Yesterday, with Jo-Ann driving us from a meeting in Barrie back to Toronto, I streamed video and audio from our car, via the ustream application for the iPhone. The video could be watched live, embedded on any website of my choosing. We had five viewers during the test, from Brazil, the UK and here in Canada, all of whom reported excellent video and audio quality.
What only five years ago would have taken about half a million dollars worth of equipment can now be done by a $300 phone.
Technology like this is completely changing the media landscape. Jo-Ann’s 15 year old daughter gets her fashion and make-up advice not from magazines, she now gets it from home produced shows on YouTube. NFL stars produce their own after match shows straight from the dressing room, armed with nothing more than an iPhone, amassing tens of thousands of viewers. Come Monday evening, we will be rigging a camera to the second floor balcony of our building in Kensington Market to broadcast the Festival of Lights parade to anyone who wants to see it.
It is getting easier and easier to share what you know, to share what you’re passionate about, to share what it is you are really selling. It also means that if what you have to say is of interest to enough people, an audience that shares your values and interests will crystallize around you.
To a business, the value of building these communities is the creation of trust, because trust leads to more business.
So, define what it is your business stand for, what you believe in, who and what you truly are. Then, find ways to communicate this essence. The tools are ready and waiting, all you need to do is start using them.
