Given such a dizzying array it’s easy to 1.) get overwhelmed and then 2.) mash a bunch of things against the wall and see what sticks.

Both will eventually lead to early-onset dementia, no matter your age.

If you’re trying to create a career in “social media” or Engagement, as we call it, it’s really important to keep the media platforms and their purposes straight. And by straight we mean “separated” (although both could be used as a “status” on some media sites, no?)

Then, because the platforms are all digital and, let’s face it, tremendously competitive, they change fast.

An example: Facebook’s latest move to, for practical purposes, no character limits on a blog post. Yes, supposedly there are limits. But they’re in the zillions at this point.

Your pithy, short and (hello!) engaging status update can now be as long as a blog post. Or profile description. Or ebook chapter. Or long copy direct mail piece.

But should it?

In today’s tutorial Locker Gnome teases out some of the details of that question and adds perspective of his own.

The takeaway? Facebook is going to do everything they can to 1.) squeeze every minute of attention out of you while 2.) simultaneously squeezing every possible competitor out of the Now Media platform space.

All while, of course, rolling and roiling and rollicking in your data.

Locker Gnome makes a great point: Facebook is not a blog. It’s not a direct mail piece. It’s not an ezine.

But it’s going to try to act that way, because that’s how it serves adds.

This is really all about the wall separating Facebook and Google. The more Facebook can get you to generate content inside its walled garden, the less content that gets indexed inside Google.

If you’re writing for the Now Media, then it’s really about where you’re going to get the most …um… engagement.

The Now Media is all about participation. Jump in. Get your feet wet. Create something great.

A good internship is a great way to boost your Now Media career. A great internship that actually involves Now Media is a grand slam.

The folks at social music service The Indie (http://www.theindie.biz/) have just posted internships in their College Music Internship program. They’re looking for bloggers, social media interns, digital product developers and even coordinators for their indie radio programs.

From The Indie’s “About Us” section:

The Indie is the premier social music promotion and distribution platform that encourages the discovery, and consumption of music (and related content) created by unsigned artists, independent artists and indie labels.

We strive to meet these goals by focusing on the following areas:

1. Creating simplified, highly effective, social solutions that enable artists to exponentially promote their music and dramatically grow their fan base
2. Providing artists with emerging channels where their music, performances and videos can be discovered and consumed
3. Creating a marketplace the attracts and encourages music fans to explore, discover, share, and consume music socially

So check it out: http://www.theindie.biz/interns/summary

Writing Advocacy Copy

 ”Advocacy Copy” is a relatively recent term in Now Media circles. It suggests a combination of, well, advocacy and copy. Advocacy in the sense of promoting a cause or organization. Copy in the sense of getting people to take action.

“Advocacy copy” is one of those blended terms that indicates maybe the Then Media is having a hard time coming to terms with engagement. It’s not just about information. It’s about advocacy. And it’s about copy.

Today, Tom Chandler of the Writer Underground addresses how we deal with “facts” that may or may not be true. Very provocative stuff.

Writing Advocacy Copy: How Do You Deal With False “Facts”? | The …

I've been writing advocacy copy by the bucketful, and while it's recognizably copywriting, it demands a very different arc than product-oriented, “buy the soap” copy. When you're writing advocacy copy, you're advancing a …

Publish Date: 11/21/2011 19:00

http://writerunderground.com/2011/11/21/writing-advocacy-copy-how-do-you-deal-with-false-facts/

It’s not as cut and dried as we might think, is it? Copywriters write to sell. We believe selling requires engagement. Will your audience engage if they’re not sure you’re being completely straight with the “facts”?

Screenwriting Software for Linux Based Writers

Also from the Writer Underground. Operating on a Linux machine? Ready to format that rippin’ screenplay? Figure you’d have to either change platforms or format your screenplay with a trowel?

Fear not.

