The day started off on a high note with a great presentation by Jonathan Perelman on Content as Communication. He talked about how communication in social media keeps us all connected 24/7 and how important it is to be sure that your message spreads at the best time to reach the largest audience. "If the message doesn't spread, it's dead." He went on to discuss that we live in a sharing economy where content is the currency and images move the content. He went on to say that we form our concepts of community through social media where we share our ideas and build our personal brand.
In order to get our message out we need to use the same formula that is used in storytelling. The message must have an emotional element that appeals to out audience, a connection that relates to the audience, something that the audience can identify, and information that is pertinent to the audience. To do this he encouraged us to use the four truths of storytelling: the message must be truthful to the teller, truthful to the audience, truthful to the moment, and truthful to the mission. Marshall McLuhan said, "The medium in the message." but today and into the future it's the social media that is the message.
Notes from session if interested in more information -
ReplyDeletePrinting press created the "democratization" of information. If we think about the the progression of information - 1400s printing press, 1950s television, 1980 cable. We think about how we consume information - used to be three channels, now we sleep with our cell phones on our night table.
Studies over 20 years in 40 countries conducted - 18 - 34 year olds = 90% sleep with phone on night stand. Now the phone is moving into the bed. When will you check your phone? They check when alarm goes off, when they go to restroom they will check their phone ... etc.
How do we tell our story that will hit our audience?
7 billion people, how many toothbrushes? About 5 billion toothbrushes. Their are 6 billion smart phones in the world. More connected devices in the world than toothbrushes. The change in computing power - 42 instructions per second NASA - Saturn 5 rocket. Now the iPhone can do 3.3 billion instructions per second. Theoretically your iphone could send 120 million Apollo 11 rockets at the same time. 500 hours of video loaded to youtube every second. Now 1 billion people on whatsapp - samsung gear vr with occulus software.
This (virtual reality) is going to lead to medical advances (parapalegic walking), education (be transported to gettysberg address), medical education (complex surgery - watch from across the globe), etc. Every 18 months technology gets 2 as fast for half the cost. Now it's faster almost every year. Changes the way we communicate, compute, and do our business.
"Spreadbale Media" - if it doesn't spread it's dead. "Spreading Media" - book.
Emojis - content as a proxy for communication. The emoji / picture says more than our words.
We live in a sharing economy (Lyft, Uber, Airbnb, Rent the runway, On demand dog walking service).Content is currency. There is an endorphin rush, brain science about the rush experienced posting.
Why connect - ? To form community, connect with others, be a part of something, and to build our personal brand, narcissism (I'm special, unique). In 2016, more people were killed by selfies than by sharks.
Content is the most powerful force in culture.
The biggest export of the united states is content, culture. Example, his visit to Dubai - only wanted to talk about election and Hollywood.Green peace, Friends of the Earth, Pink Floyd Dark side of the moon - all began 3 years after the image - Earth Rise, taken Christmas Eve in 1968. This was the first time we saw ourselves, our planet from another perspective.
Tour de France was created by the press because there was nothing (no content) happening in July. Dollar shave club, created an ad for a few thousand dollars, sold for 1 billion to unilever. 7 million people watched a 7 hour train trip from Bergen to Oslow - country only has 5 million people. Slow tv moment.
Good storytelling - Freytag's pyramid- expositio, complication, climax, resolution, conclusion. Ethos, pathos, logos. How to connect with people - connect emotionally, give valuable information. Four truths of the storyteller - true to the teller, true to the audience, true to the moment, true to the mission. Is it worth their time, involving them - what they want to learn, value and conveyed with candor, fit the forum or context, ask audience to take action.
Social and digital media must be very specific (cannot be all things to all people). Simplicity most important for social media. Surprise - we remember what surprises us - element of unique. Specificity - be very specific. When is the right time - 1 -4 pm is highest click through of your timezone (the bored t work network) - wed. at 3 pm is the best time. Twitter - Thursday 1 - 3 pm is good. Peak is 9 am - 3 pm. Fridays are the worst. Linked in Tues - Thurs great (12 noon) or (5-6 pm) most engagement.
Emotional, identity,, information. What is the emotional message - what will it make me feel. Identity - how will it speak to me, information - unique.
Contact
perelmanj@gmail.com