November 23, 2010

PICKING THE BEST MEDIUM FOR YOUR MESSAGE

yell crop 750x822When you put content online, you leverage your time and help clients find you. What's wrong with that?

The best medium for you is the medium you like best.

If you like talking then podcast. Instead of speaking into a telephone, you use a microphone. You'll get better results with a better quality equipment.

If you like showing then use video. If you like drawing on paper or whiteboards, record that. Ditto if you like using PowerPoint or giving speeches. For better results, consider using a video camera and a better quality microphone.

If you like writing then blog. This is my preferred format. You don't need special equipment or a pristine environment. Pen and paper are enough for a draft. Iterations boost quality and are easy to make. Also, search engines are best at indexing text.

Comfort with your medium helps you come across as natural. Exuding your personality is a great way to show your uniqueness.

What About Your Clients?

The best medium for your clients is the medium they like best. That may not be your preferred choice. Despair not. Clients consume different media and will probably "tolerate" your choice.

The media are interrelated. Transcribe your podcast with a tool like Dragon NaturallySpeaking and you'll have text for a blog post. Dictate your blog post and you have a podcast or video.  Extract the audio from a video and you have a podcast.

When I write a blog post for Riscario Insider, I read it aloud to ensure the style is conversational. With minimal work, that becomes the Riscario Radio podcast — 93 episodes already. Video is next … once I figure out how to use a teleprompter and do the editing. The soundtrack could then become the podcast, saving a step.

The key is getting started and mastering a medium.

Add Polish

You needn't be perfect when you start. There's lots of time to improve later.

To expand reach, Coke comes in cans and bottles of different sizes. As you gain experience, your best strategy is to use different media.

For instance, I released Does billionaire Seymour Schulich help you "Get Smarter" in two formats:
Using only one medium would have slashed the audience.

Invisible

Making yourself visible is quick, simple and often free. The key is starting and sustaining momentum. 

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PS If you're not happy with your initial results, you needn't publish them. You're in control.

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