Linux Is For Writers: Today We Look At Screenwriting Software | The …

The formatting conventions of scripts made writing them a drag, but after discovering the free, open-source Celtx screenwriting software (available on Mac, Windows & Linux), I said good-bye to all the hassles. Writing scripts …

Publish Date: 11/14/2011 13:27

http://writerunderground.com/2011/11/14/linux-is-for-writers-today-we-look-at-screenwriting-software/

Right Brain Solutions for Blogger’s Block!

There are probably two really great challenges to writing for engagement. The first is always positioning: How do we write so that the audience will be motivated to engage.

The second is good old writer’s block. How do we come up with stuff to write about in the first place?

Ideally, we take client, audience or stakeholder input and we riff on it.

BUT, there will always be days when nothing seems to bubble into our conscious. For those days, KISSMetrics Neil Patel shared his ideas for overcoming blogger’s block in a guest post on Problogger.

The Right-brain Thinker's Guide to Beating Blogger's Block | Daily …

The Right-brain Thinker's Guide to Beating Blogger's Block – This guest post is by Neil Patel of KISSmetrics. In his 2009 book A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink explained that the new world of business is a great place to be a …

Publish Date: 12/02/2011 3:06

http://www.dailyblogworld.com/post/blogging/the-right-brain-thinker-s-guide-to-beating-blogger-s-block.aspx

A tip for Neil, and all of us: They work for left brain types, too.

Sometimes the headline says it all.

7 Marketing Links You'd Be Crazy to Ignore | Copyblogger

The best (and shortest) business book ever written. Why visualizing your success could actually be hurting your chances for success. The #1 overlooked skill for every author, and how to get 7000 Twitter followers. This week …

Publish Date: 12/02/2011 6:00

http://www.copyblogger.com/7-marketing-links/

And sometimes not. RARELY do we follow such hype (yeah, right), but in this case, you might actually be a little bit woozy to miss those links.

For today’s tutorial, let’s dig in a little bit deeper with Heather as she gives an overview of SEO copywriting and especially its role in search engine marketing campaigns.

Key takeaway: Heather’s reference to Seth Godin’s opinion: The best SEO is good content.

She’s capturing – and riding on Seth’s coattails! – the idea that people are attracted to relevant, informative and useful content (duh!).

But more important, Big G and the Search Engine Band are constantly tweaking their algorithms to tune out spam and float “good content” to the top of their results pages.

So the challenge? Writing SEO copy so that it attracts both human attention and bot slurpiness. Not easy.

For more info, check out Heather’s site and copywriting courses at: http://www.seocopywriting.com/

SEO Copywriting Reality Check
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a key activity for Now Media writers. We talk a lot about “engagement” as it applies to engaging an audience of people. But the search engines – especially Big G – form a “filtering” layer between you and the audience.

“Engaging” them – without alienating the audience, of course – is important to good Now Media writing. It’s also a rockin’ career skill, freelance opportunity zone, and networking tool in its own right.

Check out Heather Lloyd-Martin’s “Ultimate Guide for Beginners.” Then check out Heather’s SEO copywriting training (linked at the end of the article. No affiliation or comi$$ion involved.)

 

How to be an SEO copywriter: The ultimate guide for beginners …

Thinking about starting a career in SEO copywriting? Here's a reality check. Making a living as a copywriter (whether you work in-house or freelance from home) is hard work. First, there's a learning curve – it takes some time to …

Publish Date: 12/01/2011 11:22

http://www.seo-services-lincoln.com/how-to-be-an-seo-copywriter-the-ultimate-guide-for-beginners/

Also, check out the endorsement for Heather’s work by SEO Pros:

SeoPros Endorses Heather Lloyd-Martin's SEO Copywriting …

Online training teaches in-house and freelance writers the latest SEO copywriting best practices and writing techniques. Heather Lloyd-Martin's SEO Copywriting Certification Training was recently endorsed by SeoPros.org. …

Publish Date: 11/23/2011 11:41

http://www.googleplus1app.com/seopros-endorses-heather-lloyd-martins-seo-copywriting-certification-training

Idiots, Anyone?

