When creating content, developing credibility is a key aim. There are three main areas for building credibility: logical, ethical, and emotional--or respectively, logos, ethos, and pathos. By attending to all three of these areas, your content will have better viability and engender better trust with your end user.
By Jeff van Booven, Production Associate When creating content, developing credibility is a key aim. There are three main areas for building credibility: logical, ethical, and emotional--or respectively, logos, ethos, and pathos. By attending to all three of these areas, your content will have better viability and engender better trust with your end user. Logos, or logic, is the most important of the three. At a bare minimum, it calls on you to get your facts straight. Nothing will turn off a reader quicker than factual errors. Logos is more than that though. It calls on the author to apply logic properly, avoiding logical fallacies—a simple Google search will introduce you—and to make a fair attempt at both gathering and applying evidence fairly. Showing the reader that other arguments and concerns have been taken into consideration helps to build their trust in you and your product. Ethos, or ethics, is about building your own credibility. It asks, why should anybody trust you? Developing credibility through logos and pathos helps to build personal credibility, but more than anything, demonstrating a clear grasp on the matter at hand is key. The reader is looking to you to present them with information they don’t have and subsequently desire. For example, if you’re buying a car, do you want a veteran mechanic from an independent shop or the marketing guy for Chrysler? Think for a moment why you might prefer the mechanic over the marketer. For one, the mechanic clearly has better credibility to evaluate the product, but he also is free of conflicts of interest. Lastly, a basic command of the medium is an important step to building your own personal ethos. Pathos, or emotion, is perhaps the most conflicted forms of credibility when it comes to marketing, particularly as it is practiced today. While good writing and emotional credibility would suggest you avoid using emotional appeals, particularly of the sentimental variety, I assume most of us know the power of the emotional appeal in order to promote a product or cause. Spend enough time watching television and you’ll see the sad puppies set to sad music. You can’t get much more sentimental than that, but most advertising does tend to rely on such tactics of cheap emotional appeals to some degree—what is technically called sentimentality. While I would argue to avoid using sentimentality to manipulate the audience, doing so would be disingenuous when we all clearly can see how effective it is in marketing. However, from time to time, your audience may surprise you with their ability to see through such manipulative attempts, so it may be best to use it sparingly and in tempered manners.
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By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO On April 4, 2014, Bon Visto Media gained our first client. I was, admittedly, pretty terrified. As the founder of the company, I had no idea of what success (if any) I would have with a social media management company. But with each new client who hired us, our footing became surer, and our expertise grew deeper. So, where are we one year later? Join us in your preferred method of time travel--TARDIS, Delorean, hot tub--as we look back on the past year. Our ClientsBetween April 2014 and April 2015, we have worked with a grand total of 23 clients. Some hired us for short-term projects, but the majority of them we have retained indefinitely. These clients have come from diverse backgrounds, from business solutions to fitness coaches to a German house music podcast. (I've learned so much about a music genre I would have never listened to otherwise.) However, they’ve all had one thing in common: They were small businesses or “solopreneurs” who have something awesome to offer but needed help developing a presence on social media. We’ve been thrilled to support these clients (some of whom I can now call my friends) with our skills. Our TeamWhen I initially set out to start this business, I contacted my longtime friend Jenn Halbhuber to work with me on development and operations. Although she was unable to stay on board due to an intense personal and professional schedule, she was a key figure in the creation of Bon Visto Media, and I am grateful for that. I am also grateful for our current team. Jeff has brough creativity and insight (and sarcasm) to the process of content creation. Hilary’s boots-on-the-ground attitude assures me that she can always handle whatever research task is thrown at her. Don, who originally joined us as an intern, has juggled the hectic task of managing money with effortless grace. And of course, I’ve loved working with and educating our interns: Amanda, Taylor, David, and the aforementioned Don. Our VisionYou may be wondering, what’s next for Bon Visto Media? (You also might not be wondering that, but I’m going to tell you anyway.) Our goals for our second