13 ways to come up with fresh content ideas via The Next Web

In the world of New Media you have to constantly be banking new ideas lest you fall behind in just a few days. When the ideas aren’t flowing as fast as you might wish, try out these ideas to see if they turn up anything. Most of thee ideas are also tactics you can use in an on-going manner to make sure the well doesn’t run dry again any time soon. — Douglas
 
You’ve heard it before: Content is king. Crafting valuable content can help hook new customers and keep your current ones engaged. But coming up with fresh, new ideas can be challenging, especially if your product or service falls within a narrow market.
 
To help prevent your content from becoming stale, I asked 13 members of YEC the following question:
 
What is one unconventional way your content team sources ideas for creating fresh content?

On YouTube: Meaning Behind Camera Movement

How you move your camera colors and changes the meaning and emotion of the scene. Are you doing it on purpose or giving your audience accidental misdirection to how they should feel. — Douglas

Watch YouTube: Meaning Behind Camera Movement

I liked this video and think you might find it interesting, too!

Noted: Must-Have Tools to Keep Any Video Production Running Smoothly

A great overview for creating a basic kit for any production you might be launching. I am sure there will be other items you add over time, but this is a great place to start. — Douglas
 

On YouTube: Make a PVC Light Stand for Under $5

Yet another easy-to-make and flexible to use homebuilt light stand. It might prove a bit lightweight for larger lights and tall lengths, but could prove useful to some. — Douglas

On YouTube: Make a PVC Light Stand for Under $5

Watch YouTube: Make a PVC Light Stand for Under $5

I liked this video and think you might find it interesting, too!

Capture all your new media ideas, even if you can’t execute them today — New Media Tips #43

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.

Noted: Next Time You Offer Advice, Turn It into a Blog or Podcast via Lifehacker

Exactly what I recommend to everyone, too! – Douglas

Next Time You Offer Advice, Turn It into a Blog or Podcast via Lifehacker

Next Time You Offer Advice, Turn It into a Blog or Podcast via Lifehacker

Those of us more experienced in life sometimes get asked by colleagues to be a mentor and give them some advice. Instead of giving the same answer over again, consider turning it into a podcast or blog post and sharing it with others.

Read More


“Noted” items are particularly good finds from my daily reading which I share via all my social media accounts.

Find more Noted items here

Noted: The Correct Dimensions for Images on Different Social Networks via Lifehacker

The Correct Dimensions for Images on Different Social Networks via Lifehacker

The Correct Dimensions for Images on Different Social Networks via Lifehacker

Working to craft the perfect profile at Facebook or LinkedIn? This infographic collects everything you need to know about the ideal photo size for different social networks.

The helpful folks at Mainstreethost reviewed all the requirements of the major social networks. They include guidelines for personal and business accounts, but they’re all subject to change. For now, though, they’re quite useful!

Read More


“Noted” items are particularly good finds from my daily reading which I share via all my social media accounts.

Find more Noted items here

Noted: Now That I’ve Created Something, How Do I Spread It? via Fast Company

Now That I’ve Created Something, How Do I Spread It? via Fast Company

Noted: Now That I've Created Something, How Do I Spread It? via Fast Company

“I enjoy helping entrepreneurs figure out how to start and grow businesses. And I’ve had a chance to work with some new entrepreneurs at Starter School here in Chicago. At a recent talk I gave, one question stuck in my mind. The young entrepreneur asked, “Now that I’ve built a product, how do I get it to spread?” This entrepreneur recognizes that having a good idea and building a great product isn’t enough.”

Read More


“Noted” items are particularly good finds from my daily reading which I share via all my social media accounts.

Find more Noted items here

New Media Tip #42: Your own personal TV network…

Nmtip youtube

New Media Tip #42

“A YouTube Channel is your own personal TV network. Make use of it to share your message with the world!”

Check out my YouTube Channel

 

 

Careers in New Media

Noted: 5 Reasons to Blog via Ms Ileane Speaks

5 Reasons to Blog via Ms Ileane Speaks

via Ms. Ileane Speaks


“Noted” items are particularly good finds from my daily reading which I share via all my social media accounts.

Find more Noted items here

All of you out there listening and reading in dark! – End of the Day for April 14, 2014

End of the day Logo

(Originally from My Word with Douglas E. Welch)

Blogging can be a solitary pursuit sometimes. You create the posts, the podcasts, the videos and then you wait to hear something back. Sure, you see page views, views on the videos and such, but it is the comments and shares that really give you a feeling that there is a person on the other end of this tenuous digital connection. I can tell you from personal experience that most bloggers would live to hear from you. Share your experiences. Share your opinions. Just give a quick thumbs up — or thumbs down — if you feel like it. Interaction helps us to keep going, keep writing and keep sharing.

