In this screencast I highlight the main points covered during this Social Media seminar. This sceencast is a little over 10 minutes long;  the seminar was over two hours of slides and Q&A. Please let me know your questions by posting them in the comments section below.

Listen, Engage, Broadcast: Social Media Seminar for the APA New York from jason moriber on Vimeo.

The UnDone Presentation:
My non-linear presentations have been ultimately more successful than pre-planned, linear-driven slide-deck talks even if they are much harder to manage.

I chose the non-linear path for my recent Social Media seminar for APA | NY . Engaging your audience is a hard dance to manage but, as in this case proved, doing so offers greater value FOR THE ATTENDEES from the event. Value means the audience gained answers to questions; ideally these answers demand a renewal of thought.

Blame Socrates, but he was right. With an audience eager to learn, you can’t assume you’re on the right track unless you ask them. Doing so might mess up your slide-deck plans, but it’s not about you, it’s about them. It’s the presenters role to make sure we can offer the audience an experience that cannot take place over the phone, via an email, through an online video, or in a written case-study. I aim to engage and answer. If you’ve made the effort to come see me, I’m going to give you all the available real-live-ness I can. Take the risks, don’t be afraid of “being real.” We’re people not robots.

Here’s a quick run-down of how I think you can make an UnDone presentation successful:

Do The Early Work
Get as much feedback on the topic from your audience before the event starts. Either through questionnaires, surveys, emails, whatever. Then prepare to answer these questions and seek out the askers from the audience, engage them, invite them into the process. Give shout outs to the people who asked the questions and then confirm with them, during the seminar/presentation, if you’ve answered their questions well.

Roll-On-In
40 minutes before the true start time, sit at the podium, put a slide or site or image on the screen and speak about it. Ask the audience as they roll-in questions about why they are here, what do they need to know, what are their anxieties. Some will tell you, others will want to hear your loose thoughts, which then opens them up to later dialog. As the space fills up,
engage the new arrivals. They’ll see you’re already on a roll, speaking with the audience and the tone will be set that this is a conversation, not a demonstration.

Announce Your Intention
Be transparent with the audience that you will be running the seminar with engagement as the part of the plan. Make sure the materials (print.web.email) that describe your event include this gist and you should personally reaffirm it at the outset of the event. Define how you would like to interact (”I will post a slide, speak to it, then ask questions of the crowd. I’ll answer the first few questions, then see where it leads.”) If your audience is over 150 attendees, use software (twitter tags), microphones, a structure to make sure you are opening the floor to input.

Cut The Deck
Prepare your slides as an outline, not as the rigid path. Plan on moving up and down through your deck based on the response from the audience. Ideally you’ll have a folder of slides that are not linked, which enables you the freedom to move.

Ask
As noted above, ask your audience if you’ve answered the question well. They’ll tell you what aspects they want to learn more about. Ask permission from the crowd to move on. State, “I think we’ve covered that, with your permission I want to talk about this…”

Get Tight and Paint Loose
Know your stuff, have a firm grasp of the topic of the seminar, but be ready to bob and weave. if you do your homework you should be able to answer many questions on the topic, but not all. If you don’t have an answer, don’t fake it. State you don’t have the answer but you will research it and get back to them. Plus the answer to a question might come from a fellow member of the audience. Ask if someone from the audience can add to an answer, to share their experience, to point out a different way.

It’s Not a Concert, Its a Conversation, Wind Down Without a Bang
There is no final triumphant song. Announce the remaining time as you reach towards the expected end and express that those with questions can remain in the space with you for more Q & A. In parallel, create a welcoming opportunity for those who have to leave for them to ask you questions later, such as providing your phone number and email address.

Plan a Follow-Up
Now that you’ve learned what everybody in the audience wants and needs, create a follow-up (such as a series of screen-casts) that answer the questions more deeply. Similar to Roll-On-In, keep the flow rolling. Keep the conversation moving, keep open to questions, and you’ll provide the greatest value possible.

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This approach isn’t for everyone, but I’ve been witnessing the positive results, and suggest you give it a try. Let me know if you have any questions on the above by posting a comment below.

Thanks!

Thumbnail image credit: dps

Recently I’ve read a few posts about converting social media fans or followers into something more. The question came up again at the latest Indy Social Media Breakfast featuring a panel of speakers in the cultural attractions and tourism industry. How do you move someone from being a follower or fan and get them to actually do something?