year, while modest, will form the foundation we need to stay in business for years to come. Along with maintaining the high-quality services we give our current clients, we intend to develop new contracts (either long- or short-term) with businesses that value progress, innovation, and bettering the world. Additionally, we look forward to bringing on a new member to our creative team this year. We are excited to see what happens during year two. To keep up to date with our goals and progress, please continue to follow this blog. And, of course, follow us on your favorite social media platform! By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO When Trevor Noah was announced as the new host of The Daily Show, replacing the retiring Jon Stewart, the internet erupted. The excitement led to the discovery of some less-than-savory posts on his Twitter account. Arguments fired back and forth: "He's a racist and an anti-semite!" "He was just young and stupid and making jokes that fell flat!" Whichever stance you might take, we can all learn from Noah how to prevent and manage social media fiascos. Start with a clear messageOne of Noah's big problems with his Twitter was that he was still developing his comedy--he didn't have a clear idea of his act and message. When a company knows what they want to say to the public, it becomes far easier to develop a content strategy that has little chance of offending. Before getting on any social media platform, sit down and develop your company mission, vision, and goals. Then, ask how social media will foster these. Do you want to deliver bare facts? Create heated conversations? Uplift and inspire? Knowing what you want to say and how you want to say it will help to maintain consistency and show who a company really is. Approve Before You TweetRather than handing all social media management immediately to a single person or an outside company, it is beneficial to approve any posts that might be scheduled. In his New York Times article on the Trevor Noah controversy, Guy Branum wrote, "The glory of Twitter is that it’s unmediated and direct, but the absence of gatekeepers also means that everyone is free to put their worst work up as easily as their best." Serving as that gatekeeper, at least for the first few weeks or months, ensures that your company image and message will both sound how you want and remain consistent. If you screw up, own upAmid the controversy, Noah tweeted, "To reduce my views to a handful of jokes that didn’t land is not a true reflection of my character, nor my evolution as a comedian." Comedy Central also came to Noah's defense, saying he "is provocative and spares no one, himself included." Regardless of whether a company stands by its comments or issues an apology, the issues must be addressed. Sweeping it under the rug and hoping the issue will go away all but promises that it will not go away as customers start to demand answers. Remaining silent unintentionally shows that the business doesn't care. What do you think of Trevor Noah's tweets? Should he and Comedy Central have handled the situation differently? Let us know in the comments! By Jeff van Booven, Production Associate To effectively write to an audience you should strive to at least consider a few things, even though, like most things, it’s far more complex: education, desires, socio-economic status, and life experiences. What understanding these things will do is help you craft your message appropriately. For example, with education, think about what language you would use when talking with a doctor versus a toddler. You want to use language appropriate for your audience. Aside from language, knowing what your audience already knows and doesn’t know can be another important approach. If you’re in the plumbing business, your average customer may benefit from an explanatory piece on how the work is done and why, but if you’re selling supplies to other plumbers, such an explanation would seem ridiculous. Desire, as a methodology, is harder. Knowing what your audience wants, how they see their lifestyle, and how your products and services fit into that spectrum can be tricky and complicated. For example, if you’re aiming to sell beer to college students, you’re going to show parties, events, people having fun and not the austere woodsman, as much as the world would benefit from more Ron Swanson in every part of life. I single out socio-economic status as it is often conflicted with how the individual actually places themselves. While the vast majority of Americans may think of themselves as middle-class, their actual purchasing power and spending patterns don’t mirror that ideal. Understanding how your audience approaches purchasing decisions can help you craft your message and the way you do business to better accommodate these factors. Last, life experiences are important to understand because, contrary to what our culture continually tries to impress upon us, there is no such universal experience. Even when we know this, it’s still hard to avoid universalizing our own experiences and expecting others to be similar. This is often further complicated by the fact that those we grow up around do tend to have