Casablanca is a mainstay of holiday viewing. Viewers expect it, they want it and they don’t want to be disappointed. Jill Park investigates how to follow in the footsteps of the Christmas programmers and fit your content into the fabric of your audience’s lives.
Ah Christmas. It’s a time to stuff your face, share presents and gorge on films you’ve watched far too many times. The annual ritual is so ingrained in our lives that to deviate from your typical routine can be quite disconcerting.
Imagine no Home Alone on the TV? No Casablanca? Can it really be Christmas without watching at least half of one of these movies from your sofa, stuffed to the gills, with an eggnog/beer/wine [delete as applicable] in hand and a mince pie on the table?
Modern classic Elf charts the search by Buddy the Elf for his human father in New York City. The film has become a new addition to the Christmas TV line-up. So, through the many life lessons of the film’s lead, I hope to enlighten you as to how to intertwine your content into your audience’s everyday lives.
Make it easy
Don’t make your readers have to pass through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly, twirly gum drops, and then walk through the Lincoln Tunnel to find your content. If they have to hunt for a story through depths of navigation, or it is difficult to read the content once they find it, then they may well give up.
Don’t be a cotton-headed ninny-muggins
Are you pitching your content at the right level for your readers? Spend time with your audience to find out what language they use to speak to each other then incorporate this into your editorial. Is yours an industry where people speak in acronyms? Then make sure you learn them and use them correctly.
The full turkey dinner
Don’t assume that nobody likes syrup and spaghetti. You might just be surprised at how your readers consume your content. Research is imperative. Do they like to stuff their faces in one long sitting at the end of the day? Or do they read your newsletter at 9am each day? Reader surveys are a quick and easy way to start the journey of finding out how your readers like to consume your content.
Santa’s coming
What gives your audience that night before Christmas feeling? Do they love a bit of scandal? Do they love technical stories about home insurance? Analyse your newsletter and website data and make a mission statement for each platform. If you can distil down the essence of what piques the interest of your readers then there will be no stopping you.
Consistency is king
Just as elves are consistent in sticking to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup, so should you be in the creation of your content. By creating a schedule for your content, you will be able to intertwine your content into the daily lives of your readers. Don’t underestimate the importance of being consistent.
So, friends, follow the above steps and you’ll reach a whole new level of content creation.
