Creating Shareable Content 101

This past week, participants in the Wits/Fray College Media Management Course - which I attended and was GREAT, by the way - were required to complete a group assignment. Our group had Networking & Collaboration and my focus was digital platforms. I decided to use a few of my own posts as case studies to illustrate good strategy and best practice. 

Exactly one month ago, in that desparate space where entrepreneurs are often born, I created a quick poster on CANVA to advertise my production expertise by offering pre-production podcast sessions for women who want to start their own. I didn't think it would take, but the response was amazing across platforms and beyond. People were whatsapping, voice noting and DMing - with both interest and congratulations on this new venture. Within two weeks, I had fourteen leads - that's one per day. 

My second case study was linking an individual court case (the trial of missing Joshlin Smith) to an important systemic issue: our ailing child protection system, which I had done an investigative feature on two years ago. Despite all the media hype, the system that contributed to this happening has barely been mentioned. The post struck a chord with many, particularly those who work in child protection but are themselves often invisible.

I am extremely passionate about communication. Our modern civilisation is based on our ability to communicate with each other, and yet comms is often performed as a checkbox activity. I get it - social media doesn't feel like you're speaking directly to anyone. BUT-YOU-ARE. 

If you leverage the power of not just storytelling, but lived experience, ie: all those case studies in your annual reports, you will not only increase the visibility of your organisation but you will make others going through similar experiences feel seen. This is true networking and collaboration, and impact. And it is measurable, as I've shown above. 

This last image has been a favourite of mine for years. The magic is not just having people talking TO you, it's having people talk ABOUT you (in the best way, of course). And the best way to achieve this is by being relevent. 

My name is Lenina Rassool. I am a journalist, producer, and communications practitioner with over 20 years' experience in mainstream media, communications, and social justice. I write, consult and create communications strategies that connect organisations with audiences through relevant and impactful narrative storytelling. You can read my work here: https://lnkd.in/dpTSnPZZ and email me here https://lnkd.in/dYamgNWV