similar experiences by proxy. A recent study demonstrated that people who read Chekov before an interview were more likely to get the job. Part of this reason is that reading fiction exposes you to thinking about the experiences of others and thus builds empathy. We want to do the same with our audiences. We want to understand the experiences of our customers, not from our own perspective, but from their own. Thus, it’s important, that when we discuss how our products and services fit into an experience, that we don’t try to overly universalize and thus alienate our target demographics. Thus, with just a little thought to your target audience, your content will have greater appeal and work inherently better, even for the purposes of SEO. It never hurts to put yourself in the position of your audience and to reflect upon how they will interact with you. By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO If you haven't watched Garth Brooks's video announcing that he is finally on Facebook, you should. In fact, you should watch it twenty times in a row, so you can fully absorb all it's glory. We'll even provide the video for you to watch. Go ahead...I can wait. Whether or not you're a fan of Garth's music, it's hard to deny that there are certain things about this video that are just off. This is our goal: We want to teach you everything that is wrong with this video, so that you and your company won't make the same mistakes. It Feels Fake Garth comments in his video that he wants to post "cool stuff, slick stuff, neat stuff" on his Facebook page, but that he also wants to post "raw stuff, like this [video]. This is just who I am." Here's the thing: The video doesn't actually feel raw. It's obviously a rehearsed script. That makes the entire experience feel insincere. Our advice to Mr. Brooks would be that he shouldn't be afraid of going off script. His fans love him and are devoted to him, and they would be overjoyed to feel as if he is really letting them into his life It's a Little Creepy This video has moments that make Garth Brooks feel less like a country music superstar and more like that creepy guy at the country music bar. The rehearsed delivery makes it feel as though he's feeding the viewer pick-up lines like, "Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven, angel?" When he says that Facebook is "wiping the walls out between you and me, and I really like that," it goes from being inclusive to being invasive. We would have loved to see him change the rhetoric so that it's less about putting himself into people's lives, and more about how he's letting others into his life. (Don't even get us started on how this video takes place in a dimly-lit hotel room.) What He Got Right As much as we might be ripping this video apart, it isn't a complete failure. One of the comments Garth makes is that a friend told him to "think of [Facebook] more as a conversation." At Bon Visto Media, we wholeheartedly agree--there's a reason that social media has the word "social" in it. If he takes this to heart, then Garth Brooks could be incredibly successful on Facebook. This would mean being accessible, genuine, and responsive to comments. What do you think of Garth Brooks's video? Let us know in the comments! By Jeff van Booven, Production Associate In teaching composition, I dedicate at least an entire class period to discussions of audience and what it means to be aware of it. Even outside of academic writing, to achieve the best results, the piece needs to match the abilities and interests of the people who will read it. For example, dry, jargon laden, technical piece will not do well to supplicate the needs and desires of high school students. Knowing and envisioning an audience is the hardest and most important part. Data, in this arena, is king for a reason and why there is big money to be made by selling it. This data, when properly processed, can give incredible insights into an audience. However, in the small-business world, access to this level of data is likely not financially viable. This fact does not mean, as somebody in this position, that we’re out of luck. There is a host of data to be gained from simple analytics, customer data, and even analyzing the marketing of products to similar demographics as those we desire. This approach might mean a little bit of hard work, but we wouldn’t be in the small-business world if we were adverse to rolling up our sleeves to expend a little elbow grease. Think about commercials for household products and cereals. Have you ever noticed the preponderance of middle-class families in spotless homes that are slightly more expensive than the ones people actually live in? There’s a reason: they’re targeting a specific audience, not as it actually is, but as it sees itself and desires to be. The message is these products are part of the desired lifestyle and will help you achieve it. Meanwhile, your Saturday morning commercials for breakfast cereals have a different approach: flashy graphics and cartoon characters. They’re not about achieving a middle-class dream, but rather having fun. They’re aimed at children. While the example might be apparent, it is an example of the differences