Category: Branding

Making Connections

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Sometimes life is less about what you know and more about who you know. This is especially true in business.
It may not surprise you to learn that I am a people person. While I do enjoy having time to myself, I also enjoy spending time with people. I like getting to know them, hearing their stories. I genuinely enjoy people.
I was introduced to the world of networking not long after moving to Texas. It started when I created my LinkedIn account junior year in high school. A few years later I was introduced to the world of in-person networking events. It took me a while to get the hang of this, but I did.
Online networking is a good place to start because it is low pressure and you have more time to think through what you say. It can be great for those who are more introverted or are not particularly comfortable in large crowds. It also allows you to reach out to a wider range of people than you would be able to in your day to day life.
LinkedIn is a good place to start, as it is a sort of Facebook for businesses. As I mentioned in the social media crash course post, Twitter is another great place for talking to people. Facebook groups can be a great resource as well.
For a long time, I have wanted to be a writer at BioWare. This is still one of my goals in life. Because of this, a few years ago I reached out to a few people there. One was a studio lead writer (who has since moved on) and the other was a creative director (who is still there). I told them about my love for their games and my desire to work there one day. Then I asked them for advice.
I got responses back pretty quickly and ended up doing a Skype call with the creative director. Since then I have benefited from their advice and I still keep in touch with both of them. I have also talked game writing and storytelling with several of the writers there on Twitter.
Reaching out to people on LinkedIn has also helped me land jobs and make some stellar connections.
Joining communities can be powerful as well, but that is a conversation for another post.
All in all, the key thing to remember is to treat people the way you want to be treated. And be confident in yourself. You have a lot to offer the world.
So get on out there and build your network.

So You Want to Make a Podcast

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Podcasts as a medium are exploding, and I mean exploding. People all over the world are making a living off of their voices. It’s kind of amazing.
I got into a discussion earlier with some friend on Discord about podcasting and what it takes to make one. There were a lot of us who always wanted to make one, but most people don’t know where to begin. It seems scary, complicated.
It doesn’t have to be, though. I have been thinking about podcasting myself. I want to share my love for storytelling and encourage others. I also want to tell stories. For a while, I didn’t know where to begin. Then I started doing research. I asked questions. I learned a lot.
Here is what I have done and learned so far in my journey to becoming a podcaster.
Hopefully, this will help you on your journey.

Step 1: Pick a subject

This can be the hardest part. Picking what you want to talk about. If you are doing a story focused podcast, then this is a little easier. But if you aren’t, never fear.
What are your interests, your hobbies? What are you passionate about? What is something you could talk about indefinitely and still have more to say?
Whatever popped into your mind when I asked those questions, you can make a podcast about that. I don’t care if you think it is silly, because it isn’t. There is an audience who shares the same interest as you.

Step 2: Start planning

Now that you have a subject, it is time to start planning out content. Start brainstorming a list of topics you can cover. Remember, if it is a bigger topic you can break it up into segments. You can do a series of episodes on a topic. There are so many options.
If you are covering a show, you can go episode by episode. If you are doing a more long-form story, like a movie or a book series, do a series of episodes on it.
You also need to start considering a name. When figuring this out, make sure it doesn’t already exist. That way you don’t get emotionally attached to a name you cannot use. Your name can be funny, clever, or simple as long as it is easy to remember.

Step 3: Get your equipment

Before you start worrying about how much this is going to hurt your wallet, take a deep breath. This doesn’t have to break the bank. Audacity is an excellent resource for recording and editing audio and it is completely free. Some people start a podcast using the voice recorder on their phones. Also free.
Buying a good quality microphone doesn’t have to cost a lot either. I bought mine for probably around $50 on Amazon. It may not be the nicest on the market, but it does an excellent job.

Step 4: Just do it

Don’t overthink it. Just do it. Start drafting. Start recording. Have questions? Ask them. Ask Google. Find other podcasters and ask them.
Teach yourself how to edit audio. Pre-record segments you plan on using a lot. Check out what resources are available online.
Don’t forget the music. A 30-second intro jingle can make a big difference. There are plenty of people out there who make music that you can ask to create one for you. You may have to pay for this, but some of them will be flexible for your budget.
Sometimes you need to get out of your own way, stop being afraid of what could go wrong and just go for it. Who knows, it might be a hit.
I am going to do it. Who is with me?

Never Forget Your Mission

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Everyone who sets out to chase their dream struggles with this. Whether you are diving headfirst into your dream or it is something you do on the side, you will undoubtedly encounter this moment.

You hit a wall. You feel stuck. You feel lost. You question your decision to follow this dream. You find yourself wondering if any of this is worth it.

It is this crippling anxiety that you will never make it coupled with a deep sense of failure. You are afraid to let go of your dream lest you lose it. Yet you also fear that your dream is nothing but a fool’s dream.

Everyone around you tells you what kind of job you should be looking for, what you should be doing with your life. Some consider your dream to be silly, but some support you. Either way, it is easy to be bogged down by everyone’s expectations of what your life should look like.

