — is entirely another.
Producers, if someone is good enough at their job that you want them working on your project — PAY THEM! To do otherwise is offensive and disrespectful. Respect those who are helping you develop your project — with your actions, your words and your dollars.
I’m not saying you need to put all your revenue into payroll, but some payment commensurate with the work and with your current revenue is the right thing to do. As your revenue increases, so should your worker’s pay. You benefit from this arrangement, too. Paying your workers helps to insure that they work for you and don’t have to (or want to) go work for someone else.
So, to put the finest point on it possible….
New Media producers should pay all levels of their staff — SOMETHING — ANYTHING!
It is productive. It is important. It is right!
For me, in my business dealings — everyone has to win…or everyone will eventually lose. You would be wise to remember that.
Ok, call me a geek (and many do) but there are several shows on this new channel that I would consider watching. I already watch the guild, of course, but the sizzle reel makes the other look really interesting too.
There is not a lot of info, but some of the shows listed and showing quick video snippets are Felicia Day’s The Guild, which already has a large following, Wil Wheaton’s Tabletop, which looks to be a show with celebrities playing various board games. (Which looked more interesting than it might sound), Dark Horse, which provide animated versions of indie comics, Written by a Kid, which looks like writers listening to kids tell a story and then they animate the story, and Sword & Laser, a science fiction and fantasy book review show.
It is hard to tell the exact focus of these shows from the short video, but I am subscribing to the YouTube Channel. It looks to be a very interesting lineup. The channel premieres April 2, 2012.