At first I was surprised by the question, “What next?” because this isn’t rocket science, it’s just human relationships. Why do people have trouble bridging interaction that takes place on the web into in person, real life stuff? If you are asking this same question, you are definitely not alone. There are things you can do to move people beyond the click and really engage them.

These are just a few ideas to get started. My hope is more to spark thought about what is possible versus providing a concrete plan to work from. Please share if you have other ideas (or past successes) in how to move people beyond the click.

If you’re interested in more information, these posts are worth a look.
HOW TO: Turn Slacktivists into Activists with Social Media by Geoff Livingston
Closing the Loop Between Social Media and Offline Action by Beth Kanter
Both are written with causes in mind, but the lessons certainly apply to any business.

Image Credit: Darwin Bell

When Doing It Right is All Wrong

The Importance of Finding Your Own Way to Work

I love planning, lists and office supplies. Give me graph paper, newsprint and a whole slew of markers and I’m a happy camper.

Well, usually.

Recently I’ve been going through a growth spurt. Jamie Ridler Studios is flourishing and I’ve been bouncing off the walls with new projects and new ideas. Awesome, right? Well, kind of.

It was awesome until I reached “maximum Jamie capacity.” As ideas overflowed, I overwhelmed! I reached for pens and paper and intrepidly set out to create order from chaos. And it worked, mostly.

Phase 1: What Worked

I booked a space to get out of my regular digs and mindset. I brought 14 pieces of Bristol board: 1 a month for a year, 1 for next year and 1 for “bonbons,” one-off ideas without a home. I brought masses of post-it notes: 1 colour for each project, 1 post-it for each task. I also enlisted help. My assistant was there to remind me that I wanted to enjoy my life and maybe even sleep on occasion.

It was fun! I wrote out tasks with enthusiasm and put them on my calendar sheets. Finding a home for each was like solving a puzzle. Having them up there helped me see when I was starting to overbook. As white space diminished, I knew my energy would too. So I adjusted and made some room. Before I knew it I could see the year ahead and beyond!

Phase 2: Where It All Went Horribly Wrong

Next I thought I would develop detailed project plans, determine what to delegate and schedule in tasks for myself. I thought this would be smart, efficient and give me greater ease. Wrong!

When I got home, I laid the big pages on the floor and pulled out my laptop and datebook. And I worked on it. And worked on it. And worked on it. I asked my sister to come over and we worked on it. After days of struggle, I knelt atop all those pages with all those plans, put my head to the floor and closed my eyes. The only thing left to do was cry.

Then something stirred in me. This couldn’t be the way! So what if it was logical? So what if others work like this? It wasn’t working for me. And working harder, faster, longer, more or better wasn’t going to make this strategy the right one!

Phase 3: My Own Way

So I let it go. I started working with a lighter touch. I’ve parceled my days into sections for each project and during that time I pick from the colourful array of tasks at hand and do as much as I can. Sometimes I pick what’s pressing, sometimes what inspires me. Some days I pick the easiest piece, sometimes the toughest. I trust my instincts and my inclinations and it’s working.

My business is growing and there’s a lot to learn. But I figure it should feel like stretching, not like squishing. I’ve learned to let go of how it ’should’ be and to change my tack when I’m not moving.  And I’ve learned that the Jamie way involves fun, flexibility and forward momentum, none of this head-banging stuff. Unless, of course, there’s a concert.

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In my presentations and consulting I suggest that creative professionals use social media at least one hour a day (or 5-7 hours per week). This includes a great deal of “listening” as well engaging. Yes, I’m a marketing communications consultant and am therefore biased, BUT these suggestions are not based on turning you into a social media consultant, they are geared to get you the best marketing value for your time.

Social media is not only Facebook and related social networks, but includes blogging and commenting on blog posts. The gist of my suggestions have three components:

1. Listen
2. Engage
3. Connect

Listen:
Social Media offers current “intelligence” on topics, keywords and people. Use LinkedIn to research the companies you want to do work for, find new contacts, and see if you have any friends in common. Use Twitter’s search function to get a sense of what’s going on. Or use an aggregate-service like Lazyfeed to see what’s trending.

Engage:
Find and make conversations. If you’re not writing your own posts (and even if you are), there are many-many blog posts out there you can take time to comment on. Making comments on blog posts opens up a dialog. Engage with your peers. Make friends, and similar to networking, see what new opportunities arise. On Twitter or LinkedIn respond to the tweets or updates people post. Add your voice to the conversation.

