Lately, I’ve been guiding you gently into the process of creating a decidedly Web 1.0 flavor of content creation - ebooks. Because the world is comfortable with ebooks, you should be comfortable creating them. But Web 2.0 has brought about a plethora of ways that you can create unique, profitable content that goes way beyond the old-fashioned ebook, and you should explore them and use them as well.

Presenting your knowledge in unique ways can turn ordinary information into extraordinary content. People learn and absorb information in different ways. Some respond better to visuals, others to sound, and yet others to the written word. By using various methods of presentation, you are more likely to capture attention. That attention can then be turned into profit, via word of mouth buzz, links, traffic, conversions, and sales.

So, while you are working on creating content via the tried-and-true methods of Web 1.0, such as ebooks, start researching various Web 2.0 presentation methods as well. Here are a few to kick off your research.

Podcasts - I’m sure many of you have already experienced podcasts. They are fairly simple to create, and I will be showing the process I use to create them in a tutorial in the future. Podcasts are especially useful to people who like to absorb content while on the move - commuting, jogging, working, etc. This enables you to reach users even when they aren’t sitting at their computers.

Videos - This is the YouTube generation, no doubt about it. Anyone can create videos and share them with the world, and the world eats them up. This is a really great way to demonstrate how to do something, and make it drop-dead simple for others to understand what you are trying to show.

So far, we’ve covered ebooks, podcasts, and videos, and while there’s a good chance you haven’t actually created all of these forms of content yet, you probably have at least thought about how to do so at least once. But the list doesn’t stop there. There are plenty of other ways to present content in unique, compelling ways. Here are a few more ideas for you.

Mashups - Wikipedia defines a mashup as a web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated tool; a typical example is the use of cartographic data from Google Maps to add location information to real-estate data from Craigslist, thereby creating a new and distinct web service that was not originally envisaged by either source. While it may take a little extra effort, or even the help of an outside source, to mix and mash together data from different sites to create something new and innovative, the result can be enormously popular - and profitable.

Screencasts and Sketchcasts - Like videos, screencasts and sketchcasts enable you to visually show your users how to do something, because they will be able to watch as you do it yourself. The process is fairly easy to do, and your readers will really appreciate the fact that you’ve taken the time to recreate each step of some process yourself, while allowing the users to “look over your shoulder” while you do so.

Mindmaps - Mindmaps enable you to display complex subject matters in an easier-to-comprehend visual presentation. Here’s a good example.

As Web 2.0 evolves, more and more innovative presentation techniques are being created. Pay attention to the forms that are most intriguing to you. If you appreciate them, it’s highly likely that others will as well. You can use these innovative presentation forms to create your own unique content that can turn your site or blog into a profitable, traffic-laden destination.

(from Smash Mouth. "AllStar" Astro Lounge. Interscope Records, 1999.)

Posted on September 27th, 2007 by DazzlinDonna
Filed under: Tools of the Trade