How to spread your content far and farther
The prestigious TED Conference (Technology, Entertainment and Design) came into being 27 years ago but took two decades before it achieved its current prominence. TED began posting its videos online in 2006. Instantly, what was once an little-known gathering of elites found a worldwide audience/community of more than 100 million participants.
The move to an open-media channel enabled TED to grow in a way that would have been impossible any other way, according to conference producer June Cohen.
After releasing content for free, which flouted every precept of luxury-brand marketing, TED events began selling-out faster at a higher price. What began as an altruistic effort to spread ideas had the salubrious effect of rocket-fueling the business of the conference.
So how can you apply this approach to your business? You can start simply by enabling all of your content — videos, podcasts, audio, photographic, you-name-it –- to be embedded. This encourages rapid spread. Whatever you put on your website, be sure to put on a branded YouTube channel, embeddable players and downloads.
Four things to remember:
– Enable your customers and prospects to learn from you, no matter where they are and how they access information.
– Don’t be afraid of losing control. As a business, consider all the ways that enable others to build on your content and ideas.
– Mobile content, which means small screens, is critical today so you must consider it from the beginning. For example, use tight, closeup shots because they will be viewed on smartphones.
– Start Strong: Don’t dilute your content with introductions. Get straight to the meat.
– Appeal to viewer emotions and a sense of noble purpose. Give people something to share that can put them in good stead with their friends/associates and contacts.