Synchronicity by Peter Westermann | Threyda.com

Engaging Art: How Threyda Deliver…

January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A picture is worth 1,000 words, common wisdom has it. So social media should make it easy for artists to share their work, right? Image galleries, slideshows, done… …except there’s much more to it than that.   Copywriters are valued for a reason and engagement, though a notorious buzz word, is widely heralded on every [...]

Social Media Icons

The Paradox of Choice: Prioritize Your…

January 20, 2012 By 2 Comments

Last  week I posted more in depth explanations of  the first two points on my original 12 point check list for developing your web presence. Today, we’ll look more at the third point on the list: establishing the priority of your online platforms and the key elements that you’ll need to focus on as you develop them. [...]

Twitter & Television

Conquering the Smaller Screen:…

February 20, 2012 By 1 Comment

This is a re-post of a guest article from Minni Kemp, originally published on a previous incarnation of this site. Having attended a Social Media Week panel on Social TV last week, I thought it about time to resurrect her observations on the rise of social media and its integration with our television experience.  Minni [...]

Better Blogging: To Serve & Respect

January 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Old vs New ModelsAfter taking a look at my three words for 2012, it struck me that we could all benefit from a closer inspection of what they will mean for this site.

Today, let’s examine the first and most important to this arena: SERVE.

Superior Service

My objective with Above The Static is to provide you artists and creative types with the information that you need to build a web presence that stands out and gets you noticed.

Having streamlined (demolished?!)  this site, I now need to build a platform that delivers on that goal. It needs to be easy to navigate, regularly updated and, most importantly, consistently packed with relevant, practical advice that you can act upon immediately to improve your online presence.

This is how I will serve you better this year, by systematically and reliably helping you to develop a superior web presence.

Width & Depth

Of course, the three words concept extends further and deeper than just blogging.

Woven into the fabric of ‘Serve’ will be all manner of other applications of the word, from more finely honed content curation across my social media channels to more one-to-one contact  (Skype me [stebirkett], G+ me, send me a carrier pigeon…) with those that are in the most need. It will guide work prioritization, decision making, and plenty of miscellaneous items in between.

The beauty I find in this is the simplicity it allows right from the start. Every relevant action can be quickly filtered through an easy to remember, yet deeply meaningful system. The word ‘Serve’ will be at the forefront of my mind as I make choices for this site, content, investments of time and money…all sense-checked against a term that is anchored in my overall objectives.

In Your Own Words?

What will be the language of your year? Can you pin it down to just three guiding words?

Nick Kellett made me aware of hundreds of people who are doing just that with this list of My Three Words posts. It makes interesting reading, with plenty of smart perspectives and insights, but mostly it provides a catalyst for thinking about your own direction.

Which words matter the most to you this year?

Photo Credit:  trp

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Words As Ways to Win the New Year

January 2, 2012 By 1 Comment

Words Guide The Way

Original photo by: Elena Martinello

The turn of the year is a paradoxical time, filled to varying degrees with the relaxation of a quiet week packed with holidays, alongside the feverish preparation for a running start to the New Year.

We excitedly plan out resolutions for everything from better health to increased productivity. Yet often our own enthusiasm proves to be our downfall, so heavily do we pile on the new practices in what amounts to a few days of preparation.

In short, our intentions are well placed, but our application is often found wanting.

Words Influence Ways

One practice that I’ve found useful in recent years is to focus more on new guide markers rather than wholesale direction changes. To that end, adopting Chris Brogan’s ‘Three Words’ concept has been helpful.

As with most things, its power lies in its simplicity: just pick three words that you’ll use as an overriding guide for your decision making and actions in the year to come. You can take this to a deeper level by loading the words with varied synonyms and imagery. The main goal though is to choose meaningful words that have the power to inspire you to think and act.

My Words For 2012

In addition to guiding my actions this year, I hope my words provide you insight into the direction I intend to take with both this site and my extended work through Above The Static.

My three words for 2012 are:

  • Serve: At the forefront of everything I do here, I’ll question whether it adds value to you, the reader. My aim is to help creators develop a stronger web presence and get noticed. My articles, posts, videos, and e-mails should each deliver that in some way.
  • Tackle: Multi-tasking is overrated. The more we focus on the million and one potential things we could be doing and divide that time down, the less anything truly significant can be achieved on any one activity. This year I’ll get to grips with individual tasks that are high priority and put everything into the tackle.
  • Dispatch: I spent plenty of time on brainstorming, conceptualizing, and all kinds of other ‘ideas work’ in 2011. No bad thing, unless it dominates the landscape to the detriment of actually moving on those ideas. This year I’ll focus on balancing this out, moving ideas through more quickly and dispatching results for those that have legs.

From this base of three, I feel confidently rooted to guide my decisions for this site (and more…I need to be organized for a new arrival this Spring!). I’ll build these out into concrete advice and actions, in a coherent manner that moves everything towards my end objective.

And You?

Are you on board with this style of moving into a New Year?

Or do the old resolutions work just fine for you, thanks very much?

Either way, I’d love to hear how you’re sizing up 2012 and what your hopes are for the coming year. Spill the beans in the comments, on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever else you’d like to connect with me.

It’s going to be an outstanding year for you, just wait and see :)

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