Douglas E. Welch, Founder, New Media Interchange
When I talk to people about the opportunities of New Media, especially here in Los Angeles, their thoughts often turn to the stereotypical image of television or radio shows. They see elaborate sets, expensive lighting and sound equipment and maybe even a live audience. This is NOT what New Media is about. Sure, New Media shows often take on some of the forms of radio or television shows since these are our most familiar examples of media. That said, New Media can have a higher goal than simply entertainment. New Media is about sharing your message with the world, not about being a star.
Sure, there are pure entertainment shows out there in the New Media world. That is the message that those people have decided they want to share. That doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to that framework. Television isn’t made up of only scripted drama series. There are a variety of show types. New Media takes that variety and adds countless new concepts.
For the first time in the history of media, you now have the ability to take your message, about anything, directly to your audience. This is a great power which almost anyone can use. Do you have a real estate company? Use New Media to communicate directly with the buyers and sellers who are most interested. Run a restaurant? Communicate directly with both your biggest fans and people who know nothing about you. Have a freelance business? Develop your own show to share the best of your knowledge and skills with those that need it most — and are therefore more willing to pay for it!
“For me, New Media isn’t about the show as a property unto itself. It is about the message.”
For me, New Media isn’t about the show as a property unto itself. It is about the message. In most cases, you will not make money on your New Media show alone, you will make it on the customers that it brings to your business, the side products that you sell and the attention and authority the show and the quality information you offer bring to you as an individual.
Since New Media is not about being a star, we don’t have to worry about huge budgets, fancy lighting, costumes, actors and more. Your show is about you, at a very personal level. People will come to you looking for great information and, in many cases, to know you better as a person. There is an intimacy to coming into someone’s computer and home on a regular basis. You will learn more about your viewers, your customers, your fellow hobbyists as they learn more about you.
Don’t let your long experience with mainstream media limit your view of what New Media can be or what it can do for you. We are still at the very beginning of New Media, still finding its power and its limits. This is the time for innovation and play. Let’s see how far we can stretch the bounds of this new tool. Let’s see how it can change our work, our businesses, our lives for the better.
It has been said that complete freedom can be one of the most frightening things in our lives. It paralyzes us with the possibilities. New Media Interchange is dedicated to breaking through this paralysis and helping you find a way to make New Media work for you, regardless of what message you are trying to share with the world.
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