Connect:
Take your current contact list and seek them out on social networks. Connect with them there. Find new contacts through your research and add them to your friends list. Reach out to them with a simple note, make new connections and get re-connected with old ones, then listen and engage.

Maybe even more pertinent are the new ideas and directions that are emerging via social media and its influence on the creative professional marketplace. Social media has put a bright light on the industry, a transparency, which is pointing out the artists who have a few more tools in the toolkit are thriving, rising, to match the expectations of the post-recession economy.

The market has shifted, there is no going back to the way it was even three years ago. Being active in the marketplace is worth 5 hours a week.

(this post was originally published at the blog NewCommBiz, the below is a “reprint”)

On Twitter I follow hashtags for presentations (example #TED) of all types, to learn how I can make my own presentations better. I dip into the flow of the conversations and see what I can filter out. Both the positive notes and the complaints tend to trend similarly, either people are psyched to be there and see their peers OR they list the ways the presenter or the presentation sucks (in a nice manner of course, but you know what’s up). Based on my ongoing Twitter filtering here are some bullet points to help make your presentations better.

Ask First: Before you prepare your presentation gain a list of the attendees and see if you  contact them via email. Ask them what they expect from the presentation. If you can’t email them, research them. You want to learn as much about who you are presenting to and what they seek to gain from your presentation in advance. Sure, stick with your game-plan if you feel your presentation is solid, BUT salt and pepper it with data, notes, and tidbits that answer the needs of your audience. Plus this builds a pre-realtionship with the audience and relieves their anxiety to ask questions. Know your audience.

Go Outside the Lines: We are accustomed to preparing our presentations using a linear deck of slides. It’s a logical way to present. My suggestion is to envision a few paths through your slides (even from front to back); a choose-your-own-adventure progression. Maybe a question arises from the audience about a topic you planned on covering later, instead of waiting, jump to it, shift your flow, and be prepared to work your way back. Be loose, don’t be a stiffy.

Un-Word the Slides: As you build your presentation think of ways to reduce the amount of texts on your slides. You don’t want to speak over a text-loaded slide, or even a complicated diagram. As example, consider offering a slide that has the base elements of a diagram (a matrix, a cool illustration) and using a pointer or your arm speak-out the data vs. displaying it (this corner is good, this one bad, things are pointing to the good). Speak the data.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Eraser: Say your audience isn’t feeling your topic that day, they seem dozy, or are chatty. Stop what you’re doing, shake it up. Yes, you’ve spent that past four days going over your presentation, but if it’s not working for you with this particular audience, seize the moment, be your best editor, and change the tone and tempo of the presentation in order to gain their involvement. Be actively presenting.

It’s Them, Not You: Don’t talk about  your product, service or company, even if you feel your product is the best answer to the question being raised. You’re not there to sell them services, you’re there to impart useful information to help THEM succeed. They all know where you came from, it’s on the website, in the hand-outs, in the emails. Do your best to speak about them, to offer them value, to provide for them. No one wants to feel like they are captive to a sales pitch. Just don’t do it.

Please, don’t be a sucky presenter.

Kevin Berrey, the Writer/Director/Filmmaker and principal of Screaming Panda, posted this question to Twitter this morning:

What happens when you cross this Edelman study on trust (who trusts who) with the Dunbar number (how many friends can you really have)?

My answer is: Nothing, because generalities are irrelevant.

What’s hidden in these studies is the “who.” Who did they ask, what are they like, what do they do, etc. Without this specific information the meaning is moot. My posse of contacts is totally different than your posse. Edelman’s posse could be totally irrelevant to mine.

Paul Jones the Director of ibiblio.org at UNC, chimed in on the topic when I posted a link to the Edelman study on Twitter, “I went to the Edelman study and the drop is much less that this reports. further, the group of respondents is highly selected etc…” Highly Selective!

So, what to do? Do your own study, ask your posse who they trust, where they find their news, how many friends they can handle. Ideally you should be doing this all the time, not by surveying everyone, but by communicating with them and listening deeply.

Make sure you’re finding the “hidden who.”

(This Q/A comes from an earlier post: Where the Work will be 2010: The End of the Middle, the Rise of the Middle)

A: The middle shouldn’t be the default; it should be a choice, a hard one, and include a commitment to the long haul. Also, it’s not about waiting, you have to make a business there, not bring a business to there.

