Shaun the Sheep and Marketing with Animation

By Karen Cioffi

I’ve watched silent movies before. And, a couple of the ‘oldie’ cartoons (e.g., Tom and Jerry) that had no talking. But, I would never have thought a full length movie for kids would work in today’s dwindling attention span society.

Well, I was wrong.

Shaun the Sheep has NO talking. No captions either.

The entire 1 hour and 25 minute cartoon movie conveyed the-grass-is-greener concept, conflict, obstacles, heroism, loyalty, and emotions. And, it did it all through actions, through animation.

I took my grandsons to the movie and the theater had lots of other grandparents with their grandchildren. Every child was captivated, the adults too. In fact, you forgot there were no words – no dialogue.

My 9 year old grandson who has ADD paid attention through the entire movie – and, he didn’t want to go in the first place, thinking it was a baby movie.

I was amazed, not only that it held his attention, but it help my attention. Me, who is always thinking of what I have to do next.

Quite an accomplishment.

This is the power of animation.

And, just imagine if an hour and a half animated movie can hold children’s attention, think how it will hold your readers’ and visitors’ attention on your website in short focused clips.

But, aside from my own viewpoints of Shaun the Sheep, there is research that backs up animation’s benefit in content marketing and inbound marketing.

Some Statistics

According to TippingpointLabs.com

• People are 64% - 85% more likely to purchase your product or service after watching an animation/video – that’s a significant boost to your conversions.
• Visit lengths are another factor that gets a boost. Visitors will stay on your site at least two minutes longer with animation/video.
• And, there’s the power of YouTube. You're 53x more likely to get on Google's first-page for search results by embedding video on your site. (1)

Along with this, Shooting Business states that, “Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL are among the hundreds of Search Engines that give priority listings to websites that host video content.” (2) Taking advantage of tags, descriptions, and any other kind of SEO strategies allowed when publishing the video is another avenue of search visibility.

If this isn’t enough incentive to jump on the animation bandwagon, think about the social media marketing aspect. Sharing and clickthrough rates are increased significantly with video.

Animated videos can be humorous, serious, emotional, and educational.

Using animation in your marketing, specifically your content marketing, is a win-win strategy that you should be taking advantage of.

For the icing on the cake, according to Hubspot:

• Ninety percent of the information the brain receives is visual.
• The brain processes visual information 60,000 faster than text.
• Videos in posts get 3X the inbound links than posts with only text.
• Animation (visual content) increases engagement. (3)

If you’d like to try your hand at a free animation tool, go to PowToon.com and click on the FREE option. (I’m NOT an affiliate, I just think it’s a great marketing tool.)

If you’d like to get one done without the headache of creating it yourself, check out AWD’s Animation Service.

References:

(1) http://www.slideshare.net/tpldrew/steal-this-slide-ecommerce-video-conversion-rates-statistics
(2) http://www.shootingbusiness.com/web-video-statistics/
(3) http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33423/19-Reasons-You-Should-Include-Visual-Content-in-Your-Marketing-Data.aspx



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This article was originally published at:
http://www.articlewritingdoctor.com/2015/08/shaun-the-sheep-and-marketing-with-animation/ #ContentMarketing

Presenting: A Title that Sells, Part 2

What do potential book buyers look at first? Your title. A jewel of information thanks to research done at Thomas Nelson Publishers and shared by Michael Hyatt, former chairman and CEO. The research yielded a list, in order, of how a book is chosen. I can vouch for the list's authenticity. It's exactly how I choose books. See if you don't agree:
1. Title
2. Cover
3. Back cover
4. Flaps (hardcover books or trade books with "French flaps")
5. Table of Contents
6. First few paragraphs of book's contents
7. Price
Note: If the author is well-known, that might be the deciding factor. (Unknown authors are a "non-factor.) Price, last? Intriguing, but true. Hyatt says, "Readers don't buy price. As long as the book provides enough value for the price requested, it sells."

In the PINC
Hyatt, referring to non-fiction books and blog posts, went on to say: GREAT TITLES ARE PINC (pronounced "pink.") Great non-fiction titles follow at least one of the following strategies:

                                                                            Examples

P: Make a Promise       Sexy Forever: How to Fight Fat after Forty, by Suzanne Somers
I: Create Intrigue          The 7 Wonders that will Change your Life, by Glenn Beck & Keith Ablow
N: Identify a Need         How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One, by Stanley Fish
C: State the Content      Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. 1, by Mark Twain & Harriet E. Smith

Hyatt notes that some (many) titles cover more than one letter. And that fiction titles are in their own category--Intrigue--true for virtually all fiction books that sell.

