Creating Academy Award Winning Content

Oscar Award
photo credit: Dave_B_

I am a movie buff; to me there is nothing better than watching a movie that just pulls you in along for the ride. While watching the Oscars last night I got to thinking about all the pieces that come together to make a fantastic movie. Content for your website should be viewed in the same way; it is not something you throw on your website and hope people like it. For your website to win over an audience your content needs to be top in multiple categories.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

The award winning screenplay writer of “The Hurt Locker” was a reporter in Iraq who came back with the idea of writing about the men on the frontline of the war. He was able to tell a compelling, timely story using just a couple of hours of film time. When you are writing original content for your website keep in mind that not all content is king. To win in this category you need to go past the mediocre content and write something that is compelling and interests your audience. You have an even shorter time to engage your web audience than a screenplay writer has, so remember to always put quality above quantity.

Directing

Without a director to take control of a film, the full vision can never be realized. Someone needs to take charge to pull everything together. A director, like Kathryn Bigelow with “The Hurt Locker,” is involved with all aspects of a film. Having someone who is in the loop with all of your web content is important as well. You need to have a person who is always checking what goes on the site to make sure content is relevant, valuable, and consistent with the overall vision of the company.

Film Editing

“The Hurt Locker” swept at the Oscars not just because of the excellent screenplay and direction but also because of the quality film editing. Each scene in a film gets scrutinized in the post-production stage as editors pull everything together by deciding what to cut, where to put music, etc. With your website you should always be reviewing your content. If something is no longer relevant then cut it out. Any spelling mistakes or areas where you have incorrect information needs to be edited or it will bring down the professionalism of your company.

Visual Effects

One of the main reasons I went to see the award winning “Avatar” was because I heard the 3-D effects were absolutely stunning. While you should not be enticing viewers to visit your website just to look at pretty graphics and flash, you should include relevant photos, charts, and illustrations that benefit what you are saying in your content. If it is appropriate, video can also help you connect with your audience and keep them engaged with your website.

Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role

Supporting roles are as equally important to a film as the leading roles. The stellar performances of Christoph Waltz and Mo’Nique helped bring their movies to life. Optimizing your content over different supporting channels, such as email and social networks, gives your website the final push it needs to come out on top.

Actor/Actress in a Leading Role

The stars of a movie are what really make it shine. Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock brought their roles to life and made a unique connection with the story they were telling. On your website, connect to your audience by using content that shows your personality and authentic voice. This will create more long term relationships and dependable consumers.

And the Winner for Best Picture Is… Your Content Driven Website!

“The Hurt Locker” came away with the grand prize last night and your website can be a winner too as long as it provides great, compelling content that wins over your audience. Visitors to your site want to be helped, and if they find value in your content they will be more likely to come back when they have money to spend or a decision to make. You won’t have a shiny Oscar to show for all your hard work, but you can have a strong web presence along with a loyal audience!

See how Hall can help increase your demand.