It has been said by many New Media folks that if you want to get your message into your audience’s ears, buy a cheap MP3 player, load it with your content and give it away. This used to be an expensive proposition, but today’s Sunday ad flyers show this isn’t true any longer. These 1 GB MP3 players could easily hold hours of content and at less than $20 each retail it might actually make sense. You could probably find similar MP3 players even cheaper at retail.
If you have a message to get out to your employees, your charity donors or your any other audience, there is little excuse in not giving away both the “blades” and the “razor”.
I had a great time at DevLearn 2008 and the Adobe Learning Summit last week. Here is my New Media presentation from the conference. I also gave a all-day Podcasting Workshop the day before the conference.
Here are the slides from that presentation in PDF format.
I had a great time at DevLearn 2008 and the Adobe Learning Summit last week. Here is my New Media presentation from the conference. I also gave a all-day Podcasting Workshop the day before the conference.
I had a great time at DevLearn 2008 and the Adobe Learning Summit last week. Here is my New Media presentation from the conference. I also gave a all-day Podcasting Workshop the day before the conference.
Sheila got this nice picture of me as I presented my session, “…more than podcasting” at PodCampAZ last weekend.
Audio and video of this session is coming soon. I have to get through my all-day podcasting workshop and a conference session at DevLearn2008 this week first.Thanks Sheila!
In this session, which will be presented live at PodcampAZ, 2008 (www.PodcampAZ.org) you will learn how to set up, host and promote your own free Web radio show and podcast using BlogTalkRadio. Discover tips for planning and promoting your show, along with learning how to get started, scheduling and hosting your broadcasts. Each session will include a live broadcast as an example of how to take calls on the air and run the show using your PC and phone.
Whenever a bunch of tech folks get together, as we did this weekend at PodCampAZ, talk soon turns to Twitter and its uses. While the discussion is wide ranging it eventually turns to the use of Twitter as a branding, promotion and business tool. Everyone has their own idea about how Twitter should be used. Some want no business or promotional messages and others see it only as conduit to reach potential customers.
As with most things in life, the effective use of Twitter is dependent on balance. A balance between systematic and unsystematic uses. I think a combination of both yields the greatest ROI for you and your followers. Systematic Uses
Systematic uses include the automatic tweeting of blog posts, new Flickr pictures, reminder and more. When I first started using Twitter I had to make a decision whether to use TwitterFeed.com to automatically post a tweet when I posted something new to my blogs. In thinking about this, I realized that it was ok for me, as it still directly answered Twitter’s main question, “What are you doing?” The fact is, the last thing I was doing was posting to my blog. The same went for photos and other content I may have posted elsewhere. What I am doing online is part of my life (a large part most of the time) and I want to share it with others.
Unsystematic Uses
Of course, I think my Twitter stream would be incomplete with unsystematic uses. Unsystematic use of Twitter includes the random thoughts that occur to me about where I am and what I am doing. I don’t typically tell folks what I eating or drinking, but a review of my Twitter stream turns up lots of posts about coffee. Most importantly, unsystematic use also includes engaging in the on-going Twitter conversation. @ replies to comments from the people I follow and others often bring out information about my thoughts and ideas that others might not know. They help to “fill out” my personality to my followers and give a more complete picture of who I am. One rule I use on Twitter is this…if I would lean over to a friend to say something, or if I find myself shouting something at the television screen, then it is probably worth a personal tweet. If I would comment back to someone in a face-to-face conversation, I would think this a great reason to @ reply on Twitter.
I believe that in order to enjoy the most benefits from using Twitter you have to have a balance between these 2 uses. Constantly twittering offers from your business, links to your business or links to other sites misses the conversational side of Twitter and can leave followers with a limited view of who you are, what you do and what you are trying to accomplish. Look at your Twitter stream and try to get a feeling what others might feel when they see your stream for the first time. Would you follow yourself if you stumbled across your stream?
Of course, you can engage only in unsystematic uses of Twitter and still have a great time and build some great relationships. It is just a more social use of Twitter and that is perfectly fine. That said. if you are not using systematic tools to include some of your other content in your Twitter stream, you are missing out on some great opportunities to tell folks more about yourself. Whether these systematic uses includes business pitches or not, followers will be accepting of them if they somehow give them a better picture of you.