in approach based on audience. Next time, we’ll get into some of the basic components of what to consider when addressing audience. By Jeff van Booven, Production Associate Writing content is not easy, particularly if it’s demanded daily. There’s only so many good topics, ideas, and time to find necessary information. The important thing to remember is, if you’re not writing for Cracked.com, the list is a cheap way to create filler. Sure, Buzzfeed does them. Sure, Upworthy does them. Sure, every other website that feels the need to pad their daily output of bland, insipid, and uninspiring content does them. You shouldn’t, because quality matters and we don’t need more Upworthys and Buzzfeeds. The dull content market is flooded. The list often functions as barely better than a collage of vaguely related subtopics and rarely does it seek to get into any quality detail. The list is poor organization, poor transition, and poor thinking. Furthermore, any item in these list articles would likely, if properly embellished and expanded, make a fine piece of content in its own right and be more interesting to the reader. The first question that should really be asked is, “what are my content needs?” Far too often, when I visit the website of a restaurant or store, the pieces of information I’m looking for are completely absent: their hours or their menu. Think like your customers, or better yet, talk to your customers. Quality writing depends upon being aware of the audience. Why spend money and time maintaining a blog when the vast majority of customers interested in your product or services have no interest in reading such content, but instead have similar questions that need answering? Without asking questions about your audience, you are playing into a host of unqualified “advice” about what you need to do to grow your business. Content is not a one size fits all solution. Considering your audience will save you time, money, and help you develop the quality content that is right for your business. Next time, we will delve deeper into the particulars of considering audience. By Jeff van Booven, Production Associate We’ve all likely seen the want-ads for SEO specialists that ask for the performance of miracles even Jesus would have trouble delivering, and might be more likely to flip a few tables about. These ads are yet another part of an endemic crises not only in the business world, but in society as a whole, where the necessary hard work, be it creating a worthwhile product or spending the time to perfect an artwork, is brushed aside in the belief that what one needs is a “killer” piece of marketing. Given the number of people looking for “killer” content, one might assume the business world subconsciously wants the consumer dead. While paying attention to your SEO is important, and always has been since the Writing 101 days, it is not a substitute for quality content. Search Engine Optimization, as much as some might love it, suffers from at least one important fundamental flaw: the Googles of the world are actively working to subvert it. They’re paid more, they know more, and they will win. Not to malign the marketing professionals out there, but Google can afford the best and holds all the cards. You’re likely to have more success tilting at windmills than defeating the algorithm. What’s left is creating quality content that consumers want to engage with, that meets their needs, and answers their questions. For the majority of content, good writing is key. The easiest solution is to hire an actual writer, but failing that, having paid attention in your introductory writing courses is a good first step. Unfortunately, and I can vouch from years of experience teaching such a course, that when we’re young and stupid, we don’t quite see the future value of understanding the writing process. Luckily, there’s plenty of good advice online, once you get past the “tips and tricks” and the lists. Next week, I’ll be discussing ditching the list and cheap content. By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO Have you ever visited the website ClientsFromHell.net? This site accepted submitted stories about freelancers and specialists who work with companies who make work miserable. Here’s an example of one of the posts from Clients From Hell: Friend: "You’re seriously going to charge me for your art? But we’re friends!" Me: "The only art I don’t charge for is when it’s a gift, so…" Friend: "Eh, fine then. I’ll just wait until Christmas." Pretty terrible, right? Well, you might be surprised how easy it could be to accidentally become a terrible jerk when you outsource work. Here is our advice for the best way to work with outside sources. Be ClearHave a strong idea of what you want your outsourced professional to do before you contact them. Make a list of what your company does, your mission with the outsourced material, your ideal client persona, and so on. This will save time and help your outsourced workers get their boots on the ground right away. Also, make sure you are clear on instructions—for example, how many prints you need, or what the copy of advertisements should be. Clarity will prevent having to send work back for