Helping you develop a content ecosystem so that all the individual content elements work together intentionally to produce a greater impact.

1. Creating a
Content
Ecosystem
Building your ecosystem
And seeing it thrive!
Jon Hirst – Generous Mind

2. All content has an
ecosystem – we just choose
to ignore it most of the time.

3. Where do you want
your content living?
http://www.mensjournal.com/the-ghost-park
http://igs-alberts.wikispaces.com/

4. Don’t let your content suffer alone
 So much good content exists out there
 Most of it is orphaned and siloed away so that
few people will ever enjoy or benefit from it
 There is so much more content getting lost
today!
 “90% of all information ever created was
produced in the last 2 years alone"
 Dr. Mike Lynch, CEO of Autonomy

5. http://robertwensman.wordpress.com/
http://birddigiscoper.blogspot.com/

6. The Living Word
 1 Peter 1:23
For you have been born again, not of
perishable seed, but of imperishable, through
the living and enduring word of God.

7. What is an Ecosystem
 The Ecosystem is a self supporting area
composed of living (biotic) and nonliving
(abiotic) things (such as the Rain Forest or
the Desert). It 1) produces energy, 2) transfers
energy, 3) decomposes, and 4) recycles.

8. Where do we find ecosystems?
 Definition and delineation of an ecosystem
can become as complicated as one wants to
make it. In truth, an ecosystem can be a log in
the forest and its associated microorganisms,
a small lake and its tributary, or the Gulf of
Mexico.
 http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/emrrp/emris/emrishelp/what
_is_an_ecosystem_ecosystem_management.htm

9. Making the Connection
 “Once you see your platform as an ecosystem
and not the parts, your possibilities to grow
and develop more business value (increase).
Can you see it? Look beyond your blog as
being the core of things. Think of it as an
outlet. From there, things get exciting.”
Chris Brogan
 http://www.chrisbrogan.com/build-ecosystems-for-your-
content/

10. Core Elements of Your
Ecosystem
 The Earth – Your Cause
 The Plants – Your Content
 The Animals – Your Community

11. The Cause
 Definition: A Cause is an others-focused,
broad-based effort that allows a community to
form and act as one in an effort to accomplish
a specific goal.
 It’s the thing you do that God cares about
 It is based in Scripture

12. The Content
 The key messages that engage people with
your cause
 Custom versions for every platform that is
authentic to your cause
 All the contributed content to your cause by
your community

13. The Community
 Those people that have chosen to live in your
ecosystem
 Those that believe your cause is important
and that you are a thought leader in that area
 Those that commit to a relationship within the
ecosystem
 Those who contribute productively to its
growth

14. An Ecosystem Works Together
 The content grows because the cause is rich
and fertile
 The community develops because the cause
and the content help them thrive
 Both the community and content add nutrients
and value to the cause as it grows richer
 As it works together it becomes more valuable

15. Your not the only one living in your
ecosystem … Don’t act like it!

16. An Example: The TED Universe
 TED.com
 TEDTalks
 TED Conferences
 TEDx events
 TED Fellows
 TED Books
 TED Prize
 TED Open Translation Project
 TED-Ed

17. An Example:
The One Verse Bloggers
 A group of 30 women – key contributors to The
Seed Company/One Verse’s ecosystem
 Committed to the Cause of Ending Bible Poverty
in partnership with The Seed Company/One Verse
 Meet the Bloggers:
http://blog.theseedcompany.org/news/bloggers/
 The Bible Stack Challenge:
http://blog.theseedcompany.org/news/bible-
stacks/

18. An Example: Operation World
Enhanced CD/DVD
Twitter @owtips
#OperationWorld
Facebook “Leaders Using
Operation World” Group
& General Operation World
Facebook Fan Page
Operation World Book
Operation World Mapwww.operationworld.org

19. What is the Cause?
Prayer for the
Nations

20. What is the core content?

21. Who is the Community
 People passionate about missions
 People gifted in prayer
 Leaders wanting to see their people pray
 People in global missions

22. What does it take?
 Birthing an ecosystem is hard work!
 Some key skills:
 Intentionality: Everything on purpose
 CQ – Communications IQ
 Empathy: Getting in other’s shoes
 Creativity: Feeding the ecosystem
 Dedication: Persistence over time

23. Metrics for Ecosystems
 How do you define:
 Living . . . Thriving . . . Growing?
 The depth of your cause
 The quality of your content
 The level of engagement with the community

24. Your Turn 
 Identify your various content
 Identify all the channels content is in
 Identify the communities of people that exist
around the content
 jonhirst@generousmind.com
 www.twitter.com/generousmind
 www.generousmind.com
 www.facebook.com/generousminds