Balance in all things is difficult to accomplish, but seeking that goal in life and on Twitter is a great way to share your life with others. I think that mixing business and pleasure is one way to make Twitter the most useful to you and your followers. Give it a try.
So, if you have read the previous 2 installments of this series — Get a Blog and Start/Build Your Email List — then you are ready for the next step. Now that you have a place to release your new media and have started a mailing list to promote your new media, it is time to create some new media!
Too many people I talk to look upon this as a challenging task. “Where am I going to find the time to create all this content?” The truth is, you don’t have to make more time to create your content. In most cases, you are already creating content every day. The sad part is, you are probably throwing away this content because you don’t recognize it when you see it.
Every person, every store, every charity, every restaurant, every business creates content every day…or should be. You have a unique message you want and need to communicate to your customers. You goal is to integrate new media into your work and business so that you take advantage of every opportunity to create new content.
Here are some examples from a variety of businesses:
Retail Store
Did you just receive a new product, new product line, an enhancement to an existing product or a promotional video from a vendor? Look for a way to make a short video, a piece of audio or a blog post about this product. Look for opportunities to interview manufacturers about their products. Have your staff create videos about products they really like. Your customers are there to buy your products. Give them as much information as you can to make their purchasing decisions easier. Even more, using your existing staff in your new media productions brings a personal feeling to them. Your customers will see the same people online and in the store and feel a closer relationship with your business.
Restaurant
Many restaurants work on a very seasonal menu. Peaches are in season one week, raspberries the next, strawberries another. Fall calls for comfort food and summer for lighter fare. This gives you a ready-made schedule and reason for new media. Show your customers how you are developing a new seasonal menu. Show them the special ways you are using the seasonal product. Celebrate the change of seasons with menu items, entertainment ideas, party information and more. You can also produce mini-series of cooking classes and recipes, showing some “behind-the-scenes” action that everyone loves.
Charities
One of the biggest goals of any charity is out-reach — telling potential donors what you do and why it needs to be done. If you are a medical charity, I would guess you have regular panel discussions and speakers that come to present to your staff and donors. Make a point of recording these events. While you may have 10-20 people at the in-house discussion, you have a potential audience of thousands on the Internet. If you have influential visitors to your offices, record an interview with them that can be used on your web site or sent out as a podcast.
If you have a yearly event, capture as much media as possible during your next event. Done right, you will have enough content to power a weekly or monthly podcast. This show then becomes a regular promotion for the next yearly event. Instead of making your PR push a few months before your regular event, you now have a series of regular promotions throughout the year leading up to the event. Your goal here is to be make the yearly event a culmination of a year-long event that you have been fueling using your new media productions. Ideally, by the time you open up ticket sales for your event, the demand will be so high that you will sell out almost immediately. Then you repeat the process, gathering more media at this event to fuel your show for another year.
Build your personal brand
Many of us are in the business of providing information and advice. Too often, we wait until customers come to us for information instead of proactively reaching out to them. In the case of one financial planner, the current mortgage and stock market crises has led to frightened customers rushing to their office to inquire about their portfolios. Imagine how you might allay fears by providing a regular informational update to your clients. When customers are clamoring for information, new media is a great way to provide it.
Providing this information also goes a long way towards building your own brand as an expert in your field. Your audience might begin with your clients, but it can quickly grow to include others who might eventually become your clients. It could even raise your profile enough to bring traditional media outlets like newspapers and television to come seeking your insight.
Content surrounds you and your business. You only need to reach out and capture it when it occurs. Starting a new media program isn’t about creating information out of whole cloth. It is about sharing what you already have and know. Start capturing your content and building your New Media future today.
In preparation for my day-long podcasting workshop at DevLearn 2008, Brent Schelenker had me on his show to talk about myself, podcasting and New Media on his GuildCast for the ELearning Guide podcast.
Audio and e-Learning: How to Turn Sound Files into Training Podcasts
Tuesday November 11, 2008 08:30 AM
Doug Welch, The WelchWrite Company, Inc.
