Skills utilized
Digital media content creation: Video/Audio Production, PremierePro, AfterEffects (specifically for IGTV)
Creative direction and brand development
Instagram social media marketing, analyzing data and performance metrics for engagement improvement
Introduction
Cloud is the weekly IGTV vlog project that I had began during Summer 2020, a few months after the beginning of the worldwide shelter-in-place. Named after the identity/brand I developed throughout the experience, it is a creative outlet that also served as a source of learning on the following aspects:
Better understanding of consistent social media content creation
How to take advantage of the Instagram/IGTV platform and its algorithm
Discovery and development of my personal brand
Experiencing the majority of the pandemic by myself in my San Francisco in-law apartment led me to feeling a lack of creative fulfillment in addition to feeling detached from my friends and family. The countless YouTube videos that I had watched served not only as a way to pass time but also alleviated my feelings of loneliness. The experiences shared by individuals who I can identify with in regards to age, ethnicity and interests inspired me to create videos of myself.
The creative process of weekly vlogging
Implementing the creative process of producing videos weekly into my regular schedule taught me how vital routine is in nurturing growth as a content creator. Routine and scheduling became of much impotance to my lifestyle during the beginning of shelter-in-place because it provided a sense of security and purpose for me personally - two aspects that I felt like I lost since the enormous change caused by a worldwide lockdown. I formed the habit of making lists throughout my work week of whatever inspired me and what I would want to share in my vlog for that week. Examples of the topics include:
trending news events and social causes
fashion trends
new music I've discovered
new small businesses and restaurants in SF
I also found great interest in sharing my outdoor experiences in my vlogs like biking through San Francisco, hiking, and my workouts. I found that creating content on a regular basis challenges me in producing content ideas that is both consistent with my brand but is also new and exciting to my audience.
**Data analytics, visualizing story posts and views**
Analyzing Instagram posts metrics to create better content
Although I have used Instagram for many years, Cloud gave me new perspective on how to create content for its various post formats and how to better utilize their accompanying performance metrics to improve engagement. I strategically used Instagram's Stories feature to provide insights on how my weekly vlogs were performing.
Reach vs Views: Instagram allows me to post a short preview of an IGTV vlog as a story which lasts for 24 hours. Close to the end of the story's lifetime, I am able to compare the number of people who viewed the story (the amount of people that the vlog was presented to) to the number of views the video has (approximately number of people who decided to watch the video upon being presented the opportunity)
From this data, I was able to implement appropriate change to my future content to better appease my audience based on which vlogs performed the best. I also became cognizant of the fact that the Instagram algorithm influences my content's reach given the fact that a user's feed is curated based on the user's behavior and interests.
Developing the brand Cloud
Because this was a passion project, I was able to develop Cloud, a brand identity that came to be six months since the first video I created. I learned in the early months of the project that those who viewed my vlogs often commented saying they enjoyed seeing me doing well for myself in the tough circumstances of being far from friends and family. This engagement led me to be inspired by the clouds that were often the back drop to the footage of me outside, a representation of my friends and family who support me wherever I am. Soft yet grand in size, Cloud also represents my persona and is a symbol that is easy for viewers to correlate my presence to. Developing a brand that is memorable and true to myself encourages audiences to be engaged long-term.
Cloud is an ongoing passion project that I started during a tumultuous time and is continuing to be a source of growth as a digital artist and content creator.
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