While we’re on the topic of engagement and social media writing, the amazing Sonia Simone of CopyBlogger has put together a post that … well, the title pretty much speaks for itself:

Are Internet Idiots Annihilating Your Productivity? | Internet …

Are Internet Idiots Annihilating Your Productivity? by Sonia Simone on December 1, 2011. image of cartoon from xkcd It's one of the hazards of spending social time online. Every day, everywhere you look, you're going to find someone who's …

Publish Date: 12/01/2011 6:00

http://www.imrshow.com/1252/are-internet-idiots-annihilating-your-productivity/

The big takeaway: The Internet is full of idiots. (In fairness: On any given day we might be among them!) One downside of giving everybody a voice is that some people use theirs carelessly. Foolishly. Unwisely.

Worst of all: Hurtfully.

If you’re going to work in an essentially public, transparent medium, you’ll need a thick skin and, somehow, have to figure out that sometimes the idiots are just idiots.

5 Ways to Prime the Social Pump
Another perspective on “engagement” comes today from Dr. Pete Meyers, writing for SEOMoz. Dr. Pete shares 5 relevant, big picture tips for “priming the social pump,” which maybe means he’s trying to help you get through the desert of inattention when you create some great content. It’s .. here’s a suprise.. all about engaging and building audiences.

5 Ways to Prime the Social Pump | Tut7

Posted by Dr. Pete You've finally finished that epic blog post and tomorrow morning you'll unleash it on the world. So, what should you do between.

Publish Date: 12/01/2011 11:14

http://tut7.com/2011/12/01/5-ways-to-prime-the-social-pump/

A couple of Pete’s tips are obvious. A couple quite genius. Can you figure out which is which?

]]> http://www.amesmedia.org/2011/12/mediamaker-daily-12-1-11/feed/ 0 http://www.amesmedia.org/2011/12/content-curation-video-tutorial-using-seo-content-factory/ http://www.amesmedia.org/2011/12/content-curation-video-tutorial-using-seo-content-factory/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:58:06 +0000 admin http://www.amesmedia.org/?p=412 The idea behind content curation is to cull, to distill the sweet nuggets of intrigue out of the cereal bowl of mush that is the Internet.

There are plenty of ways to do this, but one theme is constant: What interests your audience? And how can you add expertise, insight or snark to make it even more interesting?

This tutorial is built around a tool called SEO Content Factory, so it is somewhat specific to that program’s points-n-clicks. But feel free to ignore all that.

The ideas about curation – sifting, sorting, adding perspective – are rock solid no matter which platform you use.

Other content curation options, beyond SEO Content Factory:

Storify
CurationSoft

We’ll accept comments about other good options if they’re legit.

No affiliate disclaimer. If you visit any of these sites and purchase their wares, we will merely swim in the succulent sea of warm karma.

Aman Basanti of AgeofMarketing.com advises creating 20 to 30 posts before starting a new blog. Other people who have created very successful engagement strategies disagree. (See: Dan Andrews @ TropicalMBA.com, who contends that waiting can be deadly. Just get something out there already!) It’s ready-aim-aim-aim-aim-fire vs. “ready-fire-aim,” really.
Pro: writing posts (or making videos or podcasts) in advance hones your skills
Con: writing posts (or making videos or podcasts) in advance delays your market test and maybe your success

Why You Should Write 20 Posts Before You Launch Your Blog …

Why You Should Write 20 Posts Before You Launch Your Blog – This guest post is by Aman Basanti of ageofmarketing.com. If you have not yet started a blog, stop. Write 20 to 30 posts before you launch. It may sound …

Publish Date: 11/30/2011 3:04

http://www.dailyblogworld.com/post/blogging/why-you-should-write-20-posts-before-you-launch-your-blog.aspx

Veteran Filmmaker Decries Modern Filmmaking Techniques! World Is Shocked! (Not really)

Director Terence Davies yearns for an earlier age when films were more … filmy, one supposes. He’s apparently upset about the “constant violence and noisy soundtrack” most films feature. Not disagreeing, just observing: We’re equally tired of the horrible and unoriginal storytelling.

