Archive for April, 2006
Elevator Pitches for Everyone
At the Podcast Academy in Boston, I was in a room full of people with various interests. Some were there to learn a skill on behalf of their organization (lots of college folks fit this), there were business owners and founders, like the guy behind Grape Radio and Podshow, and Eric from Feedburner (and lots more great places). And then there were enthusiasts, like the great guy behind DC Night Out. Finally, there were those of us coming to this from either an odd angle or from a newbie mindset.
What I learned quickly was that everyone needs an elevator pitch.
What’s an Elevator Pitch?
In sales, the idea is that if you’re ever stuck in an elevator and someone asks what you do or what you’re selling, you’ll be able to sum it up in a quick, easy-to-understand 30 second soundbyte form. I’ll tell you in a minute how that applies to you. But it’s not just sales. An elevator pitch is a springboard for conversation.
Why a Pitch?
In sales, the idea is that people don’t have much time to listen to you ramble through what it is you do or what you’re trying to sell. This is true of most of life right now, isn’t it? We heard at the Podcast Academy that the golden metric that advertisers wish they could know about podcasts was when people stopped listening or consuming a product. Is it after five minutes? Three quarters of a show?
A pitch becomes important because people don’t have a lot of time to talk with everyone at an event, and they need to assess quickly if you have something in common with them. Think of it as speed-dating for networking.
Your Pitch
I can’t write your pitch. I don’t know your story. I can help you with it, if you want to email me. But here’s the basics: boil everything down to the easiest possible way to explain why you’re there and what you do (or want to do).
Here’s my pitch for the event when I started: I create content for people who have great sites, but need more content. By the end, I changed my pitch to: I help people tell their stories through new media.
Prune the Bush
So, I did something that I think was, on one hand viral and catchy, and on the other hand really a bad idea. I didn’t have non-day-job business cards, and I wanted to give people SOMETHING, so I gave them prints of my artwork. I wrote my name and contact information on the back, and by the end of the event, I left some around for people to “discover.” (Oddly, these were the most well-received, versus me just handing them to people).
But…
In so doing, some people got the idea that I was pushing my artwork as a product. I had “muddied the waters” or “branched out” too much.
You might have 100 great ideas! (I know you do!) But you have to find some kind of “stable” or “package” or “wrapper” to put around them so that people can understand what you’re all about. Try chopping off some of the other things you do (until such time as you have more attention with the person). Or try thinking of the biggest umbrella under which you can put all your ideas.
Thus, I provide creative content. I help people tell stories. Either one works, and fits with my passions in this regard.
Try Out Your Pitch
After I came up with what I wanted to say, I said it a few times to myself aloud (not in the presence of others, you weirdo). And then, when I started to say hi to people and introduce myself, I’d get another chance to try it out.
Even if You’re Just Visiting
It’s nice to have something ready to say even if you don’t even have an agenda. In this case, I find that people tend to be a little too self-deprecating. “Oh, I’m just the grandmother.” Hell no. I’m sure you’ve got a fascinating story, even if it isn’t about the topic at hand. Can you imagine that same grandmother saying, “I’m here with my grandson. My passion is knitting.” It’s a springboard for conversation, not salesmanship.
The point is to focus on what you’re representing by being at an event (or really even in any given day), and then be ready to explain that in a short, concise way that gives people a sense of who you are, and what you’re about.
What’s your pitch? Is there a “for work” one and a “my personal pitch” one?
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Beginner’s Guide to Podcasting
Seeing as I’ve used the word “podcast” or podcasting 100 million gazillion times since Friday, I thought I’d point you towards a pretty decent tutorial, located at ForeverGeek.
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Why Podcasts Will Rule
So, I’m sniffing around to learn more about vlogs, which are videoblogs. I threaded my way back to a Rocketboom episode where Amanda Congdon does what Justin and I were talking about the other day. She copies the Ask a Ninja bit.
Podcasts and independent content can pull this off without a bit of trouble. How? The creators own the content. Remember back in the day, comic book fans? Marvel and DC would talk about a crossover and that never really happened until we were all 30 and didn’t care as much.
