I did something this weekend I’ve never done before: change the brakes and rotors on my car, all by myself.
original photo by Bill Erickson
If you know me, I’m not a mechanic, nor am I good with my hands. My father on the other hand (no pun intended) is very handy and can fix almost anything. He was impressed I figured out how to change the breaks on my own.
“It wasn’t that hard, Dad. We have the internet now.”
I found a video on YouTube for the make and model of my car, spent 10 minutes watching it, and then proceeded to change my brakes. Two hours and three beers later, I was done.
“When I was your age, I had to figure this stuff out on my own,” my dad told me after. Funny how I’ll probably never iterate those same words to my son because of the internet.
The New Charity
I know I’m playing Captain Obvious when I say that the internet is an incredible tool – and it is constantly evolving. Sure, it’s loaded with awesome games and funny cat videos, but more importantly, it’s a space to share knowledge.
The simple fact that someone took the time to record and upload a video of them changing brakes for a Nissan Rogue saved me hundreds of dollars on labor. They did it for free and I’m the one who benefited. To me, that’s called charity.
I am a firm believer of knowledge sharing. Knowledge is priceless, and sharing what you know with the world is good. I started with a cooking blog back in college, created this blog last year, and even launched a podcast with a good friend of mine a few months ago. And I’m not done.
Share your Knowledge
It’s time for you to get out there and share what you know with gusto! Here is my attempt to share what I know to help you build your own platform:
Blogging
The granddaddy of them all. If you are passionate about something, anything, chances are you can easily start a blog about it. I recommend starting with a free WordPress account and then moving up to a self hosted blog using Bluehost.
Do keep in mind, however, that blogging takes a lot of work and requires time and dedication. But starting a blog on a whim is also an excellent adventure, so I’ve learned from personal experience.
If you ever need help setting up a blog, there are countless resources online. Or you can save the hassle and reach me declan[at]millennialtype[dot]com. I’d be happy to help!
Podcasting
Yes, podcasts are not just for nerds anymore. A growing listener audience means there is more demand for new content. And the market is less saturated than the blogging market (thousands of podcasts versus millions of blogs).
Start by reading this terrific How-To by WP Begginner. I then recommend the following tools to help you get started: Microphone, Blubrry, Audacity, and Voicemeeter. Also, read this article and this article to help you get started. Again, feel free to email me with any questions.
eLearning
The eLearning business is booming. In 2015, it’s expected to hit $107 billion world wide (almost double in 2013, check out this awesome infographic).
I know I was talking about charity, but sometimes people are willing to pay to learn something from you. Online courses are a great way to easily distribute your knowledge, but also make a small profit on the side.
Erica and I are venturing into this new realm and have only tried a few distributors. Our favorite is Course Craft which is easy to use and super friendly. You’ll hear more about our venture in a few weeks!
Social Media
This one seems obvious but social media is still an effective way of quickly sharing knowledge with a broad audience. The only downside: you don’t own the content.
Unlike blogging or podcasting, sharing knowledge on social media means signing over your content to another company.
However, if that doesn’t bother you, creating a dedicated social media account only takes a few minutes. There’s no need to worry about coding or any of the hassles that come with owning your own content.
One of the better mediums to share your knowledge is the aptly named and beautifully designed, Medium. Even though it is technically a blogging platform, I’ve listed it here since you don’t own the content you share. Or you can settle with Facebook or Twitter. Any way you choose to share your knowledge helps the world!
What’s your favorite way of sharing knowledge? Share in the comments below!
***This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click on them.
All opinions, however, are mine.***
The post Share Your Wealth of Knowledge (with Gusto!) by Declan Wilson appeared first on A Millennial Type.