As e-Learning professionals, you create content everyday. Much of that content is lost when you fail to capture it, or when you fail to edit and distribute it to your audience. Audio is already a big part of your e-Learning, but you could be using it for so much more. Learn new ways to capture audio content, and how to distribute it via internal and external systems and services like blogs, RSS (Real Simple Syndication), and Podcasting.
In this workshop you will be immersed in sound, and learn how new audio technologies can be used to enhance your learning solutions. You will learn how to capture, edit, and distribute sound files, as well as learn which tools are best for you. You will be learning about Podcasting from an industry veteran who specializes in new media production. If you already know the learning theories related to audio in your e-Learning courses, then this workshop will get you to the next level, and help make your corporate learning Podcast dreams a reality.
In this session, you will learn:
* How to capture good audio, and what tools you can use
* How to edit audio to produce a complete, professional sounding, show
* How to use a blog and RSS to distribute your work
* How to share your work with the world using the iTunes Podcast directory (and other products) can share your work with the world
Audience:
Intermediate Designers, Developers, Project managers, and Managers who have Only basic computer knowledge is required. Additional experience with audio production is helpful, but not required.
I guess I have been podcasting so long that anniversaries no longer make an impact on me. Last Wednesday, September 24, 2008, I started my 5th year of Career Opportunities and my fifth year of podcasting in general.
It is hard to believe it has been that long and yet the podcasting and new media environment has changed dramatically from when I first began.
Thanks to all the readers, listeners and viewers who have part of Career Opportunities! I look forward to many years in the future.
As you may have noticed in the right-hand sidebar, I am going to be speaking at PodCampAZ, this November 1&2. You can find information on my sessions in the program guide.
What is PodCampAZ? Funny your should ask! The PodCampAZ site has this to say:
“PodCamp is a FREE BarCamp-style community UnConference for podcasters and listeners, bloggers and readers, and anyone interested in New Media. It was held for the first time from September 8-10 in Boston, Massachusetts and is now spreading across the world.
These 7 rules define what events can be called a PodCamp:
All attendees must be treated equally. Everyone is a rockstar.
All attendees must be allowed to participate. (subject to limitations of physical space, of course)
All sessions and events must be free of charge to attend.
All sessions must obey the Law of 2 Feet – if you’re not getting what you want out of the session, you can and should walk out and do something else. It’s not like you have to get your money’s worth!
The event must be new-media focused – blogging, podcasting, video on the net.
The financials of a PodCamp must be fully disclosed in an open ledger, except for any donor/sponsor who wishes to remain anonymous.”
So, if you are in the area, join me (and a bunch of other folks) for PodCampAZ 2008. I look forward to seeing you there!
Read more on this topic:
PodCampAZ was cool! Sitting in the last session at PodCampAZ and wishing I...
I look forward to the day when reviewers stop using subtly (and not so subtle) dismissive comments when talking about Internet-distributed shows. (The descriptive term I am coming to prefer.) Still, it is heartening to see some coverage of these shows in the mainstream press.
I often wonder, though, if making shows designed to look more and more like traditional television is really an appropriate goal. Given the new tools and the new freedom of Internet Distribution, shouldn’t we seek to make some new, instead of relying entirely on the old models?
For the last year or so, amid the angsty teenagers talking into their webcams and the skateboarding dogs, you could find professionally made Web series scattered around if you knew where to look, and when. But this month and next, there’s a critical mass approaching: Hollywood is bringing out what you might call the first “new season” of spiffy, corporate-backed Web series designed to be watched on your computer.
There’s now a clear line between amateur “user-generated content” and the new wave. On one side, you have the YouTube revolution in all its rough-edged glory. On the other are slick, premium productions coming from Web teams at Warner Bros., Sony and HBO, and from hopped-up bands of writers and directors who were motivated by the writers’ strike to land corporate sponsorship and create their own shows. Many can boast celebrity names on camera, behind the scenes or both.
Maybe you’ve heard of YouTube, watched a few videos, made some “friends” on Facebook, maybe even listened to a few podcasts, but you’re wondering what New Media can do for you, your organization or your business.