Terence Davies attacks 'fast-food' films

by The Press Association. Veteran director has lamented the quality of contemporary film-making, dismissing it as “fast food”. The 66-year-old director and writer, whose latest film The Deep Blue Sea has just been released, …

Publish Date: 11/30/2011 7:52

http://filmdirectingtips.com/archives/7069

SECRET REVEALED! Successful Copywriters Focus on Customers! (Please keep this A SECRET!)
Author Robert Bruce tells and interesting story to remind us of something we need to be reminded of now and then. Good copy is …wait for it … all about the customer.

We think it’s all about engagement, too. But that’s all about the customer, isn’t it.

The Secret of The Successful Copywriter | Copyblogger

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media's copywriter and resident recluse. Print Friendly … The Secret of The Successful Copywriter | Copyblogger » Blogging Writting and Computer tips | November 30, 2011 …

Publish Date: 11/30/2011 6:00

http://www.copyblogger.com/successful-copywriting/

]]> http://www.amesmedia.org/2011/11/media-maker-daily-11-30-2011/feed/ 0 http://www.amesmedia.org/2011/11/shoot-green-screen-video-tutorial-with-dave-kaminski-of-web-video-university/ http://www.amesmedia.org/2011/11/shoot-green-screen-video-tutorial-with-dave-kaminski-of-web-video-university/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:58:52 +0000 admin http://www.amesmedia.org/?p=406 As usual, Dave Kaminsky of Web Video University packs more useful info into a 1.5 minute tutorial than many “pro” teachers can share in a half hour.

If you’ve puzzled over how to shoot green screen video without breaking your budget, here are some terrific insights:

http://webvideouniversity.com/podcast/video/2011/11/22/how-to-shoot-green-screen-video-faster-and-cheaper/

If you’re serious at all about using images to tell stories, put some green screen skills in your arsenal. You never know when a production crew or film project is going to need just that touch.

Check out Dave’s Green Screen Secrets course:

http://webvideouniversity.com/greenscreensecrets/

Dave’s style is hands-on and detailed. This course covers both production and editing of green screen. It’s kind of a two-fer!

79 bucks, very well spent.

*No affiliate disclaimer needed. If you purchase Dave’s course you will not generate any income for us. But you’ll give us the warm fuzzy knowledge that our karma count goes up by 1 (that’s 1 karma or karmic unit, a measure of goodwill that ladles out by the spoonful and returns by the shovel).

 
Tom Treanor of the “Business Blogging Telesummit” shares 12 great but not necessarily mutually exclusive rules for blogging success. It’s a bit of a short course on how to write one form of social media. Can you guess the theme? Engagement

Rocket Readings: Charles Darwin's 12 Rules of Blogging Survival

Charles Darwin's 12 Rules of Blogging Survival: This guest post is by Tom Treanor of the Business Blogging Telesummit. Blog readers have a myriad of reading options for almost every topic you can think of. In fact, within …

Publish Date: 11/29/2011 16:12

http://rocketbuilders.blogspot.com/2011/11/charles-darwins-12-rules-of-blogging.html

Frugal Filmmaker’s Scott Eggleston reviews an ingenious – and almost malevolently cheap – way to get “Hi Pod” images with what might very well turn out to be a unicycle and duct tape. Awesome for DIY storytelling.

Alan Lach's DIY FrugalPod

Scott sez: Whether or not the FrugalPod has filmmaking applications (the retail version is used for covering football games), I admire Alan's ingenuity for creating his own version. I know how much time and money goes into one of these builds …

Publish Date: 11/28/2011 21:36

http://filmflap.blogspot.com/2011/11/alan-lachs-diy-frugalpod.html

Content is a huge issue for social media writers. What can you write about today? Same thing as yesterday? Well, kind of. But whatever it is, always create engagement. Superblogger Darren Rowse of ProBlogger shares his approach to generating ideas for blog posts. Let’s face it: Rowse has access to people and resources that mere mortals might not. But still, his ideas make great thought starters to writing for engagement.