Knowing that you are a photographer, in general, my suggestion is to keep marketing your work to the “high-end,” the agencies, the brands, etc. yes, it’s more competitive than ever before, but it’s still the most viable, current, market you have. The opposite, or low-market, would be stock photography, also a viable market, but not as lucrative as assignment work.

Looking over your blog and reviewing the work you are passionate about I have brainstormed 3 ideas for potential new business-paths in the middle.

1. NYC Greenmarket, the org that manages most of the farmers markets in NYC (most famously the one in Union Square), is growing leaps and bounds. Maybe they need a staff photographer? Or would consider a cookbook or guidebook? Calendar? Photostream? What business could you build for them, and/or for their market of food buyers, farmers, and purveyors? You could be the Greenmarket photographer.

2. Staying with food, you could position yourself as the “Organic” photographer; better yet you could create an agency that specializes in shooting organic food. Maybe this business is a monthly/subscription model where you regularly shoot imagery for these types of brands so they can update their websites, Facebook pages, and blogs with custom, fresh imagery. You do content development.

3. Cooking Academies. Students could want portfolios of their works to help them gain positions. What if you had a service, aligned with the cooking academies, where you or your staff would document a student’s progress and take shots of their completed dishes? These could be bound in a self-published book with the recipes, notes from professors, recommendations. All students could graduate from school with a photographic record of their dishes and accomplishments. Maybe other verticals could use a similar service?

What could go wrong? The error would be to remain stagnant. The plan should be to keep innovative with how your craft can be marketed and/or solidified into a business. And if one of the ideas sticks, great, but that doesn’t mean to stop the innovation. Keep moving.

Who gets left behind? I’m a believer in the pendulum. If you stand still long enough the trends will come back around, but it might take decades. Better to blaze new paths, try new ideas, and keep working until one hits.

Freelance creative professionals increasingly ask me these two questions:

1.    Is there any work “out there?”
2.    Is that work for me?

The answer to both is no, not right now, and maybe not for a while, if ever. There is no work “out there” for anyone anymore in the way it used to be. There is no low hanging fruit; there is no regular gig. If you keep asking these questions then there is no work for you.

So, what are you going to do about that? You’re going to do your best to make work happen.

A creative career used to be illustrated as a mildly sloping uphill path towards success. Now, the creative career landscape is a field of lumps, a mogul skiers paradise. Each job is its own little battle and is probably disconnected from the next potential gig, and often disconnected from your past. You have to bring new tools to this landscape in order to succeed.

Here are some steps to make work happen:
-    Display your passion
-    Connect, Reconnect, Connect…
-    Be positively aggressive
-    Take the work
-    Make a brand new bag

Display your passion:
Show the world what interests you the most about what you do. Don’t craft your marketing messages to cater to a common denominator, show what you are truly passionate about. Push your messages further.

Connect, Reconnect:
Are you connecting with new contacts? Reconnecting with former clients? The simplest way is by email, whether its personal or as a group-focused newsletter, but do it! The market won’t know what you’re doing unless you tell them. Tell them now.

Be positively aggressive:
Don ‘t be afraid of reaching out to potential clients, any type of client. Express how you can help them in the most positive manner. Don’t say, “I can do better.” Say, “I think this would create new opportunities.” What do you have to lose? Pitch new ideas to new markets.

Take the work:
If a gig is offered to you, take it. If it’s for less than your typical rate, still take it. Chalk it up as a marketing expense. It’s a cost of getting yourself into a new market. If a potential gig is for a different type of work than you typically do, put on your producer hat and build a team that can accomplish the task. Take the work.

Make a brand new bag:
The only person who defines what you do is you. No one “out there” is going to get mad if you add a new twist, a new style, or a new service. Make a new thing that only you can do, a “signature move” (term borrowed from Melinda Emerson). Become more unique.

Then ask these two questions instead:

1.    Are you actively seeking work?
2.   Am I making new opportunities for myself?

These are the slides from my presentation to ISACA and IAA (the Chicago chapters of national Internal Auditor and IT Governance organizations). The goal of my presentation was to point out the necessity of developing a company-wide social media policy based on these main observations:
- Employees are the new marketing department
- Marketing is now Communications; Conversations/Engagement
- While the adoption rate is high (and growing), most companies don’t have a policy

Please let me know your questions! Thanks,

-Jason