Hey {{first_name}}

Last week I sat down with a group of experienced producers, directors and series producers as part of an scheme run by Glasgow based training company TRC.

Out of all the speaking and workshops i’ve done this year, that one was by far the most intimidating. There’s nothing that stimulates imposter syndrome more than walking into a room full of highly experienced storytellers and telling them they should start making tiktoks on their days off. (I promise i didn’t actually say that)

One of the questions they asked, was:

And so I thought I’d share with you, what we talked about, as I know a fair few of you are traditional telly folk trying to make sense of the digital world.

Now I want to caveat this by reminding you all that I have a traditional TV background. I was a freelancer in the industry for a couple of years, working on prime time fact-ent shows before I made the switch. So I have direct experience of doing this and I want to reassure you - it’s not that hard!

The first thing I always like to explain, when I’m having this conversation is framing the fundamental difference in how viewers consume programming online, versus in a traditional viewing eco-system. It’s the basics, but it’s important.

Digital content is not appointment viewing, audiences do not (in the main) seek out to watch a specific show. They are force fed. Remember, they don’t chew their food - The Audience Sucks. And so as a producer you need to take a fundamentally different approach for how you get an audience in. It’s no longer good enough to just put a big name in a hit format, or rely on the channel’s marketing stunts and tabloid headlines to push an audience to the show.

You have to roll your sleeves up and fight, like everyone else, for the attention economy.

And that takes me to my next point (but first an ad - that by clicking on, it helps me out!)

When’s the last time you updated your digital marketing strategy?

If you’re relying on old-school PPC tactics you might be missing out on a major revenue opportunity.

Levanta’s Affiliate Ad Shift Calculator shows how shifting budget from PPC to creator-led partnerships can significantly improve conversion rates, ROI, and efficiency.

Discover how optimizing your affiliate strategy can unlock new profit potential:

Built for brands ready to modernize how they grow.

Get your free calculation.

The title, the the thumbnail and the hook are going to be your biggest learning curve. In days gone by, this is something you wouldn’t even need to think of, as and on-the-ground producer, but now it is literally the backbone of everything you create.

Your idea, your structure, and your execution should all be focused around how you have positioned your video to your audience. The refer back to my own work, ‘what value are you promising your audience, and how are you delivering that to them?’

There’s a VERY brilliant video that explains this in detail by the GOAT’s Colin and Samir. If you’re starting out in the world of youtube, this video should be your bible:

And so my final point, and something I like to tell everyone who is currently sitting off on the sidelines scared to dive into digital.

You’re a good storyteller, or atleast, you know how good stories are told. That hasn’t changed, and never will. Once you’ve learnt the intricacies of moulding your idea to fit a new platform, the bulk of the work is over. If you can get eyeballs on your video and get them engaged the next step is just telling that story in the best way you possibly can.

You don’t have to optimise EVERYTHING. You don’t need to tailor your content to an audience of 13 year old prime-addled fortnite kids. There is a big enough audience for your slow paced niche birdwatching documentary, or your avant garde silent film.

Just make the shit you know how to make, and make it good. If you do that, I promise people will keep watching.

If you like this type of guide/insight - let me know! i’m looking to do more, in depth stuff to tackle the actual mechanics of making digital content, so if you have any specific questions - let me know!