So I asked the kind and smart people on LinkedIn to share their ideas on content creation. I’m going to start with this response, because it deals with a priority issue, which I call “psyching yourself out before you even begin”. Many people let their fear of failure, or fear of being less than perfect, paralyze them into not doing anything.

TIP #5

“If you think you can’t, you’re right. If you think you can, you’re right.” Pithy, but so true. Your negativity can kill your projects before you even begin. Here’s what Sid Smith shares:

“I’ve found that the problem isn’t that there isn’t enough content, but that they think THEY can’t continuously write killer content. In other words, they don’t want to be embarrassed by what they write.

It’s a very similar experience as stage fright or fear of public speaking. The fear is that their blog posts, articles, podcasts, videos, or whatever

• won’t be read;
• will receive negative comments;
• will make them look stupid or illiterate;
• will be taken the wrong way; or
• any one of a hundred different fears.

The key to success is this: simplicity. The best approach is to simply brainstorm a long list of topics related to their niche market. The easiest way to do this is

• to do a search and find other blogs in that niche.
• Make a note of all the CATEGORIES.
• Then, for each category, note 5 to 10 questions people are asking related to that category.
• For example, take the category “Homemade Dog Treats” for a dog or pet owner niche. What are recipes you can cite or questions people are asking?
• Then, and here comes the hard part, just make ONE major point or statement that summarizes what you want to say to answer the question.
• Make it simple. Example: Homemade dog treats are less expensive than store-bought treats.
• Next, just write about 400-600 words expanding on that one statement.
• Forget about grammar and spelling (use Word). Write like you’re having a conversation with the person. Don’t worry about how it sounds. You’re not writing a novel. Just write. Writers know that the first draft will be garbage. That’s OK.
• Do a second pass at it, then post. Get it done.

The ONLY way to get past the fear is to dive into the fear. You and I know that once they get past the fear of putting themselves out there – virtually naked for all the world to see – and that they don’t die or get hung by their thumbs, the writing will come much easier. So, address the fear of public exposure first. The rest of it is easy.”

– Sid Smith Web Copywriting, B2B and B2C internet marketing, social media and SEO strategist

So start with a positive, can-do attitude. Once you remove that obstacle, you will be surprised how much you can think of. Stay tuned to the next tips in this series for even more ideas on how to create a continual stream of content for your blog, podcast, magazine or ebook series.

Penny Haynes, http://www.RSSzine.com

In a recent article sent to me by one of our Online Community Magazine owners, Diane Corriette of http://UniquelyDominican.com, research shows that local search is growing more rapidly than regular online search. Check out the article for yourself here.

With the way the economy is,

• people are caught between needing desperately to market themselves and differentiate themselves from their competitors, but NOT having the money to do it.
• In addition, there are endless numbers of people without a job or a way to support their families.

Now, for those of you who don’t know, I created a software that is a combination YouTube + iTunes + Google for your local community. It is called Online Community Magazines, and helps offline businesses market in their local community with text, images, audio and video. All it needs is someone to run it and get people on board.

Previously, the software was priced at $5,000, but with the economy the way it is, that pricing no longer makes sense. Accordingly, I have decided to totally restructure Online Community Magazines to make it completely affordable for ANYONE to have their magazine up IMMEDIATELY and to start making money while offering hope to all of the local businesses that are struggling.

This is what I am offering:

• an Online Community Magazine set up for your community (including Multimedia Business Directory, Internet TV & Radio, Forum, Coupon Site),
• PLUS $1500 in multimedia production courses to help you train at home to produce audio & video for local businesses, for only $500 to set up and start!

For only $500, I will set up your magazine so you can start offering inexpensive text, image, audio and video advertising for local businesses IMMEDIATELY. After that, your investment is only $250 a month WITHOUT ANY LOCKED-IN CONTRACTS.

With only 10 local businesses paying $50/month so they can upload unlimited press releases, audios and videos (which ALL stay on their page to help their search engine rankings), that pays for your set up, and allows you to start making $250/month profit. ADD MORE CLIENTS, KEEP ALL OF THE EXTRA PROFIT!

Some businesses may be do-it-yourselfers, and want to create their own multimedia to post on the magazine and back onto their own web page. They can sign up for the Commercial Creation Center for only $19.99 a month to easily create their audios and videos (and you get 25% commission every month that they use it).

However, many businesses just want someone else to handle it for them – so THAT’S WHY I’VE ADDED $1500 IN MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION COURSES, so you can make even MORE MONEY creating commercials and how-to-shows for local businesses!

So check out the new information at http://OnlineCommunityMagazines.com and find out how you can start your new business THIS WEEK for only $500, and get $1500 in Multimedia Production Courses to train for your new career as a Multimedia Marketer.

Any questions? Give me a call at 678-459-2437, and we’ll brainstorm about how to get you started in your new career.

Penny Haynes

P.S. I almost forgot! If you know of someone else who would be a perfect match for this opportunity, you get 20% commission from their magazine FOR AS LONG AS IT REMAINS ACTIVE!

Mobile post sent by pennyhaynes using Utterli. Replies. mp3

I am an advocate for breaking up your videos into smaller, more manageable (and less stressful) chunks. Talk for a little while on a subject, then stop, save it, and record the next section. You don’t have to script it if you are talking on a subject you know well.

The only issue is the transition between the clips – you will not start the next video in the exact same position as you ended the last video, and that can look jarring. One solution is to create single-slide videos to place in between each web cam clip. Type outline points on your slide (and make sure to put the web site address of your business at the bottom of each slide). Then, when you mix your videos together, you alternate between slides and web cam video.

Another solution is to use transitions between your slides, if your program allows for that. An alternative would be to vary your shots – do a close up, and then a full shot. You don’t want to do too many different shots, though – it will end up looking like you couldn’t remember where you positioned the camera in your last shot.

Another thing I recommend (but did not discuss in this video) is to place a caption throughout your video. If someone likes it and re-posts it, you want your contact information to be visible all the time. If you don’t brand your video, other people can actually take credit for it in some fashion.