fixes. Be HonestWould you want to work with a company that says it can deliver what you need, when in reality it can’t? That’s why you should match your clarity with a healthy heaping of honesty. Be up front about your expectations, your budget, and your deadlines. Plus, be honest about the things you don’t know—whether it’s missing details on your end or jargon that the specialist uses. Be RespectfulOne of the biggest reasons companies outsource work is because they need a specialist who can do what the company cannot. For example, companies who don’t have the time, manpower, or expertise to manage their social media would come to Bon Visto Media. This is part of the reason why it’s important to respect outsourced workers—they tend to know what they are doing. Be open to whatever suggestions they might bring to the table, since it’s usually based off of years of experience. Be On TimeAlong with the need for a specialist, another big reasons that companies outsource work is that it saves them time so they can focus on the operations of their business. If you expect your outsourced work to arrive on time, it only makes sense that you should be on time as well. Help freelancers and outside businesses meet their deadlines by getting all information to them early and often. Pay ThemIt sounds obvious, but to some terrible clients, it’s not: Pay for what you receive! You would want to be paid for your work for your company, and so would freelancers and outside companies you work with. When you outsource work, you are paying for more than just the final product—you’re also paying for the labor, the personalization, and the expert touch that only a specialist can provide. Have you had a client from hell? Do you have advice that we missed? Leave a comment and let us know! By Victoria Stoklasa, CEO Social media can be a challenge to keep up with. Not only are the current platforms constantly changing and updating, but new ones seem to be popping up with the claim that they’re the next hot thing that everyone on the internet is using. (Remember Google+ blowing up for about two minutes?) So, we’ve decided to look at three new social networks to let you know whether or not they are a good fit for your business and if they are worth your time and money. Ello Ello.co launched in March 2014 on an invite-only basis. The site promises that they will never sell user data to advertisers or third parties, never show advertisements, and not enforce a real-name policy. This simple operating procedure is highlighted by the minimalist black-and-white design of the site. Should you be on it? In our opinion…eh, maybe. One way to use this platform is to show that you are an expert in your field—for example, the bare-bones design makes Ello a great platform to show off photography or other art. If your clients or fans want to connect with you as a person, this would be a decent platform for it. If they want to connect with your company as a whole, stick to a Facebook company page. (Keep in mind, it's been reported that interest in Ello has drastically declined, so as always, know where your audience is.) Tsū Tsū.co (pronounced “Sue”, as in “a boy named…”) is a content sales platform that shares up to 90% of revenues with its users. The defining feature of Tsū is that users have complete ownership of their content. They explain on their FAQ page, “On Tsū, you will get paid for your content. Half of your earned revenue is in the form of royalties generated by the content you post.” Tsū also launched mobile apps for iOS and Android. Should you be on it? Sure—it’s one of the only platforms where you can truly get money out of it! However, keep two things in mind. First, new members can only join tsū by user invitation: “Our invite-only system enables us to track and distribute network value to the users who help tsū grow,” they explain. Second, since your earnings are dependent upon how much your content goes viral, already established celebrities will benefit more than lesser-known folks. Yik YakYik Yak is a mobile app that serves as a feed for what’s going on around you or on certain topics. Users post and comment anonymously on topics such as ball games, colleges, and the weather. Similar to Reddit, users can vote up favorite posts (or vote down ones they don’t like). The more points a post receives, the more “karma” the original poster receives. Should you be on it? We're split on this. On the one hand, Yik Yak has been accused as being a platform for the young population of users to bully each other. Still, Yik Yak can serve as a good way to watch what people in your area are saying on various topics. However, if you attempt to post something promotional about your business, be wary…anything appearing to ad-like can be voted down. We recommend posting promos that are to the benefit of the other users: “FYI, women’s jeans at XYZ Fashion are 30% off. Time to go shopping!” or, "Well drinks only $2 at ABC Bar and Grill! Who's going out tonight?" Have you used any of these platforms? What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know! |
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January 2016
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