As a writer, I love blog posts and I’d far rather read (or write) one than watch a video or listen to a podcast.
Part of my issue is impatience, I think; I can read at my own pace but if I’m listening or watching, I must listen to or watch until the end to get all the content.
I know that many people prefer a different delivery of information, this generation of Youtube and iTunes.
Or even if a person prefers to read, some content lends itself to instructions you can see and hear — step by step instructions about something technical, for example. In that situation, even the most talented and concise write may fall short with an explanation and even a skilled reader will struggle to understand.
So even though I prefer reading, I see the value in delivering content in a variety of ways. You can choose the form of your content to meet the needs of your audience, and you can choose based on the nature of the content.
Perhaps I want to tell you how to create a slide share to present complicated how to information on your blog. I could write it here, step by step. Or, I could create a slideshare, showing you my screen, so you could see what I’m seeing in order to learn how to do what I’m teaching.
I use Jing to create slideshares. It’s very fast and easy and you’ve created them, you can share them. You can even tweet them. I spent only a minute creating this one, but you can certainly take longer if you have more complicated information to share.
Today’s Tip: Turn a Blog Post into a Slideshare
Download Jing or another screensharing tool and choose a blog post from your archives that is visually oriented. Capture your screen and talk to your audience, explaining the topic while you show (and tell.) Then write a blog post that links to the screenshare. In a future tip, we’ll learn how to embed the screenshare in a blog post.
Tell me something! Have you ever created a slideshare? How’d it go? Are you a visual learner or an auditory learner? Would you prefer to read a blog post or listen to a presentation?
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.
I agree totally. Videos are great if you need training or if an event needs the live-action displayed that way, but I love reading blogs, seeing a few photos, and being able to savor the words. I’m a slow reader and that’s why. I never learned to speed read – took a class once to teach me, but I still find that I like to read every word. I also love to write – but I spend so much time reading what others have written I rarely branch off into my own blog.
My favorite is when somebody posts a video and uses text as well explaining the video. That way I can decide if I want to listen or read. The same goes with a podcast. I have used Jing and Camtasia many times…I love Jing!
Becky, Thanks for introducing me to Jing. I’ve bookmarked your post and will definitely put it to use.
I also prefer reading as opposed to Videos for most content. It’s quicker for me to scan a post and read at my tempo than to follow a video at the video’s pace.
Becky, I prefer to read, but love the visual too. I’ve never heard of Jing and will be checking it out! Thanks for the tip!