I’ve mentioned on the show before that I’ve been working on creating a short documentary film. Well, the film is finally done.

It was a ton of work, but a worthwhile experience that taught me several great lessons about how to create compelling content.

I’ve been taking note of the lessons learned along the way and in this episode I share them with you.

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In this episode of Mastering New Media…

• The most powerful way to influence someone in your content
• How to stay motivated when continually creating content
• How to finally finish a project that you never seem to get around to completing

Take Action

1. Choose one lesson that you learned in this episode and make a plan to apply it to your content/business this week

What Do You Think?

• What lessons have you learned from a creative project that apply to creating online content?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

In this episode we continue our discuss about how to define your target audience. I talk about steps three through eight of the process you can use to zero in on the best market for you to focus on.

Choosing the right target market will greatly improve how well you content connects with and influences your audience. It will also save you a lot of time and energy, making your content marketing efforts more rewarding.

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Download the Outline (PDF)

Watch the Video version

In this episode of Mastering New Media…

• How to determine if your market is hunngry enough to buy what you offer
• The one thing that will get your market to trust you (even more than your resume of skills and accomplishments)

Take Action

1. Take time to write outanswers to the eight steps for defining your target market

What Do You Think?

• What other factors do you, or would you, find helpful for defining your target market?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Yesterday I had a phone conversation with one of my platinum coaching students. She’s been trying to get her show launched, but every time she’d think about creating episodes she’s hit a mental block.

The answer finally came in this statement, “I’m just not sure which direction to take it. There are so many ways I can go, so many things I could talk about. Who exactly am I trying to reach with my show?”

Bingo! That’s a question that every should ask when starting a new show or business — and then revisit regularly.

So I walked her through a few questions and helped her define the target audience for her show.

By the end of the call, she was thrilled and couldn’t wait to outline her first episodes.

In this episode we discuss how you can carefully define your target market in order to more effectively get their attention and create content that will keep them coming back again and again.

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Download the Outline (PDF)

Watch the Video version

In this episode of Mastering New Media…

• The one that that most content creators and businesses do completely backwards, costing them precious time and money
• How to give your market what they really want
• Two questions that will immediately help you find the best audience for you

Items Mentioned in This Episode

• Survey Monkey
• Audience Amplifier Series

Take Action

1. Set up a system of capturing content ideas
2. Do the 5×5 exercise outlined in this episode
3. Pick one of the ten ideas shared in this episode and add it to your current strategy for finding content ideas

What Do You Think?

• What other ideas do you have for generating content ideas?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Two of the questions I get asked most about content marketing are…

1. What should I blog/podcast about?
2. Where do I find new content ideas so that I don’t run out?

After this episode you’ll have several tools at your fingertips for generating endless content ideas, whether for blogging, audio or video.

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In this episode of Mastering New Media…

• How to make sure that you never lose and amazing content idea
• The first content that you should create for a brand new blog or podcast to turn prospects into ideal customers
• How to create a year’s worth of content ideas in just two hours

Items Mentioned in This Episode

• Google Adwords Keyword Tool
• Google Alerts
• Google Reader
• Technorati
• Delicious
• Digg
• Survey Monkey
• 10 Ways to Find Continuous Content Ideas (PDF)

Take Action

1. Set up a system of capturing content ideas
2. Do the 5×5 exercise outlined in this episode
3. Pick one of the ten ideas shared in this episode and add it to your current strategy for finding content ideas

What Do You Think?

• What other ideas do you have for generating content ideas?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

We’ve been discussing the New Media Money Map over the last several episodes (Attention > Permission > Engagement > Influence > Action). We also outlined the Laws of Magnetism that, when used properly, will automatically attract new leads to your business.

This led us to the following five New Media Marketing Maxims.

1. Create content that will attract the attention of your target market
2. Get permission from your prospect interact with them regularly
3. Engage followers frequently to build influence
4. Leverage your influence to get followers to take action
5. Use the most time- and cost-efficient methods to produce, publish and syndicate content (streamline, automate, outsource)

In this episode we talk about how to put these maxims into action with an effective content marketing strategy.

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In this episode of Mastering New Media…

• How to choose the right type of content and which social media tools are best for your business
• The most important criteria to consider before starting and content creation strategy

Items Mentioned in This Episode

• Twitter

Take Action

BEGINNER

1. Choose one primary channel (blogging, podcasting or video) to begin with
2. Create a Twitter account. Start getting familiar with the basics of how to use it

ADVANCED

1. Add an additional primary channel (blogging, audio or video) to your content creation strategy

What Do You Think?

