I have just started writing this blog. I’m sitting in a café just off Covent Garden surrounded by 100 PR consultancies and lord knows how many more hacks and freelancers crouched over their silver machines with latte aside and fingers poised to type.
Can’t beat ’em?
However, as journalists and their nemeses would concur in a hearty conference or twitter debate: We live in a competitive and maturing media age when visuals and video are what often differentiates top scoring posts from overlooked bot-fodder.
“So what?” You might say, “you think we should all be content managers, or composers or summink?”
Not at all. Writing is an essential and powerful skill that I personally respect and admire. My point today is that even the most put upon and time-strapped blogger should have a mental checklist.
I’m talking practical and practicable – the big ideas are for another day.
- Can you explain it with a sketch or doodle?
- Are you using figures? Stick them in a chart!
- Can you take a photo using your phone?
- Can you quote someone you know?
- Ask your social connections. Twitter is easy to embed!
- Can you explain your point with that short instructional video your company (or client) did?
- Do a 5 minute infographic
Sound hard?
You know, the ones you create online while you’re in the zone – not the ones the marketing department blow the quarterly budget on - Include links to sources (hint: you can link pictures too).
So nothing earth shattering there. Of course, if you have more time – or at least some forward planning – you can plan ahead a little. Creating an editorial calendar or jotting down ideas as you go will save a lot of time and make life a lot easier!
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Listen to this spot (experimental)
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