I’m sure that we’re on to something here, Raffi.
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Bernard Milton: Author, Podcaster, at 73
I got to meet author Bernard Milton (whom I shall call “Bernie” from here on out). This gentleman was a live wire right from the start. Within moments of meeting him, I learn that he’s a Korean war veteran (Navy), and that he’s written two books. He’s come to the Podcast Academy because he is considering doing a serial podcast of his novel as a promotional tool.
Have I mentioned that Bernie’s 73?
Bernie plays tennis, a sport he took up about six years ago. Now, he’s at the Podcast Academy, diving in with people from many walks of life. The youngest was this guy:
This didn’t phase Bernie a bit. He talked with me about some format ideas, and I was impressed by how much of this Bernie had already launched into on his own. We discussed some of the back end stuff, like finding a server to host the bandwidth, and burning the podcast feed using Feedburner. We discussed ID3 tags, and our mutual lack of understanding on how to do that simply. (I’m hoping GarageBand has it built in).
So, hats off to Bernie, and I strongly urge you to check out his fiction. I have a copy of DIRTY RIVER, and it’s ENGROSSING! This is written somewhere between the best hardboiled novel and a property that either Quentin or Robert should consider purchasing and shooting as a film.
Check out Dirty River at Amazon.com, or at Bernie’s site, MexBorderPress.com. You can read Chapter 1 here.
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New Article at Lifehack.org
I just posted a piece about podcasting as a way to share information with organizations over at Lifehack.org. This stuff is so fascinating. The more I realize how much I already know and can apply to this, the more I realize that there are lots of ways people can be helpful in getting organizations to be able to tell their stories through this new medium.
Storytellers who know technology are the new rock stars.
Podcast Academy Boston: Day 1
I listen almost exclusively to podcasts. (First myth: you do NOT need an Apple iPod to listen to podcasts. According to Ethan Fasset of Yahoo!, 60% of podcasts are listend to at people’s desks.)
The mix of shows I like ranges from stuff two guys put together over at a comic shop, to professional quality productions like c|net’s Buzz Out Loud. I listen to a LOT of content from a network called IT Conversations, part of the conversations network. The last of these is the business of Doug Kaye, and the Podcast Academy is his baby.
Doug put together quite an agenda. So far, we’ve heard from Dan Bricklin, creator of VisiCalc, Trellix, and big time audio enthusiast. We heard from Paul Figgiana, Doug’s right hand man, but also publisher of The Point podcast. We got some great information from the guy behind Grape Radio, Michael Geoghegan. Did I mention we heard from Tony Kahn from WGBH and PRI’s The World show? (He was extra special). I’ll stop naming people. The list of presenters is here.
The conversations started out around the basics, the hardware, and then the passion. We then went into some of the business ideas, and there was a lively panel discussion as well. Ethan Fasset from Yahoo! was there talking about Yahoo! Podcasts, which is a great little service if you haven’t tried it out.
What I’ve Taken Away
So far, here’s what I’m thinking. Podcasting (audio and/or video) is a new revolution. It is where websites were back in 1996. People were getting filthy rich helping others develop web pages. There were some silly things, but there were some great things. I think podcasting and not web 2.0 is the next wave.
My plan, and the business model that I’m rapidly working on over the next couple of days, is to help corporations and organizations find ways to communicate their stories, within the organization (such as training material), outside the organization, such as pieces about who builds the widgets you use, and also, from the outside looking in (Hey engineers! Here’s your customer base!).
I’ve met some great people at this event, including Eric Olsen from Feedburner. They publish the RSS feed to my site. If you haven’t subscribed, here it is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/chrisbrogandotcom . I’ve talked with educators, business people, marketers, and lots of independent podcasters who just really love the medium. I can see why.
But hey, don’t take my word for it. Listen to the shows here. They’re all archived. Extra points if you can hear when I get the microphone for questions.
The next Podcast Academy will be held in Santa Clara, California, and it will cost $275. If you register early, you can save some money. I strongly recommend that you attend. The networking value alone is excellent, but the experience so far has been phenomenal.