Thankfully, every so often, I get a great letter from a blog reader or — as in the most recent case — a podcast listener. He wrote to say how he just made a big change in his career and part of the reason he was able to do it was that he heard my voice in his head urging him on.I am always floored by such letters, as I don’t get a lot of feedback on the work I do. It is always amazing to hear that it directly helped someone make their life better. That is exactly the result I am trying to achieve with all the work I do and it is great to get a little validation.

Recording my Career Opportunities Podcast — Click to see a time-lapse.

While we should all carry our own sense of internal validation inside of is, a little but of external validation can feel very good and is, I think, very important to your overall mental health. Hammering away at a big project, only to be met with silence is disheartening at beast and can even cause some people to stop trying anything. The truth is, if you feel in a certain way, have certain doubts, want to make certain changes, I can almost guarantee there are others out there that feel the same way. Even if t hey don’t write, post on Facebook or give you a call, you can reasonably assume that they are out there. While this knowledge isn’t really a replacement for hearing feedback from people, it can be a salve that gets you through this project and on to the next.

How much external validation do you need in your life and work? Have you ever stopped doing something because no one else seemed to be interested — or at least said they were? Have you send a little validation to your favorite writers, bloggers, YouTuber’s, TV writers, actors, etc? If not, why not? Hearing from you could very well make their day and spur them on to even greater things. You never know!

  

Previously on End of the Day:

Event: Douglas speaking on Content Creation, Professional Blogging and the Eco-Sphere of WordPress – Tuesday, March 18, 2014, Tarzana, CA

I’ll be speaking on Content Creation and Blogging at the next San Fernando Valley WordPress Meetup. Come and join me and Glen Bennett, who will be speaking on “The Ecosystem of WordPress” and how it can work for you.

Sfvwg dewelch

Event: Content Creation, Professional Blogging and the Eco-Sphere of WordPress

Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 7:00 PM

Location: Tarzana Recreation Center, 5655 Vanalden Ave, . Tarzana, CA (map)

FREE

RSVP using Meetup.com

Description:

Creating content is an ongoing demand for any website, in particular a WordPress site. Yet doing so, keeping it fresh and keeping it consistent can be a tough challenge.

We have a professional blogger, Douglas Welch, with over 10 years of writing experience that will be sharing his work flow and many years of accumulated “how to” information. With plenty of opportunity to ask questions and interact we hope that this will provide just the knowledge and inspiration to make your WordPress site sing.

Then we will have a presentation from Glenn Bennett on the ecosystem of WordPress, bet you didn’t know that they had one! An ecosystem is a community of living and non-living things that work together. In the WordPress world there is a vast network of resources to be tapped and to link into. Find out more about what exists and how to use this ecosystem to really take of with your own WordPress site(s).

Bring your blogging questions! I always make a point of allowing plenty of time for Q&A every time I speak, so this is your chance to get your most burning blogging questions answered.

You have to believe to blog! — End of the Day for March 2, 2014

End of the day Logo

This essay originally appeared in My Word with Douglas E. Welch

A progression of days leads to a progression of weeks and a progression of months. Despite my feelings that it can’t possibly be March, the month has arrived all the same. It is bad enough when days fly by too quickly. To see entire months pass in the blink of an eye is mind-boggling. 

So, what does March hold in store? I have another speaking engagement, this time on the hows and whys of blogging and content creation. People take notice of how much I create and how often I post and are intrigued by how they might do that themselves. The difficult part for them to learn, though, is they have to WANT to do it. They have to WANT to share “what they do and how well they do it.” They have to WANT to engage with others on the Internet and share what makes their life unique, even if is seems, at the beginning, that no one is really listening. Instead, many of the folks I talk with don’t believe. They are only interested in blogging because others have told them the SHOULD be interested. There is a huge gap between those positions. If you don’t believe in the reasons for blogging, you simply will not do it. You won’t find the time, the energy, the drive to keep going. We have all see it, of course. Someone starts a blog, makes one or two posts and then is never heard from again. They don’t BELIEVE and so they fail.

Blog screen

Writing this post in MarsEdit blogging software

For me, I am constantly seeking out the believers in any group. These are the people I want to engage with and energize to share their own unique stories with the world. I know that if I can get them started — if I can get the snowball rolling downhill — the momentum will build on its own and sustain them long into the future. If someone is blogging because someone told them they should, they will hate it. They will despise the amount of time it takes. They will see no value in the process and they will eventually, usually quickly, stop. Unfortunately, many of these same people  will add an additional burden to their mind, though. They will feel guilty about not blogging. Even though they don’t want to do it, they will feel guilty because somewhere, in the back of their minds, buried deep, they know they should be doing it.

Don’t be one of those people. Either blog, or don’t. It is nothing to feel guiltily about. It isn’t designed to add an additional burden to your life. I think that there are great benefits to blogging, but there is nothing I can do to convince you to blog. That is a decision you have to make all on your own. If you don’t believe, you won’t blog.

