Exploring the Social Rabbit hole
Curating content is something most writers love doing because quite often we end up down an unexpected rabbit hole, like Alice in Wonderland. And let me tell you, those unexpected rabbit holes are some of the most delightful places to discover new ways of looking at the world. Sometimes you just want to stay down there for hours, playing. Social media platforms are riddled with rabbit holes if you are willing to slip down inside of them, take a look around, and see the value in the content being created down below and, yes, even sideways.
Our world is rife with advertising. Sometimes it feels like we are being bombarded with endless pop-up ads, native advertising in our news feeds, and coupon offers galore, not to mention email blasts. So when I need a break from the noise, I find a rabbit hole to slide down into, a place where social media is still alive and flourishing, but bringing me into contact with people who are playing with new tools and ideas and using social media to share it all forward.
Here’s what was in this week’s rabbit hole:
Fun Tools
Waterlogue is an app currently for iPhone and iPad users that is gaining popularity with interior designers and decorators. It can take any photo and transform it into a delicious watercolor painting, so that you see a room (or person or pet) in a whole new way. The play of light and shadow and color gives photos a new perspective. If you run a small business, you might find this app useful in a number of ways for creating interesting content. Plus, it’s just fun.
Focus@will is an intriguing music service based on neuroscience that helps block out distractions. Anyone who needs to concentrate on a project such as writing an eBook, or a series of articles and blog posts could find this useful. With all of the attention-grabbers in our world, it’s nice to access a tool designed to help us focus entirely on the task at hand.
Video
This video, “New York Morning” on YouTube, is a promotion for a new album by The Elbows, but it’s cool. And as a writer, I’m inspired by the cool, the eclectic, or an experience that lets me take a step back in time. If you are curating content, how might you incorporate a music video? Find a topic that complements the video and write to that. Think outside the box a little and give your readers something different to enjoy.
Search
Two places I have added to my list for curating interesting ideas are isoosi (yes, it’s spelled just like that), and klout. Give them a shot. It doesn’t take long to get comfortable using them and they might surprise you with some of their results.
Another fun rabbit hole for brainstorming ideas is Pinterest. A lot of folks don’t realize how Pinterest’s search engine has matured and that it can now bring up some wonderful inspiration for blog posts, article topics and curated content. And the foodie photos help you decide what to eat for lunch.
In our rush to be the hot new thing, to sell the hot new thing, and to just get noticed, we sometimes forget that social media is a place actually designed for us to enjoy discovering what other humans are creating and using. This is how we curate fresh ideas instead of churning out a lot of the same old stuff. The trick is to use these new ideas in ways that help tell the story you want to share.
So when you get weary of the bombardment, find a rabbit hole to slide down. Have fun getting lost and plugging into all of the creative energy happening just below the surface noise.