Podcasting here I come.
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Podcast Academy is Blowing My Mind
I’m at Podcast Academy in Boston right now. It’s blowing my mind. There’s so much to consider. I’ve got goodies for all of you. Wait until tonight. If I don’t pass out from caffeine issues, I’ll be rolling!
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Off to Podcast Academy
I’ll be attending the Podcast Academy in Boston for the next two days. I’m going to try to remote post, so keep your eyes open for that. When I get back, there’ll be plenty of coverage goodness.
Until then, let me know what you think of my huge middle of the night idea. I should’ve said: “cat blog” is a term used in the blogosphere to mean “blog where I talk all about myself.” There also happens to be an actual blogging “movement” called catblogging, where people blog about their cats every Friday.
Finally, thanks to everyone who’s jumped on the RSS subscription. This is great because you don’t have to come to my site to read my content. You can get it in your reader of choice. If someone’s a little unsure of what RSS is all about, drop me a line, and I’ll gladly talk you through it.
Keep the great comments and emails coming. Thanks so much!
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Turn Your Catblog Into a Content Engine
First off, I think this idea is worth thousands! Maybe not millions, but thousands. I’ll give it away to you for free. FREE! If you promise to do one thing: link to this from your blog. Link to this post, and you can have this idea I think will be worth plenty to whoever executes it well. Link address: http://chrisbrogan.blogspot.com/2006/04/turn-your-catblog-into-content-engine.html
Are you a blogger of some kind or another? Give this some SERIOUS thought. Are you blogging for your own entertainment value, or do you want to grow an audience who’s interested in what you’re talking about? If you’re trying to build an audience and you’re hoping to deliver more and more quality content to them, here’s my take on how to turn your Catblog into a Content Engine.
We’ll start with some basics, and then I’ll get to some “how to” ideas.
What’s the Focus?
If you want to grow an audience, it’s pretty hard to do so by shifting your focus all the time. One day you’re talking about digital cameras, and the next, you’re asking if everyone saw the latest episode of “Lost.” This doesn’t sit well with the average audience. They want to know what they’re getting when they show up. Sure, there are blogs that work like a variety show. Heck, BoingBoing is the #1 blog out there, and they don’t stick to a tight focus. But if you can get their numbers, you don’t need my advice.
Focus means sticking to a general theme, but it doesn’t mean you should get too narrow that you blog yourself into a corner. It’s great to cover the digital devices space or gadgets, but a blog focused solely on the Apple iPod is a short term play, where you might get some good hits for a few months, but how long can you keep up a passionate and frequent stream of posts about your iPod?
Try to understand the focus of your blog, and refine the posts that go there to the area you choose.
Who’s Your Audience
This is tricky, as feedback isn’t always easy to come by. For the most part, I believe our audience is ourselves. Who are you? Are you a 36-year-old technology worker who is creative, who reads all the time, and who is interested in thinking about things in ways different than the average bear? Hell, you are ME.
I define my audience as: people who are interested in self-improvement, and who like to read thought-provoking articles.
Now, it’s not like I know for sure 100%. I have a few dozen folks who write me either frequently or otherwise, but that’s a small sample compared to the 85 subscribers to my RSS feed and the 240 unique hits a day I’m getting.
The point is, you have to really consider who would want to read your content and WHY. As much as you want it to be about your incredibly witty take on life and your conversational style, it’s also a bit about themselves. So, what are you writing that has traction with them? What’s giving them a sense of resonance with what you’re doing?
How Far Will You Go?
When I lost 65 pounds, a common thing my heavier friends would do is ask me, “How’d you lose all that weight?” I’d say, “The old fashioned way: I eat well, I watch my portions, I exercise, and I run.” Oh, they’d say. That’s easy for you to do. That’s a lot of work.
Yeah, no kidding.
If you want to grow an audience, you have to work hard at it. People aren’t necessarily going to keep their eye on your site when you head off for a two week vacation to “I don’t feel like posting” land. You’ve got to make the effort to keep new, fresh content rolling out of your blog, and you’ve got to be willing to commit to putting up new material reguarly. If not, don’t expect an audience to wait.
