There’s nothing like going to the movies and spending a couple of hours forgetting your cares while enjoying a good comedy flick. The best one are fun and memorable while even giving you heartstrings a little tug. While everything you see plays out onscreen, it’s the work of the comedic screenwriters that give the work life.
As a content marketer, there’s a lot you can learn from that work.
Tell a Story
The best comedic screenwriters don’t go forth on a project with the idea of getting a laugh as their man goal. Instead, their aim is to tell a story. Well, yeah. Haven’t you ever noticed that the best comedy movies tell a story?
Take the “Hotel Transylvania” franchise. The third movie that just hit screens sets the scene for a long overdue monster vacation, with several subplots weaving together to create one story. One main premise is that more than a century after losing his wife, Dracula could be ready to find love again. Meanwhile, Wayne and Wanda the Werewolves finally have some adventurous quality time without their pack of pups. All this, while their trip could have disastrous consequences. Of course, there’s more. But who am I to give it away? Not to mention the fact that it builds on the story created and expanded upon in the first two flicks.
My point is that while “Hotel Transylvania” is packed with tons of funny, the story is what draws in the audience. We become invested in the characters and their journey. That’s all thanks to comedic screenwriters Michael McCullers and Genndy Tartakovsky, who based their work on the characters created by Todd Durham.
As a content marketer, you can learn a lot from this storytelling idea. The best content tells a story, with your audience as the hero on a journey. Then your organization becomes a character that helps them along that journey, overcoming challenges, fulfilling needs. If your content makes them smile or giggle, that’s cool. But it’s the story they remember.
The best content tells a story, with your audience as the hero on a journey. Tweet This!
Know Your Target Audience
“Hotel Transylvania” has a target audience of young children up to tweens. But going to animated movies can be a family affair. So parents of said kids are the secondary audience. And of course, it even expands out to adult fans of animated movies and the long list of talented actors making up the cast. I’m mean, Adam Sandler is all I have to say, right?
But the comedic screenwriters do a great job of keeping things interesting and fun for everyone. One might say they’re engaging the audience. What a gift!
So while this film trilogy does have a wide and varied audience with universally appealing content, it only targets one demographic. This is good for you, as a content marketer, to bear in mind. You can’t be everything to everyone. So focus on your target audience. This will help your content make its mark and generate those coveted conversions.
Doing your research will help you find your target audience. The analytics from your social media, websites, and email campaigns will tell you the age, interests, and other demographics of your most engaged audience. That’s your target. Interpreting the analytic data will tell you how to reach them. And as with any comedic screenwriter’s best work, your content will also attract and engage well beyond that target.
Be Original
We’re all familiar with such iconic creatures as vampires, werewolves, mummies, zombies, and the monster of Frankenstein. But the “Hotel Transylvania” screenwriters take the familiar and present it in a whole new way. Thus, it’s an entirely original concept that uses that familiarity as a source of humor.
The lesson here is that your content marketing should be original. Instead of chasing the latest trend or trying to keep up with your competition, have confidence in who you are and what you have to offer. Even in the sea of content and competition out there, you can stand out just by being your original self.
Develop Your Voice
Part of being original includes developing your voice. The comedic screenwriters of the “Hotel Transylvania” series made sure to do this by establishing a witty tone that’s also family friendly. This successful combination sets it apart and makes it fun.
As a content marketer, finding your voice is key to engaging with your audience. A great way to start is with your company’s brand and services. What do you offer your customers and how does your branding support that? The voice of your content marketing should work in sync with that.
Next, delve back into your into your analytics report. That supports your branding because your audience is drawn to you for a reason. They’re interested in your brand because it has the possibility of solving a problem, answering a questing, or fulfilling a need for them. Things like their age, locality, income level, shopping and entertainment habits, and interests will also guide you.
When you think about it, it’s pretty easy to establish your own voice. Factoring in key analytics with what your company represents should make it develop smoothly.
As a content marketer, you can learn quite a lot from comedic screenwriters, if you pay attention. By studying their work, you can pick up on such lessons as letting humor come naturally by focusing on storytelling, identifying your target audience, standing out from the crowd by being original, and developing your voice.
Cathy H has years of well-rounded experience in the writing field. Since transitioning from the newspaper industry, she has written countless pieces for clients that include content for blogs/articles, website landing pages, apps, press releases, and email newsletters. While her versatility enables Cathy to adapt her tone to the need, her favorite projects are those that add a dash of fun.
