The Ideas

Amy Stackhouse
Aug 25, 2017 · 3 min read

There have always been ways to tell a story and to get your message out if you were actively selling a product — but today there are so many platforms that you have to look at your audience and your message to decide where and how to package and deliver. The basic idea of writing is true for us all and on every platform.

Ideas begin with brainstorms and coffee is usually a plus

When I was in school they were teaching the upside down pyramid. Don’t know if they still push that, but it is still true. You won’t keep your audience long if the message isn’t there in the beginning and the attention can cut away with the message still accurately delivered. Even the Facebook posts or instagram pictures all demand that you grab the attention and deliver your message succinctly. So when you write or get into original content, there are five core principles to stay on track. Your subject, available information, the purpose, the audience, the specs. I would also add timing — both that of creation, production and execution, as well as the timing of for the message delivered. I remember my first Christmas in retail marketing where I missed getting anything out when it needed to be in the retailer’s hands. I had no idea that Christmas production happened in July!

  1. The subject — is it worth the ink and is it overwritten and over-featured in every platform? Just because it is the most trending topic doesn’t preclude it from being your subject. It may mean you work harder to stand out.
  2. The available information — it is a longer process if the dig is deep. How willing is your client to hand over documents for you to wrap your head around so that you can then convey tough or boring information? I love research, so turn me loose. That only thing stopping this process is that lovely saying that “time is money.” Well frankly it is, so the luxury of searching for white papers or for peer review journals is narrow. The Wall Street Journal just posted an article noting that through research it has been noted that research is bogus. Still, there are facts and experts in every field for every product and reasons to use such sources. I am a research buff and can usually find examples for precisely what I want to know. Can you? Research journals are a fabulous source for any industry.
  3. The purpose — why write, picture or put anything out there for your client? Why write? To inform, educate, persuade, make a request or call to action? There may be multi-levels of a purpose to explore and even ones that surface for you to revisit. One of the toughest situations for an agency is when your purpose is miles apart from the client’s purpose. You want to avoid message mistakes. If you see the purpose, then defend the purpose.
  4. The audience — how interested is your audience is toward the content? Realize how your audience comes to you. Who are they and why are they? There are several ways to understand your audience, but just get the concept in your head that an audience comes as it is — beliefs, values and abilities. Every word, picture, concept, instruction or element goes through the prism or filter of the audience. Here is where you win or lose. You like how you are creating art, copy or motion, but does the audience…not an audience, but THE audience. Figure that aspect into every project and you hit a home run.
  5. The specs — include all angles of resources and budget. Implementation is not guesswork when you have a solid idea in the works. Specs include the how with particular methodology. Guide clients through the process and serve as a reference back to an original plan. It saves time, money and emotion.

The five core principles keep you on track. Remember your subject, available information, the purpose, the audience, and the specs define an easy to follow idea map to the right destination.

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