New Media Tips is an on-going series from Careers in New Media with Douglas E. Welch. You can find all the past tips — from myself and around the Internet — in the Tips category here on the blog — Douglas
Capture all your new media ideas, even if you can’t execute them today — New Media Tips #43
Many of the tips you’ll see in the coming days grew out of a discussion I had with a friend who runs an artisanal bakery near my house. I have watched this business grow over the last several years and have often discussed how new media could best be used in promoting the business and their products. For me, one of the most important ideas to promote with any business owner is capturing each and every idea they have, even if they can’t do anything about it — today.
Capture ideas as they occur
When you are just starting out with a new business, it can be a bit difficult to develop new media ideas for a number of reasons. First, you are so busy getting the business started that most everything falls by the wayside. You simply don’t have or don’t make the time to engage in new media promotions and that is a bit of a shame. Some of your best new media ideas are generated when you are in the heat of the moment, creating something new from nothing. Even if you don’t have the time to execute all these great new media ideas, you MUST take a few moments to — at the very least — capture those ideas that jump to mind, so you don’t lose them forever — or have to spend more hours creating anew when you finally have the time to focus on new media.
Analog or digital methods don’t matter. Capture all your ideas today!
Execute on this ideas when you have time and need
Again, you don’t have to EXECUTE all these ideas, merely capture them. Too many people get overwhelmed with the idea that they must do everything now and, in the heat of the moment, simply discard some of their best ideas because they are so overwhelmed with everything else. Don’t do it!
Capture new ideas every day of your life and business
Next, you often don’t know what you want to talk about, what you want to promote, what new products or services you’ll be offering when you first start the business. Like all good things, it can take time to develop your new media ideas. Sure, you might have a few ideas to get you started, but each day brings new thoughts, new challenges and can create new ways of promoting your business through new media.
Investigate each new service as it appears
Even more, new services are created every day, so you need to be watching for the next Instagram, the next SnapChat or even the next Facebook that comes along. Your new media work doesn’t exists in a static vacuum. It grows and changes every day. Be aware of new ideas, new services, new concepts in new media that can help your business. Capture new ideas that come along. Experiment with new services, their new concepts and the new audience it may bring you. There is a certain amount of “first mover advantage” that can be had by starting early with a new media service. You can easily grow to be a big fish in a small pond and reap all sorts of advantages, even if that particular services doesn’t pan out as an on-going part of your new media strategy.
You can’t execute on new ideas if you never capture them
Again, though, the same rule applies. Sure you might feel too overwhelmed to execute on even a fraction of your New Media ideas today, but you MUST — and I will repeat that — MUST — capture any ideas you have on a daily basis. I consider letting these ideas disappear a crime against you, your company and your future success. When you fail to capture ideas you are actively limiting your opportunities. Yes, I know it can all feel overwhelming, but why would you ever seek to make your life and work more difficult. If you fail to capture your great ideas today, you will find yourself struggling for ideas in the future, when you do have time to execute on new media projects.
Don’t let one of your best and most important assets drift away. Capture all your ideas each and every day. Execute on one or two of these ideas as you have time. Fill the well of new media projects, ideas, campaigns, contests — whatever — every day and you’ll never find yourself looking for that next, big ideas. It will already be there, waiting for you.