This photo is one in a series taken for the 2013 Fnac and Nikon photo marathon competition. We thought it would be a clever way to highlight one of the three themes that we had to enter into that day. “Geneve en mouvement / Geneve in movement” and “En levant la tete / Raise the head” were simple enough themes to figure out. But the second theme of the day on “Art en Culture / Art in Culture” was an abstract one – most of the participants (and even the judges who announced the theme) left scratching their heads.
So after a few uninspired tours around Balexert, Geneva’s largest shopping mall, we used our last 15 minutes to come up with a series of “Darth Vader going shopping” images. My partner and I thought the concept and story was original given the abstract theme – we didn’t win a prize for this one, but the audience did get a kick out of it when one of our photos, along with a selection of all the photos, was shown at the award ceremony.
There’s a lot to be said about storytelling… and despite not getting any awards, I took satisfaction from the fact that people were entertained when they saw the photos and some probably still remember it. Contently, a platform to help journalists and brands connect and tell great stories, says it best in their 2013 Manifesto:
Great stories make ideas stick. When told right, they inspire people to make ideas happen… Quality in content is in the story, in the human connection, the difference made… Those who tell and promote the best stories – in the best ways – will increase in reputation and trust, fans and influence…
I really like the way they look at the idea of storytelling, content, and promotion as a total package. After reading their Manifesto and looking around the website, I signed up to their newsletter to get more info. When I signed up, I didn’t get bombarded with useless info and content (that would make me quickly unsubscribe). Instead, they’ve been sending one (max tw0) pieces of content or stories regularly that I get drawn into when I have time to read. It’s a nice and effective way to go about delivering content when we’re being pelted with information everyday from our tablets, emails, phones, etc.
Another thing I liked about the sign-up is that they send you a link to download their guide “The Beginner’s Guide to Blogging and Content Strategy“. At under 40 pages, the guide gives a succinct introduction into why content matters and how to do it effectively from beginning to end. This includes starting off with planning, knowing how to execute it and optimizing content through publishing, distribution, and promotion, and measuring success/impact. It’s an easy read (FYI, I finished reading the guide during a 20 minute bus ride to work). Here are my favorite excerpt.
I’m a big fan of planning and strategy and it’s nice to see the guide starts with:
It all starts with strategy. Content creation takes time, but it’s well worth it if coupled with strategy.
The following shouldn’t be just limited to blogging, but can be applied to anything related to generating content for branding, advertising, promotion, etc…
The first rule of blogging is know who you’re talking to… The second rule of blogging is know why they should care.
In addition to making sure to have partners to help in getting the word out about your “stuff”, having a voice and angle is also important because it’s not only about the message you want to send but also how:
Your content should be way better than a cheap pickup line. But if there’s one you can learn from the it’s this; it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it, that makes you memorable and attractive.
If you’re in the business to create content, you’d better be damn sure that people see it – otherwise what’s the point?
That’s why you’ve got to see that distribution and promotion always go hand in hand with content strategy. You’ve investing all your time and brain power in creating awesome content, so you better want people to actually read it, and, daresay, like it.