5 Ways for Content Creators to Stand Out From the Crowd
Nearly one quarter of the global population (a whopping 23 percent) are now considered content creators. Whether this is due to newfound hobbies that bloomed from quarantine boredom or the steady rise of online influencing as a career, it’s awesome. But with everything awesome, there must be a downside. For current creators, this influx of content raises the bar for what you share online, making the competition for audience attention fiercer than ever. Your content can be wiped from your audience’s minds with the swipe of a thumb. So, how do you keep them from swiping away?
At Bard Tales, the name of our game is video production. For us, there are 5 things we always think about when crafting content:
1. Keep It Brief
First and foremost, your content shouldn’t be any longer than it needs to be. Our attention spans are limited, as proven by the popularity of platforms like TikTok. Bard Tales edited a short documentary piece about vaccination for Kaiser Permanente last year, the keyword here being short. Within one minute, we met Linda, learned about her past, and finally watched her conquer her fear of getting vaccinated. 60 seconds was all the audience needed to be able to feel proud of Linda for her accomplishment, and at the same time, determine that they, too, should receive the vaccine.
2. Have Quality Audio
Professional sound can make or break your content. Whether your calling is ten-second-long Instagram Reels, podcasts recorded from your basement, or full-on video production, you’ll lose your audience immediately if you don’t take your sound seriously. We are quite forgiving of bad video, cell phone footage is watched every night on the evening news – but if your audience can’t hear what is going on they are going to check out. This YouTube video demonstrates how important sound is and has tips on recording quality audio.
3. Stay on the Cutting Edge
One thing we pride ourselves on at Bard Tales is our enthusiasm for cutting-edge technology. Utilizing modern avenues of content creation before the rest of the world catches on is a great way to secure attention. Virtual reality (VR) video is one our favorite technologies, and we’re not the only ones who feel this way. At 60 million views, the Mega Coaster 360 Video we helped create with Discovery is the second most viewed video on their YouTube channel.
4. Learn from Your Mistakes
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. There are thousands of guides and tutorials for every avenue of content creation online right now, but none of them will keep you from messing up along the way. Fortunately, one of the best ways to learn is from mistakes! Additionally, almost every platform available has metrics that will help you see what your audience is loving and what they’re scrolling past.
5. Tell a Story
The best way to garner people’s interest? Be interesting! Tell a story, take us on an adventure, teach us something new. If your content has nothing to say, it doesn’t matter how professionally produced or beautifully edited it is; it will blend in with the crowd of creators online that is growing by the second. This month, our collaborations with The Nature Conservancy will be unveiled at the UN Climate Summit in Egypt: two VR projects highlighting the beauty of the Emerald Edge in Western Canada in 360 degrees. While the content is broad, both videos - Cedar’s Story and Nature’s Guardians - focus on telling smaller, personal stories about the land and the indigenous peoples who live there. Personifying the content in this way helps the viewer connect with the subject matter and better understand the significance of the landscape.
As creators ourselves, we know how satisfying it is to craft your own content. But, if you need help standing out, assistance from a professional is never a bad idea. If your project could benefit from dazzling cinematography, masterful editing, and/or broadcast-quality motion graphics, those just happen to be our specialties! Check out our work and let us know how we can help.
