If You're Ready to Start a Project
Where Are You Going to Share Your Content?
Since moving to the city I've started the Chicago Neighborhoods Project. I'm in the process of visiting and photographing architecture in all 77 community areas of the city.
I would eventually like to publish a book (or two) about my adventures. In the meanwhile I'm using social media to share my creative work with the public. I write up the basics about my neighborhood visits, along with 10 to 15 photos, and post it on this blog. I let people know about my blog posts on Google +, Twitter and Facebook.
Once a week I schedule two photos a day to run on Facebook. To keep it interesting, the morning photo usually revolves around a theme. This week I'm posting pictures of the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago. I sometimes share relevant articles. My followers on Facebook have been the most engaged audience with my project so far.
I tweet. I start my mornings with a photo of a Chicago neighborhood on Twitter. If I have interesting "eye candy" photos I will also use them. Those tend to be the most viral, particularly if I tag people or organizations likely to retweet beautiful photos. I will also retweet articles or info. I may post more photos later in the day.
On YouTube I post video collages of photos from each neighborhood visit, and let people know about the video on other social media. I use Instagram to create an ongoing portfolio of my work. Both of these are an afterthought, but don't take too much time to do, as long as I follow a system after I finish editing my photos from each neighborhood.
Choosing Your Content Delivery System
Before starting a project I think it's important to think about where you want to share your project. Right now Facebook and Twitter have some of the biggest audiences, but aren't automatically right for everyone. There are still influential bloggers, YouTube stars, and various other social media kings.
Some of the older technologies, like email newsletters, don't have a lot of competitors these days. Does anyone still watch public access TV? Then there's all the new emerging social media. I would encourage anyone thinking about starting a project to contemplate all the options. If visuals aren't your thing, maybe your work would be better broadcast on the radio or made into podcasts.
An example might be some friends who have a hobby eating at neighborhood diners. The project might start with a blog or on Facebook about local diners. Instead of trying to continue developing their own followers somewhere like Instagram, the next best step might be posting Yelp reviews. From there they could try guest appearances in newspapers or TV. Who knows where it goes next? Will they create an annual award for local diners? A documentary film? Their own local radio show with guests? The key is to keep thinking about the opportunities.
Below is a list of some of the options. Not every type of media fits neatly into each category. This is just to get you started thinking about some different approaches to sharing content. Note: The list was compiled in April 2016. Some of the media may no longer be relevant by the time you read this.
Media
- Image Messenger: SnapChat, Shots
- Private Messenger: Burn Note
- Mobile Messenger: Text, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, QQ Mobile, WeChat, Kik
- Photo Sharing: Flickr, Photobucket
- Video Sharing: YouTube, Vine, Hyper
- Live Video Streaming: Twitter/Periscope, Facebook Live
- Live Video Conversations: Blab, YouNow
- Small Group Video Chats: Skype, Meerkat, Google Hangouts
- Electronic Journals: (blogs) Blogger, WordPress
- Short-form Blogs: Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest
- Location Based: MeetMe, Yik Yak, Skout
- Anonymous Chats: Whisper, Omegle
- Professional: LinkedIn, Slack, SlideShare
- Avatars: Second Life, Bebo
- Message Boards: Reddit
- Websites
- Video Games
- Audio: radio, podcasts, audio books
- Electronic Versions of Print: email, e-newsletters, eBooks
- Print: mailers, newspapers, books, zines, magazines, journals, brochures
- Broadcast: television, cable, movies, documentary films
- Reviews: Yelp, TripAdvisor
- Live: productions, theater, readings
No comments:
Post a Comment