5 Ways I Kill Two Birds With One Stone and Generate Ideas for Blog …

I love making the one piece of work pay off multiple times. One of the ways I do this is … … Written on 11/30/2011 at 12:03 am by Darren Rowse. 5 Ways I Kill Two Birds With One Stone and Generate Ideas for Blog Posts. Filed Under: Writing …

Publish Date: 11/29/2011 9:03

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2011/11/30/5-ways-i-kill-two-birds-with-one-stone-and-generate-ideas-for-blog-posts/

We’re always looking for ways to help independents – freelance, entrepreneurial, just-getting-started careers – get traction. That’s the name of the game. Danny Iny is considered a bit of a genius in the area of social media writing – specifically blogging and guest posting (theme of the day!?). Here he shares 19 ways to get paid for your writing:

19 Ways to Get Paid for Your Writing | Copyblogger

About the Author: Danny Iny is an author, strategist, serial entrepreneur, and proud co-founder of Firepole Marketing, the program that turns non-marketers into expert marketers. He wants to know where entrepreneurs, …

Publish Date: 10/10/2011 9:00

http://www.copyblogger.com/get-paid-to-write/

While we’re on the Danny Iny bandwagon – and even though we’re not all that crazy about the “interview all stars and write a book about it” model, we are crazy about engagement. Danny’s new book tries to isolate how social media superstars have done exactly that. The review, at least, is worth a read:

How to Build an Engaged Audience with Content Marketing | when …

I was really lucky to have so many … by Danny @ Firepole MarketingYou're very welome, Michael – email me and let me know what … by Danny @ Firepole MarketingYou definitely should, Josh – just give yourself enough time … by Danny @ Firepole MarketingGot my copy in the mail, and I'm not … Further ReadingHow to Write Weapons-Grade CopyThe 2011 Copyblogger Gratitude ListThe Copyblogger Thanksgiving Sale! … image of danny iny's engagement book …

Publish Date: 11/29/2011 6:00

http://www.lofitrading.com/how-to-build-an-engaged-audience-with-content-marketing-2/

One more good, quick article on getting ideas for blog posts, this one from blogger Katy Farber, who’s popular enough in her own right, but probably struggles with some of the same issues you do in creating great, actionable … here go … engaging stuff.

5 Ways to Never Run Out of Blog Post Ideas | High Paying Keywords …

5 Ways to Never Run Out of Blog Post Ideas. This guest post is by Katy Farber of Non-Toxic Kids. When I started Non-Toxic Kids four years ago, I had no idea I would never run out of things to write about. In all those four years of posting …

Publish Date: 11/29/2011 10:25

http://highpayingkeywordsadsense.rimbunanhijau.com/high-paying-keywords-adsense/5-ways-to-never-run-out-of-blog-post-ideas/

More and more, telling stories with images is the go-to strategy for launching or supporting any kind of media. Visual storytellers are rare and highly in-demand because great image-based storytelling compresses the audience’s experience and leaves an indellible imprint (unlike overly wordy introductions!). In this post, John Morrow shares some terrific insights for “trailers” that also apply to Web video, commercial video or any short-form visual story effort.

The 10 Secrets to Making a Spellbinding Video Trailer for Your Next …

This guest post is by Jon Morrow of boostblogtraffic.com. Okay, so not … Steven Spielberg. You might like the idea of creating a trailer … … The 10 Secrets to Making a Spellbinding Video Trailer for Your Next Blog, Book, or Product Launch …

Publish Date: 11/26/2011 9:08

http://myblogmix.com/rssblog/the-10-secrets-to-making-a-spellbinding-video-trailer-for-your-next-blog-book-or-product-launch

]]> http://www.amesmedia.org/2011/11/mediamaker-daily/feed/ 0 http://www.amesmedia.org/2011/11/social-media-marketing-tutorial/ http://www.amesmedia.org/2011/11/social-media-marketing-tutorial/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:31:02 +0000 admin http://www.amesmedia.org/?p=397 This tutorial departs a bit from our tight focus on “writing for social media.” It embraces a broader focus: Using social media for business.

It’s the first of several parts (the rest available on YouTube), so as you go through them notice: Our focus is on “engagement.” Is theirs?

These people are the experts!