Hello!
This is my first post for Dan’s blog and I’m thrilled to be Personal Branding’s newest contributor. My goal here at Personal Branding is to share video tips and ways you can connect with your audience without being plastic or pushy. As a video coach, I’ve worked with journalists, nonprofits, and business folks for years to get them comfortable and articulate on camera. I finally wrote down and filmed all my video techniques for my new enhanced eBook Camera Ready.
The “enhanced” eBook
“Enhanced” is just a silly way of describing an eBook that includes video, audio, and/or hyperlinks. I used the Vook platform, which combines text with multimedia seamlessly for the iPad, Nook, and the Kindle Fire. Afterall, how could I write a book about how to be great on camera without video demonstrations? I also wanted to get my eBook out ASAP, without any long lead time, so I didn’t look for a publisher…..Lord knows, publishing houses don’t pay these days anyway.
But let’s talk about YOU
With the explosion of tablets and online video, the time to get into multimedia eBooks is right NOW. Creating an eBook is relatively easy, even for non-techies like me. If you write a blog consistently, you might have most of your written content. Marry those posts to the video you’ve been creating for YouTube or your website…or create new videos to add context to your writing.
If you’ve already written a book or white paper- consider making an enhanced version. A decade after first putting his eBook out there, Seth Godin re-released his Unleashing the SUPER Ideavirus as a multimedia eBook. This time he included video interviews and profiles of companies using strategies that demonstrate his theories. Doing so introduced his book to a new, more digital and mobile audience.
But It’s Not About the Downloads
We can’t all write the #1 Downloaded Book of All Time (as Seth Godin’s website calls Unleashing the SUPER Ideavirus). Writing an eBook achieves more than just getting yourself listed on iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. It gives you opportunity–the opportunity to grow your personal brand in numerous ways. New clients will find you, more Tweeters will follow you, and authors will begin to treat you like one of their own.
So what if you don’t make a lot of money on your eBook- writing one is a great way to clarify your thoughts, prove you are an expert in your field, and connect with other experts. And there’s nothing like a Tweet or Facebook update that says, “My new ebook is out!” That milestone will give you a great sense of accomplishment that people will want to rally around, particularly if they “knew you when”.
The Bottom-Line
Enhanced multimedia eBooks are an innovative way to package and “repurpose” your content while reaching new audiences and staying ahead of the digital curve. Read and watch one and you’ll see.
Author:
Manoush Zomorodi is the author of Camera Ready: How to Present Your Best Self and Ideas On Air and Online. Her on-camera expertise comes from years of producing and reporting for BBC News, Reuters Television, and other media outlets. She moderates conferences on digital technology and hosts live video events, in addition to doing media coaching. From 1995-2006 Manoush reported and produced for BBC News, with postings in Washington, Berlin, Brussels, and New York. As a freelance reporter and anchor, she covered business and technology for Reuters Television in New York from 2006-2010.
Check out www.manoushz.com/cameraready and follow her on Twitter @manoushz
