We put out almost 2.5 quintillion bytes of data each day. WordPress alone puts out 77 million new posts each month. With such massive amounts of content out there, you as a business owner, advertiser, marketer, salesperson, or combination of these roles, constantly need to tap into creative thinking that cuts through the clutter.
In a crowded online marketplace, however, how do you maintain and sustain your creativity?
Creativity – novel, unique, and applicable
Essentially, creativity is the ability to generate new ideas or provide innovative solutions. It’s the ability to be fluent, flexible, and original.
For advertisers and marketers, being able to put out original content is a must. You need to create an identity for your brand, product, or service and do so in ways that resonate with the target audience. But how do you bring originality into your scriptwriting process? How do you create unique voice over narrations in this age of information overload?
Improving the creative learning process
We’ve all heard the phrase “think outside the box.” But what is this box those in the know are referring to?
The box is essentially a metaphor that represents restricted thinking. When somebody asks you to think outside the box, it means that the idea you initially put on the table is old, familiar, and boring. The box is what you know, and what lies outside is what you don’t.
When it comes to online content creation, we think in terms of writing: articles and posts on blogs and other platforms. What we don’t always think of is the power of voice over and visual advertisement.
A study by researchers at the Technical University of Denmark suggests that the collective global attention span is diminishing frighteningly fast. In fact, some even claim that you’ve lost a potential customer if you cannot attract their attention within the first 30 seconds.
The shortening attention span is why blogs and articles just don’t cut it anymore. They no longer generate organic traffic as efficiently as they used to. It’s also why digital marketers and advertisers are placing greater emphasis on incorporating creativity in their scriptwriting and production processes.
The first step to enhancing your creative thinking process is to dive into the unknown and explore it.
Don’t just grab the low-hanging fruit
If we ask you to provide 10 creative uses of a pencil, remove the first idea that pops into your head. Our brain often grabs the most obvious — the low-hanging fruit — and convinces us to believe we’re being creative.
Similarly, when scriptwriting, don’t use the first idea that comes to mind. Rather drop it into the ‘Do Not Use’ list. It’s when you let go of that which is familiar, that you start looking for creative solutions.
Dare a little more!
As humans, we fall into habitual behaviour easily. We embrace routines. We find comfort in familiarity.
Did you know the human brain was actually built to adapt?
According to the cognitive dissonance theory, when we’re exposed to unfamiliar ideas, our brain goes through an initial discomfort period. It takes corrective action by altering our attitudes and beliefs to be more in line with a given situation. The brain then eliminates the sense of uneasiness.
This concept is particularly critical when it comes to enhancing your creative thinking and creating appealing content. People ignore what they’ve heard and seen before. Their minds stick to what is new and unique.
To be able to incorporate an idea into your scriptwriting and to create voice overs that appeal to your target audience, you need to expand your exposure.
A simple way to do that is by trying something new every week. Go out and eat something new. Go to a new amusement park or a new cinema. Read a new book or explore a new genre of music. For content creators, this exercise can prove incredibly beneficial. As you try new things, you can tap into the mindsets of a far broader range of consumers.
Trying something new will also give you courage. To be creative, you need to have a little spunk in you too!
Creativity: the business of balance
Creativity is all about balance. To maintain it you need both serve and service it. We should all think outside the box more often and develop creative thinking that cuts through the clutter. And never forget: great ideas need great voice overs and you’ll find great voices right here on Voice123!