When Leon decided to take a vacation, he put Lifehack.org in the hands of a few writers he thought would keep up the quality content his site is known for delivering. Can you imagine this for a moment? This is a blog. He wanted to go on vacation, but knew that the web, the blogosphere, wouldn’t really wait a few weeks for him to come back. And so, he planned. He got content onto his site while he gets a chance to rest his toes or whatever it is he’s doing.
Are you ready to think about it like that?
How To
Here’s the brainstorm part of the post. A lot of this has come to me via conversations I’ve had with some really great folks. Some of my ideas make perfect sense to them, and in a few cases, I have every expectation that they’re going to race off and become thousandaires. Let’s see if it resonates with you.
Go Journalist
Are you drawing web comics and getting the same four or five poeple to comment on how they like it, or that it’s funny, and that’s it? Why not turn your blog into a showcase of all the other web comic folks you regularly read? Especially– and here’s a recurring trick– folks with just a trickle of traffic like you. Get in touch with these creators and see if you can interview them. Get permission to post examples of their work on your site. Build your blog into a great place to go to find the lesser-known edges of the web.
Ditto if you’re into weight loss. As much as people want to congratulate you on your recent 2 pound loss, how much MORE value would your success bring if you augmented it with pieces covering the food industry (via surfing news stories and adding your commentary), and also by interviewing other weight loss bloggers for their success secrets?
The seed here is this: how can you turn your little niche into a strong representation of lots of the other smaller sites, such that the result is greater than the sum of its parts?
Throw Media at Them
If you’re writing about office productivity, snap some photos of cubicle hell. Make it more interesting: become an anthropologist and take GOOD photos of the stuff people decorate their cubes with. Post a daily snap from another cube. Branch out from your office. Go to other places. Follow this incredible collection of posts (which later will make you lots as a coffee table book - think Post Secret).
Are you writing about small businesses in rural America? Get out there with your camera, and your videocamera, and your whatever, and throw some pictures and graphics around these articles. When you read a magazine, you don’t just read a pile of typewritten pages. There are graphics, drawings, pictures, color. Try to do the same with your blog. Make the images interesting.
Gather All Ye Rosebuds
You are reaching a small audience today. How many? (By the way, get some kind of a stat counter to know this. Without numbers, it’s hard to see the improvement, right?) How will you get more? One way is to band together.
Reach out to other bloggers who are like you: writing great stuff but not necessarily loaded with readers. See if you want to band your content together at a single site, and then focus all your energies at that one target. Similar to watching television, we much prefer a lineup to a stand-alone show that will thereafter force us to reach for the remote again. Right?
Putting the best content under a single banner is a great way to build the strength of whatever content you’re trying to produce.
Give The Audience Something to Do
In these modern times, the audience is a participant. How is American Idol KILLING all the other shows put against it? (Grammys, Olympics, more). One hint is that they involve the audience. You vote. You decide who wins. There are PLOTS on the internet to derail the show by banding together voters to knock off the show’s favorites.
Amazon lets you rate books. Netflix. Blogs have this power, too. Not just Digg, where the interaction is just as literal as American Idol, but sites like Lifehacker involve their readers by giving them software to go check out, and videos and how-to guides to teach them new kills. D*I*YPlanner.com has templates for you to download, and further, they encourage you to make your own and upload them. They are screaming out, “Come share! Participate!”
Blogs can do this in lots of ways. One is, if you write your blog so that it’s not just about YOU, there’s a chance something you are writing about will resonate with your readers. Sure, it’s great to give them experiences from your life to illustrate, but try to focus the lens back on them when you can.
Get readers to do guest posts. Invite your audience to share their best pieces. Put together sites where you collaborate. Look at Illustration Friday. I go there religiously to contribute, even if that takes the form of just adding a link to a big long list of people posting drawings on their various blogs. I bet THEY have great traffic.
How can you make it more interactive for your audience?