Now, if you are one of those believers, what questions do you have? What can I offer you, what can I teach you, how can I support you in your efforts? Drop a question into the comments here and I will be glad to answer. Come to my speaking engagement. I’ll post all the information once it is finalized. Just drop me an email to talk, if that is what makes you most comfortable. I’m here to help, if you really want to blog. There are people out there who want to read what you have to say. Trust me on this!

 

Previously on End of the Day:

26 of My Favorite New Media Things for January 2014 – Douglas E. Welch

My Favorite Things

As always, let me know what types of interesting items you would like to see and I will keep an eye out for them especially. — Douglas

Get new shared links as I find them via my social media feeds:

Twitter Google plus Pinterest Facebook Linkedin

25 of My Favorite New Media Things for December 2013 – Douglas E. Welch

My Favorite Things 

As always, let me know what types of interesting items you would like to see and I will keep an eye out for them especially. — Douglas

Get new shared links as I find them via my social media feeds:

Twitter Google plus Pinterest Facebook Linkedin

  1. New Media / 6 Reasons You Must Shoot Video Every Day
  2. Technology / Screen to Gif – record any part of you screen and save it to an animated GIF file [Freeware]
  3. Technology / Chromecast update brings more minimalism to your TV screen
  4. New Media / Insert Coin: capture 360-degree video with DLSRs and GoPros, viewable on an Oculus Rift
  5. New Media / Keep a Light Studio in Your Pocket with Kick [Deals Hub]
  6. New Media / MediaCrush – superb free open sourced hosting for video, images and audio
  7. New Media / Google Chromecast adds ten new apps to its streaming arsenal
  8. New Media / Book Review: The Book of Audacity
  9. New Media / The Best Headphones You Can Buy Under $20
  10. New Media The Ox | Documentary
  11. New Media / Autographer – makes photography spontaneous and hands-free
  12. Technology / Mirror app for Android can record your screen or stream it to Apple TV (video)
  13. New Media / YouTube expands live streaming to all channels, adds option to directly launch a Google+ Hangout On Air (Emil Protalinski/The Next Web)
  14. New Media / Chromecast in 2014: an open SDK, big international plans and maybe even new devices
  15. Technology / As Google slowly preps the Chromecast ecosystem, waves of new apps are on the way
  16. Technology / Awesome Stuff: Lenses For Your Phone
  17. New Media / Digital Bolex D16: fantastic indie-friendly digital film camera
  18. New Media / Where there’s a Spark Digital (Microphone) , there’s Lightning
  19. New Media / Ten tips to get the most out of your new Chromecast
  20. New Media / The 8 Best Video Game Scripts of All Time
  21. New Media / Samson’s Go Mic: A capable and compact microphone for podcasting
  22. New Media / YouTube Announces Live Streaming Video for All Users
  23. Technology / Seven Clever Ways to Use Your Phone’s Camera for More Than Just Photos
  24. New Media / Social media is not a zero-sum game and Facebook isn’t going anywhere so get used to it (Leo Mirani/Quartz)
  25. New Media / The 3Pod P5CRH Tripod – A Review

23 of My Favorite New Media Things for November 2013 – Douglas E. Welch

My Favorite Things 

As always, let me know what types of interesting items you would like to see and I will keep an eye out for them especially. — Douglas

My Favorite New Media Things for August 2013 – Douglas E. Welch

My Favorite Things

As always, let me know what types of interesting items you would like to see and I will keep an eye out for them especially. — Douglas

Dog Days of Podcasting – Day 9 – Video: Repairing a garden hose – A Gardener’s Notebook Tip

Agn artwork

Time to repair an older, but still serviceable, garden hose with some parts from the home improvement store and a little time. So easy anyone — yes even I — can do it! (LAUGH)

Part of the “Dog Days of Podcasting” 30 Day Challenge – http://dogdaysofpodcasting.com

 

Agn tip hose repair

Watch all past episodes of A Gardner’s Notebook  in this YouTube Playlist


Please Like this video and/or subscribe to my channel on YouTube.

Your likes and subscriptions directly reflect how many other viewers are suggested this video.

 

“In the garden…” is a series for A Gardener’s Notebook highlighting what is happening in my garden, my friend’s gardens and California gardens throughout the seasons.

Video: New Media Tip – Using WordPress Revisions to restore an edited post

Here is a quick tip on how to revert to a previous version of a WordPress Post or Page. You won’t need this option very often, but when you need it, it will be critical. This tip works with both WordPress.com and self-hosted installs of WordPress.

For more information on using WordPress Revisions, check out his web page, WordPress.com, Pages, Page Revisions

CINM WordPress Revisions

 

 

Recent New Media Tips…

My Favorite New Media Things for March 2013

My Favorite Things

As always, let me know what types of interesting items you would like to see and I will keep an eye out for them especially. — Douglas

Links to all of these items, and more, are on my Pinterest Feed.

Follow Me on Pinterest