September Program Recap

 

September Program Recap – The Art of Digital Storytelling with Ritesh Gupta

Thursday, September 18, 2019 / 5 – 7 p.m.

Florida Health Care Association Education & Training Center

Presented in Partnership with Tallahassee’s American Advertising Federation Chapter

 

Top Takeaways

  • Digital storytelling defines your brand narrative and commands your audience’s attention
  • Define the emotional core of what you’re doing
  • Understand how your audience consumes media, messages and platforms
  • How is your content thumb-stopping?

 

Recap

On Thursday, Sept. 19, more than 60 communications students and professionals joined together to hear Ritesh Gupta, Head of the Content Studio at Vayner Productions, speak about the Art of Digital Storytelling. An FSU alum with 20 years of experience, Ritesh shared useful and inspiring lessons about effective content creation and digital storytelling.

Before the meeting, around 20 FPRA Student Capital Chapter members attended a one-on-one reception with Ritesh. One of the most notable points Ritesh shared was the importance of face-to-face networking: “If you’re not networking, you’re not working.”

Ritesh began the meeting by discussing what digital storytelling is and how it provides the opportunity to define your brand, define your narrative and command your audience’s attention. He stressed how important these elements are in creating a successful digital campaign.

Moving to the platforms we use to share content, Ritesh shared insight into understanding how audiences consume media differently on specific platforms.

  • Facebook: 90% of time spent on Facebook is mobile
  • Instagram: A personalized magazine for each person
  • YouTube: Where the world watches media first
  • LinkedIn: Reaches other professional networkers
  • Twitter: Real-time conversations
  • Snapchat: In-the-moment exclusives, candid communications
  • Pinterest: Serendipitous visual search and discovery

So how do Ritesh and his colleagues approach storytelling? They use the following elements to create a strong story for their clients.

  • Have an idea; everything starts with an idea.
  • Identify the emotional core of what you’re doing. Tapping into emotions will help capture your audience’s attention.
  • Understand the context of your media plan and how people are going to consume the message/media/platform.
  • Be authentic. People don’t want to know what you sell; they want to know what you stand for.
  • Invoke an emotion.
  • Focus on an audience-first audience experience. You were hired for your instinct. If you wouldn’t consume or see your content, why would anyone else?
  • Say it simply. The more there is to a story, the less effective it will be.
  • Hook them fast, keep them intrigued. There is virtually no time to grab your audience’s attention. Use good headlines, copy and key images to make your content “thumb-stopping” for people scrolling on their phones.
  • Ask yourself, why would someone share this?
  • Make sure your content is relevant to the moment. Attention is grabbed through framework.
  • Make sure your content taps into culture and is relevant.

Digital storytelling is an art, one that Ritesh seems to have mastered. His time with the FPRA Capital Chapter proved to be an eye-opening evening for both the professionals and students in attendance.

Thank you so much to Presenting Sponsor Sachs Media Group, Program Partner The American Advertising Federation of Tallahassee, and Printing Sponsor Gandy Printers.

For photos of the event, check out our Facebook page.

 

– Jennifer Vasbinder

President, FPRA Student Capital Chapter

Public Relations Intern, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association