New Media Interchange can open the door to New Media and a new world where you can get your message, your writing, your videos, your music out to a global audience. Visibility is the most important goal in today’s world. You can be the best chef, the best writer, the best Realtor, but if no one knows what you do, does it really matter? New Media can introduce you to a world full of new contacts, viewers, listeners and readers.
Our next meeting of New Media Interchange:
September 25, 2008 @ 6:30 pm Sherman Oaks Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library (In coordination with their twice-monthly Internet Seminars) 14245 Moorpark Street, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 (818) 205-9716 Free Parking
How can you use New Media? The options are almost endless. It all depends on what you want to accomplish.
Start a blog to share your writing, your restaurant’s menu, your philosophy, your charity’s message or communicate with your businesses’ customers.
Create videos to highlight your band’s performance, your favorite hikes, your unique knowledge of a topic, sell real estate or your products, hold lectures and classes online.
Create audio and video shows. Deliver them right to your audience’s computers and media players (iPods and others) automatically.
Broadcast your band’s performance, lectures, speeches, panel discussions, interviews and more LIVE using only your computer, a web cam and an Internet connection.
…and much, much more!
Join us for New Media Interchange, a FREE group dedicated to bringing the power of new media to everyone, and learn what New Media can do for you.
New Media Interchange was founded by Douglas E. Welch, pioneer podcaster and computer consultant of 20+ years. Douglas also teaches Podcasting and New Media for Writers for UCLA Extension.
Visit http://newmediainterchange.com for more information.
This panel discussion was recorded on September 9, 2008 at the Writers Guild of America, West in Los Angeles, California.
Host, Bill Taub, brings together a collection of WGA members to discuss their involvement in New Media and what it might mean for the future of the entertainment business.
(Note: Due to technical difficulties, the last speaker of the evening, Marc Scott Zicree, was not recorded. You can find out more about Marc at http://www.zicree.com/ .)
Speakers included:
DOUGLAS E. WELCH’s premier podcast, Career Opportunities, is nearing its 5th fifth year of weekly production. He is a pioneer Podcaster and computer consultant. Douglas consults on a variety of technology subjects in the Los Angeles area, teaches Podcasting and New Media for Writers at UCLA Extension, and was on the staff of the 2006 Stephens College Summer Film Workshop in Columbia, Missouri, teaching new filmmakers how to promote and distribute their work using new media.
ROSANNE WELCH is a television writer/producer with credits including FOX’s popular “Beverly Hills 90210” and CBS’s Emmy winning “Picket Fences” and a five year stint as a writer/producer on CBS’s top rated “Touched by an Angel”. In 1998 she researched, wrote and co-produced a two-part special documentary for ABC NEWS/Nightline “Bill Clinton and the Boys Nation Class of 1963”. She is also the author of two books (“Three Ring Circus: How Real Couples Balance Marriage, Work and Kids” from Seal Press, 2004 and “The Encyclopedia of Women in Aviation and Space” from ABC-CLIO, 1998). Before that Welch was a high school English teacher and freelance writer with editorials for the Los Angeles Times and The Cleveland Plain Dealer and she was one of the founding columnists for The Microsoft Network’s online literary magazine, Matter.
As a writer-producer MARC SCOTT ZICREE has hundreds of hours of network TV to his name, including STAR TREK – TNG, DEEP SPACE NINE (“Far Beyond the Stars”), BABYLON 5, SLIDERS, FRIDAY THE 13TH – THE SERIES, FOREVER KNIGHT and even SMURFS. He has had bestsellers in fiction and non-fiction, notably the MAGIC TIME trilogy of novels and his classic TWILIGHT ZONE COMPANION (recently named by the NEW YORK TIMES one ten science fiction books “for the ages”). He has just completed co-writing, directing and executive producing STAR TREK NEW VOYAGES “WORLD ENOUGH AND TIME,” starring George Takei, which won the TV Guide Award and has been nominated for the Hugo and Nebula.
