Photo: Courtesy of Slow Stories
By now, it's clear that content is an incredible tool to establish brand awareness, build authentic customer relationships, and generate sales. But as content has become more embedded in our daily lives, coupled with the tumultuous cultural climate we're all navigating, I've recognized the shift that many individuals have taken by utilizing their platforms to challenge the current landscape—one that often prioritizes quick turnarounds and maximum visibility. In turn, this has played an immense role in catalyzing the slow content movement.
As the founder of a service company, I'm no stranger to the challenges that come with addressing the business goals of our clients, while also remaining true to our company values. And as we head into the holiday season, I've been thinking more about how slow content can inspire conscious storytelling (and business practices) that is inspiring and impactful.
Recently, our Slow Stories interviewees have also been practicing mindfulness in their own storytelling efforts and considering how their efforts influence the world at large. Some highlights from these conversations include the following:
Embrace the power of the pause.
Nichole Powell of Kinfield (check out my follow-up interview with her here on C&C!) said it best: "There is tremendous power in the pause." Taking a moment to slow down and create the necessary headspace will enable individuals to think clearly about their intentions, and in turn, how to effectively translate that into dynamic content that ties back to overarching business values.
Ask questions with sincerity.
As I mentioned in my first article in this column, creating a content calendar is essential in seeing a long-term strategy through to its fullest potential—but that doesn't mean there isn't room to ask questions along the way. While consistency is crucial, the best content often comes from a place of honesty and curiosity. And at times, this means it's essential to ask ourselves—and one another— the important questions.
Be considerate of one's time.
Perhaps one of the most critical pillars of slow content is that it ties back to the idea of providing value and purpose. When creating content, it is vital to have consideration of one's (lack of) time, both short-term and big picture. With that said, consciously-minded brands should think about when customers will be consuming this content, and as a result, understand the best way to engage with them during key periods.
With these ideas in mind, if you're looking to strike a balance in blending conscious business with quality content creation, here are a few thought-starters to jumpstart these efforts:
Practice self-awareness.
The best way to create anything that is culturally conscious is to take a step back and understand your brand's role on an individual scale. Maintaining a level of self-awareness about your values, industry positioning, and product or service offering will help create a more realistic roadmap of how you can create content that is considerate of your followers' needs. Whether you're launching a product that benefits a charitable cause or spearheading a content series that features change-makers in your community, understanding how you exist within the broader industry landscape will establish a conscious approach to how you create content that will resonate more profoundly.
Conscious content and conscious collaboration go hand-in-hand.
Identifying and working with like-minded partners can help establish new ways of thinking about unique brand storytelling in our saturated digital environment. As I mentioned above, questions lead to compelling content opportunities, and developing a dialogue in which multiple perspectives are considered can inspire innovative approaches to content that consider important conversations that an industry holistically needs to address. Consider this column, for example. When I started Slow Stories, I wanted to get to the heart of why we're doing what we're doing from a business perspective. In addition to the podcast itself, I felt the best way to do this would also be to explore the topic in new arenas. So after years of collaborating with Create & Cultivate on content and event opportunities, I approached them to be our partner in launching this extension column. As such, we've been able to round-out the way users experience Slow Stories, and also introduce Create & Cultivate's entrepreneurial audience to a new way of thinking about their own storytelling efforts.
Turn inspiration into action.
To turn an inspiring story into something actionable, taking a slow content approach will ensure that proper time and planning is spent just as much on the distribution of the content as much as the actual production. Understanding where a piece of content will live and how it will serve an audience is a crucial part of how a consumer engages with it further. For instance, if a brand collaborates on a fundraising initiative with a like-minded organization, both parties' audiences will not only discover the content itself but will have an opportunity to engage with one another around the effort, and in turn, create a more in-depth narrative or way to engage with the cause.
Conscious storytelling is something that will transcend the holiday season. However, as we head into the most wonderful time of year, I hope these themes inspire you to slow down and think about how your content can make the world—or at the very least, someone's day—a little bit better. For more about slow content, be sure to check out the Slow Stories podcast and check out past articles from my column here.
About the Author:
Rachel Schwartzmann is the Founder and CEO of The Style Line LLC. She created The Style Line in late January 2011 via Tumblr and has fostered The Style Line’s brand in its growth since then. Rachel has been featured in esteemed sources including Forbes, Refinery29, and MyDomaine and has also spoken at Create & Cultivate and Columbia University on establishing a unique brand point of view and entrepreneurship. On October 1, 2015, Rachel took The Style Line in a new direction as a boutique content company with the introduction of its slow content agency CONNECT(ED)ITORIAL.
Links + Handles:
The Style Line: @thestyleline Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
CONNECT(ED)ITORIAL: @connecteditorial
Rachel Schwartzmann: @rachelschwartzmann and @RMSchwartzmann
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