I have experienced this myself. The anxiety. The self-doubt. I spent a fair amount of time struggling with this until I came to a realization. There is a way to fight this.

Whenever you are in this situation with your back against the wall, questioning whether it is worth it, as yourself a simple question.

Why?

Why are you doing this? Why does this matter to you?

Sometimes the easiest way to keep going is to remember why you started.

Sometimes you need to take a step back and reevaluate. Is what you are doing now getting you closer to where you want to be? Are you doing it because you want to or because someone else told you that you should?

Take some time to think through what you want to do. Create a mission statement. Figure out your strategy. Even if you never show this to anybody else, this can help you keep focused.

Remembering why you are doing something can help you keep going when times get though.

Another thing to consider. If something truly matters to you, it will matter to someone else.

Remember why you started and never give up.

You may just change the world.

The Social Media Crash Course for Creators

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So you want to build your brand.

Where do you begin?

Social media is a great place to start. It’s easy, its free, and (almost) everyone uses it. There is an art to it, though. Each platform has their own purpose and their own quirks. Once you get the hang of how they work and what content works best, it’s amazing what you can do.

Here is a crash course on the three most used platforms.

My first piece of advice, keep all the names the same or as similar as you can. Consistency is key in branding. It also makes it easier to use the same profile picture and banners across the platforms. This makes it easier for people to find you.

Photo by Tim Bennett on Unsplash

Facebook: the Gatekeeper

Facebook is the gatekeeper for social media branding. This is your starting point. You want to make sure that you do everything right while creating the page because some things cannot be undone.

The first question you will get when creating the page is if you are a business/brand or a community/public figure. The first option is for anyone who is looking to build their business’ brand. If you plan on offering any kind of product or service, this is a good option for you. If you are looking to build your personal brand, take the second option.

The next step is naming your page. Make sure it is informative and easy to remember. You will also want to make sure you can use some variation of it on any other accounts you use. For example, my Twitter and Instagram names match my website.

There are some things that you can change after the page is created, but this is no longer an option after you reach 200 followers. Keep that in mind.

Now, on to content. Facebook is good for all kinds of content. Big posts, small posts, pictures, videos. You can share blog posts and other website links. Talk about what you are interested in, share your thoughts on certain debates within your industry, show people what you are doing. Whatever content you put on other platforms, you can put it on Facebook.

Some free tips:

Get people talking. More conversation means more eyeballs on your post.

Avoid the words “like”, “comment”, and “share”. Facebook will show fewer people those posts.

Facebook live is a great way to interact in real time with your followers.

Photo by Freestocks.org on Unsplash

Twitter: the Conversationalist

Twitter has developed an interesting reputation. It has its fair share of trolls, but it also has some people who are looking to help others. The reason I stay is because of the creative community. Twitter has a plethora of writers, gamers, game developers, and all around creative people. If you notice that a lot of people in your field (or with your interest) are on Twitter, you should definitely consider joining the party.

Setting up your Twitter account is simpler than setting up a Facebook. Unlike Facebook, you can update your profile information at any point after it is created. I recommend not changing your Twitter handle, though, as it could cause confusion. You can change your username at any time and still be found. I have seen many people do this to match the season or signify they are attending a certain event.

Twitter can be used to share your thoughts as they come. I tweet a lot of quotes from other people. What I mainly use it for, though, is to talk to people.

At its core, Twitter was made for conversations.

Twitter is full of communities, and in these communities, people love to talk. Finding your people isn’t difficult. Start with the people you know in the industry. Find the thought leaders. Find the people who are active on Twitter. Join their conversations. Add in your thoughts and opinions.

Whatever you do, be polite. Remember that you are talking to a human being. If you wouldn’t say it in person, don’t say it on Twitter.

Also, use hashtags. They can help draw people to you, as well as help you find other people to follow. A quick Google search can help you find the hashtags commonly used in your industry. You can even create your own hashtag for your brand (just make sure no one else is using it)

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Instagram: the Showoff

Instagram is all about pictures. You can show off what you do and show off what you love. This can be as personal or as professional as you want it to be. I often post pictures of what I am working on or of quotes that I like.

One thing to remember is that links in Instagram posts are not clickable. This can make sharing blog posts difficult and sharing links from multiple sources, impossible. You can attach a link in your profile and refer to that link, though.

There is one way to get around this. It is something Instagram is perfect for.

Microblogs.

This is especially good for writers. It helps you learn how to convey information in three short paragraphs. This can be in relation to your blog post or you telling the story behind the picture. The possibilities are endless.

Hashtags are popular on Instagram too. There is a limit to 30 per post, but they serve a similar purpose as on Twitter.

Now that you know the basics, it is time to get started.

There are plenty of other things you can do to build your brand, like blogging (more on that later), YouTube (keep an eye out for more), and LinkedIn (I’ll get to this eventually).

If you have any questions or want me to go into more depth on any of these topics, let me know.

Until next time!