KEN LAZEBNIK — A veteran playwright-tv and screenwriter, Ken LaZebnik’s most recent screenplay is for the Lionsgate film “Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Cottage.” It stars Peter O’Toole and Marcia Gay Harden and will open across America in November, 2009. Together with Garrison Keillor, LaZebnik co-wrote director Robert Altman’s last film: “A Prairie Home Companion” and has a long history of writing for “Prairie Home Companion”. And has several films in the pipeline. His other screenplays include “Hot Air,” which he wrote with Norman Steinberg for Michael Keaton and MGM. His plays have been produced in New York, Minneapolis and Los Angeles. Los Angeles was the site of the premiere of his comedy “Sink Eating,” which opened at the Matrix Theater. His most recent play, “Vestibular Sense,” premiered in Minneapolis in 2007, and was honored with an award from the American Theater Critic’s Association at the Humana Festival in Louisville. For television, he has written on series as varied as “Touched By An Angel,” “Providence” and “Star Trek: Enterprise.” Crossing genres he wrote three PBS specials for their series “In Concert at the White House”. In addition, he founded the literary baseball magazine The Elysian Fields Quarterly, now over twenty years in publication. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Kate Fuglei, and their two sons.
MARY FEUER is Consulting Producer on the TV series “Dante’s Cove,” which has been described as “Dark Shadows” meets “Queer As Folk” meets “Lost,” if you can imagine that. Her pilot, “God and Mann,” is in development with producer Michael Rosenberg (“The Riches”) at Blueprint Entertainment, and her original web series, “With the Angels,” premieres in August on www.Strike.TV. Mary’s other work on the web includes about 60 episodes as Head Writer/Supervising Producer of the seminal series “Lonelygirl15.” She was also Story Editor for “Buried Alive,” a series on Sony’s FEARnet.com. Mary’s short story “House on Fire” beat out over 19,000 entries to win the Grand Prize in the 2006 Writer’s Digest Competition, and another story, “Valentine’s Day at the Psych Hospital,” will be published in an anthology from St. Martin’
BILL TAUB – veteran television writer-producer with over 25 years experience and hundreds of episodic credits. Has broken in again several times. And has just finished his first web series. “Psycho Babble”, which will have its first exclusive showing on STRIKE TV. And is developing several projects through the LAUGH FACTORY. He also teaches an online course at UCLA Extension Writers Program: “Writing A Spec Pilot”. And is also a member of the WGA Education Committee.
There was a recent comment on the blog regarding the monetization of new media. Making money from your new media is certainly a good topic for discussion, but I am wary of it for a number of reasons.
Too often, the person asking the question is not asking how to make money in new media, they are asking “How do I get rich in new media…TODAY!”
The fact is, the market is much too immature to fuel get rich quick schemes and instead requires someone be in for the long term rewards that it will bring. To discuss how to make money on a project that doesn’t exist a truly putting the cart before the horse.
Here is the value I see in new media in the order I consider most likely.
1. New media project as PR and marketing for those involved.
Marketing and PR provide very important value as without the attention of an audience and the market there is little chance of making any money. I believe attention comes first and only then money.
2. Advertising and sponsorship
As your attention and audience grow, you will have opportunities to sell advertising on your show. The nature of the market means that this will likely be much less than is typical for traditional media, but I see these earnings rising rapidly as the power of the new media market starts to come into its own. Sponsorship models hold more interest for me as they are relatively easier to sell and service, especially for smaller viewership shows.
3. Distribution deals with the new media wings of traditional media companies, such as the one recently signed between Rocketboom and Sony.
4. Sale of a new media property into the traditional media market
While this might prove the most lucrative, I would consider it the least likely. It also can mean the loss of control over your property. I also wonder if the traditional market is the place for shows with such marked differences in sensibilities.
Finally, the new media market is in it’s infancy and will probably develop money-making models we have not even considered.
This is the second in a series of articles seeking to break down the overwhelming options and opportunities of New Media into a set of easy-to-implement steps that anyone can apply.
One great way to introduce people to your New Media project is through an email mailing list. In the best cases, you already have a mailing list that you can use to jump start your projects at their onset. This means you won’t have to struggle for every single reader, listener or viewer at the start. You can begin with a close set of friends and contacts that can help to spread the word about your project. Don’t fret if you don’t have a mailing list, just know it’s next on the list of things to do.