• Which primary channel are you going to (or did you) start with and why?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

To turn prospects into followers and fans that buy you have to build a relationship over time. This is done by maintaining their attention with regular interactions. To do this you first have to get their permission.

The goal is to build an audience of people that anticipate getting your content. In this episode, we discuss how to get your prospects to subscribe to and follow you through various new media channels.

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Items Mentioned in This Episode

• Aweber: My recommended email list management service
• Gist: Interesting tool that I’m trying out for managing the inbox and social connections online
• FBML Application: Use this to post an opt-in box to your Facebook Fan Page

Take Action

1. Make sure that you always ask for permission (subscription or opt-in) on your site and in your content
2. If you have not done so already, start building e-mail list now
   • Sign up for Aweber
   • Place an opt-in form in the sidebar of your site
3. Create an incentive and a compelling offer to get site visitors to sign up for your e-mail list
4. Add one more permission channel to your current marketing mix (e.g. Twitter, YouTube Channel, Facebook)

What Do You Think?

• What’s one thing you are already doing well to get permission from your site and content visitors?
• One is one thing that you will do in the next week to do better at asking for permission from your visitors?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

In this episode we finish our discussion about using the Laws of Magnetism to attract new leads and customers. Then we go over a way to incorporate all the laws together into an effective marketing strategy.

Also, I discuss the new and very important guidelines from the FTC and how they affect your and your content.

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Watch the Video version

Items Mentioned in This Episode

• Revised FTC Endorsement and Testimonial Guidelines

Take Action

1. Pick at least one of the Laws of Magnetism to put into action or improve in your content creation and marketing.My Goal = Law of Dependable Permanence: consistently produce a show on a weekly basis by setting live broadcast times.

What Do You Think?

• Which laws of magnetism are you going to incorporate next?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

In this episode we continue our discussion about the laws of magnetism. When these principles are used in your marketing and communications you’ll magnetically attract the attention of your ideal prospects.

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In this episode of Mastering New Media…

• How to position yourself as someone that your prospects will readily listen to
• How to transform yourself from being an unwanted marketing pest to a welcome, trusted guest
• How to put one of the most powerful forms of influence into action for your own brand

Take Action

1. Find one way that you can make your content easier and more convenient to consume and put it into action this week
2. Start thinking of yourself as an expert, trusted advisor to your market and create content that reflects this
3. Provide at least one form of social proof on your site (e.g. testimonials, blog comments, social bookmarking widgets, etc.)

What Do You Think?

• How have you successfully used the Laws of Convenience, Trust and Social Proof in your business?
• How have you seen these laws effectively used by other businesses?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

We talked in the last episode about the value of attention. We’re operating in an attention-based economy. Getting your market to pay attention to you is as valuable as getting them to buy from you.

The problem is that your prospects have more power than ever to ignore you. They have increasingly powerful filters to help them sift through the deluge of daily information input. Attention is scarce.

How is a small business supposed to break down these filters and attract the attention of their market? In this episode, you’ll discover ten specific ways to bust through the attention barriers and magnetically attract more leads and customers to your business.

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In this episode of Mastering New Media…

• The most efficient, effective ways to ensure your professional and financial success
• How to brand yourself as the go-to-expert in your market
• How I got my rock band featured on the most popular local top 40 station when no other band had been able to
• How to get your prospect to carry your brand with them wherever they go
• Why selling what your market needs will actually lead to a huge amount of lost profit

Take Action

1. No take action steps for this episode. Just be sure to come back and listen to the other parts in this series. Then we’ll put these laws into action.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

We’re currently going through the biggest shake up in marketing and media since the beginning of the Internet. The bad news is that it is leaving lots of businesses in the dust. Your business may have already fallen victim.

The good news is that the shake up also brings massive opportunity to those that understand the forces behind it. In this episode, we’ll discuss the how you can seize these forces for your benefit and ride the waves being created.

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In this episode of Mastering New Media…

• How you can survive and thrive in the biggest media and marketing shake up since the dawn of the Internet (and before that since the Gutenberg Press)
• Why the status quo in advertising will no longer work for your business
• How to seize the opportunities brought by the shake up rather than fall victim the massive shift it’s causing in consumer behavior

Items Mentioned in This Episode

• The Community Builder Blueprint: Audio | Video | PDF
• The Attention Economy by Umair Haque
• The Long Tail by Chris Anderson

Take Action

1. If you were a consumer for your business, what filters would you put up to protect your attention? Take a few minutes to brainstorm this question.
2. Use these insights as you move forward in getting the attention of your market.

What Do You Think?

• What concerns or reservations do you have about getting the attention of your market?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.