Re-purpose Your Content
I listen to and watch a lot of podcasts and videocasts. There’s a new element in town, though, and it bugs me: big content providers are slapping together their old material and calling it a podcast or a vidcast. Marketers are in the game pimping their movies and calling their marketing materials podcasts or vidcasts. But really, they’re doing a clever thing. They’re using content they’ve already produced in more than one way, and that means more value for the effort.
How does this apply to you and your blog?
Say you’ve written 200 really decent posts. You’re proud of the work. Why not dump all that into a word processing software like Writely or Writeboard and cook them into a free eBook to give to your audience? How about taking your web comic and burning the “Best of” onto a CD for distribution? Can you make tee shirts?
You want a quick podcast idea? Take the best of your content and read it into a microphone. Edit out the “ums” and “ahhhs” and you might have yet another product to put in front of that audience.
Sponsors, Promotions and More
Once you’ve started gathering steam, it’s important to roll that snowball into something bigger still. Get even larger content providers to ally with you. Find even better ways to add bang to your content. And if you’re in it for money, start showing your stats around to advertisers. See what your now-4000 readers is worth to someone.
Promote your blog. Use it like you would a company name. When you look to people for interviews, ask to interview them for Fake Movie Critic, and not “for my blog.” If someone asks, it’s okay to say you’re a blogger. If they’re not into that, it’s not your problem. PLENTY of big time mainstream folks are treating blogs with nearly as much respect as they give mainstream media.
(By the way, interviews RULE as a way to get new readers, and as a way to get to know someone new. I met a guy who’s influenced the hell out of me ever since interviewing him a few weeks back.)
Get your blog name into your email signature. Oh, and before I forget, domains are only about $6 US from 1and1.com, if you use them as a forwarding site. If you want to up the credibility of your blog even just a tiny notch, you can front-end your site with a good name. (Believe me, if I could do this over again, I wouldn’t have led with my own name. I’m happy now, but I’ll need to re-brand eventually.)
Get a Flickr account and a Frappr map and meet folks through LinkedIn. Use all these SOCIAL applications to start spreading your brand around. Leave relevant comments on blogs you like, and sign them with your site name.
Above All Else, Passion
If you’re blogging to get rich, you might want to reconsider. There are plenty of success stories, but there are mountains of people just phoning it in out there. You will do okay, but you won’t necessarily blow the world apart with your fresh new voice if all you’re doing is trying to get clickthroughs.
People LOVE passion, even if it’s for something they’re not entirely into. You’ve had that experience, right? Someone is just NUTS about something, and you find yourself smiling and nodding along, even though you are SO outside your territory. That’s what the best posts can be like on a blog. Hopefully, you get a sense of my passion in all the posts I share with you. Do that with your own effort. Share your passion outward.
That’s all I have for now. If you like this post, please feel free to blog about it, share snippets and quotes, and go right out and implement the idea. The link to this article is: http://chrisbrogan.blogspot.com/2006/04/turn-your-catblog-into-content-engine.html
And thanks. You make this all worth it.
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Give Your Ideas “Handles”
(image by nicholas_mt)
I have this great trick. If I have an idea that’s important, I give it “handles.” I want people to come, pick up the idea, and walk away with it.
Handles
Here’s the thing: you have to give up the “credit” for the idea. You want people to totally forget that someone else thought of it. You want them to pick up the idea, load it into their brains, and then go around talking about it like it’s their idea.
But why? You’re saying, it’s my idea. I deserve credit. The types of ideas that are best suited for handles are the types of ideas that will make your life go SO MUCH easier. For instance, working remotely instead of coming to work. That’s a great idea to stick in the boss’s mind, and the Director of HR, and the VP, etc. Hmm.
What gives an idea handles?
Above all else, start to recognize that your value is almost never in a single idea, but in the notion that you’re clever enough to generate plenty of ideas. Give some away, and let people better understand just how much you have on board. Think in terms of abundance. The more ideas you share out there, the more opportunity you have of crafting the environment around you to meet your tastes.
Now, since you brought this handles idea up, what were you telling me the other day about using it?
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