Why do you need a mailing list? Even today, with the explosion of audio and video information on the web, many people are still most familiar and most comfortable with email. Most already have an email address and know how to use it. Even better, email simply shows up in their inbox without any action on their part. This makes it an ideal way to spread the word about your project and shouldn’t be ignored for flashier methods.
Even more importantly, when someone gives you an email address, they are giving you permission to talk to them whenever you have something to say. This is a tremendous asset to you, but it also carries with it some responsibility. Once you have this permission, you need to use it wisely. Spamming your mailing list with too many messages or emails of little value will only cause your list to tune you out, if not outright unsubscribe. Treat those on your email list with respect and do not abuse the permission they have given you.
Setting up an email list
There are a variety of ways to setup and manage an email mailing list.
Create a email group in your existing email program
Most email software has the ability to create a group from any of the addresses in your address book and then address a message to the group, rather than to individual people. While this might sound like the simplest method, it has many drawbacks. Chief among these is the fact that your Internet Service Provider probably has some limit on how many people you can add to a single outgoing email. Once you get over this number you will manually have to split up your list, sending multiple emails. These lists are also difficult to manage and require you to add and remove people as they request.
Set up a Google Group
Google Groups (http://groups.google.com) provide a free way to setup and manage a mailing list for 10 people or thousands. You can invite and add people to your list manually and interested people can also add themselves whenever they wish. Google Groups also provides a form that can be embedded in any web page that allows users to subscribe to your mailing list with one click.
One limitation of Google Groups is that you will only be able to personally add 10 people a day to your mailing list. The number of self-subscriptions is unlimited, though i.e. anyone can add themselves at any time. Still, if you regularly collect email addresses at meetings or other events, this might slow down your ability to add people to the list.
In my own experience, I have found Google Groups to be an excellent, free, solution to running a number of email lists.
Use a commercial email list company
If you need a more professional approach to your email list, along with statistics on the number of people reading your emails, you might wish to contract a commercial email list provider. One of the largest and best known is Constant Contact (http://www.constantcontact.com/). If you receive any volume of email, I can almost guarantee you are on at least one Constant Contact email list.
Regardless of how you create or manage your email list, you must do it. Gaining the permission to speak to a wide variety of people on a regular basis is very powerful and gives you an excellent foundation for promoting your New Media project.
I started a series of New Media Challenges to entice people to start creating their own media. This is my response to New Media Challenge 001 – Introduce Yourself.
(The video cuts off a few seconds before I was finished)
A word to the streaming web radio providers around the world who stream predominantly music. This is an intervention. You are in an abusive relationship. In order to preserve your life and sanity, you need to realize this fact and get out. Please remember, we’re only saying this because we love you.
Despite what you might be telling yourself, the RIAA, BMI, music producers, etc don’t really love you. They don’t love you when you help to sell their artists music. They don’t love you when you help introduce listeners to new artists and new styles of music. They especially don’t love when you play their music for free (or cheap).
I know, I know. You always tell me, “They’re not that bad when they aren’t being greedy!”, but how often does that occur these days. How often are they not on a bender against you, Guitar Hero, peer-to-peer file sharing or sending lawsuits hither and yon? When are the good times you talk about?
Here is the truth about your relationship with the music industry…
The don’t love you. They never loved you. They equate you with an infected pimple on the backside of their business.
They see you as profiteers and pirates, stealing their hard earned work and providing nothing in return.
They will never find an “equitable payment plan” for you, even though they have one for terrestrial radio, because they fervently wish you didn’t exist.
They don’t care about you, your listeners, the striving musicians you help. They only care about trying to maintain the status quo that is rapidly slipping from their grasp.
You can’t change them. They can only change themselves, but it seems they must destroy themselves first before they can re-emerge into the 21st Century.
Take the kids, take the car, take the computer and get out! Separating yourself is the only way to break this abusive relationship — the only thing that will force some change on the side of big music.
It’s painful, I know, but your life will be better for the trouble. Heck, join us over here on the podcasting side of the house where musicians and broadcasters work for the win/win instead of the win/screwed.
I know of several resources to help you out in this trying time. Drop me a line once you have escaped and we can explore your options.
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