Titles that Sell: Two Excellent Resources

1. Emma Walton Hamilton's post: "What's in a Title?". Hamilton, whose post focuses on fiction, suggests making your title:

• Specific to your book, not general (Pat the Bunny, Blueberries for Sal)
• Implies what the story is about (The Pokey Little Puppy, Goodnight Moon)
• Catchy, such as a play with language, using alliterations, rhyme or rhythm, or having a sense of humor (Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs)
• The shorter the better (Little Toot, Freckle Juice)
• Appropriate to the story (Make Way for Ducklings, Curious George)
• Memorable (The Little Engine that Could, The Call of the Wild)

In short, come up with a title that encompasses all of the above and your title will not easily be forgotten. Summarized here are a few of Hamilton's suggestions on how to explore your title:

• A memorable line from the story (A Wrinkle in Time, Little House)
• Character names (Peter Rabbit, Corduroy)
• A place (Little House on the Prairie, Misty of Chincoteague)
• A hidden meaning (revealed in the story) (The Carrot Seed, Where the Wild Things Are)
• Something ultra-simple (Holes, Where's Spot?)

2. Tips from Writer's Relief: "How to Come up with a Great Title for your Book (or Story

     or Poem)"

• Action words: Titles with strong verbs (Call it Courage, The Cat Ate my Gymsuit)
• Quirky titles (From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler)
• One-word titles (Severed, Hatchet)
• Inherent mystery/conflict (Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective, Prisoners at the Kitchen Table)

Sources: For a more complete study of creating titles that sell, I recommend that you read the entire articles summarized in "Presenting: Titles that Sell, Part 1" and Part 2. An additional site to explore is the Book Title Name Generator. For help in creating your book title, Lulu.com offers Marketing Consultation with Lulu's publicity team. Clipart from: www.mycutegraphics.com.

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 100 articles for adults and children and six short stories for children. Recently she completed Joyce Sweeney's online fiction and picture book courses. She is currently working on several projects for children. Follow Linda on  Facebook.

Aromatherapy To Help You Write

The Northeast is gearing up for a spectacular show of rich, autumn colors. The morning chill, picking fresh apples, and the wonderful earthy smell of fallen leaves gives me the second wind I need to finish my writing goals for this year. Autumn energizes me!

©kathymoulton

Writers are observant and very in tune to their surroundings - positively and negatively. Sights, sounds, and smells spark creativity and find expression in the written word. But sometimes, we have to create an environment to spur us on.

One valuable tip that has worked for me is aromatherapy. Essential oils are extracted from the roots, seeds, leaves, or blossoms of plants. While I have not delved into all their uses, I have been pleased with using them for their aroma.

According to the article "9 Aromatherapy Health Cures" (Sarah Mahoney, Prevention Magazine, December 2012):

In a study at Wheeling Jesuit University, peppermint vapors gave college basketball players more motivation, energy, speed, and confidence.  

Additionally:

In an Austrian study, researchers wafted the smell of oranges before some participants and lavender before others. The two groups felt less anxious, more positive, and calmer, compared with participants who were exposed to no fragrance at all.

 S I G U R / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

There is lots of information on the internet about aromatherapy and what scents produce. Here are a few I've used:

• lavender - calming and relaxing
• citrus (oranges, lemons, grapefruit) - energizes, promotes alertness and concentration
• peppermint - invigorating, energy booster
• eucalyptus - mental exhaustion, lethargy, stress 
• tea tree - stimulates the brain and provides blood flow
• rosemary - headaches, fatigue, tired eyes, focus, memory
• basil - wakes up the mind

Are you feeling stressed with deadlines? Do you need some fresh energy or soothing tranquility? Try aromatherapy. A diffuser on your desk or in your living space may help give you the boost you need!

Re-blogged from September 27, 2013

~~~~~~~~~~

After raising and homeschooling her 8 children and teaching art classes for 10 years, Kathy has found time to pursue freelance writing. She enjoys writing magazine articles and more recently had her story, "One of a Kind", published in The Kids' Ark. You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at 

When It Hurts - http://kathleenmoulton.com

The Energy of Busy

clip art by Holohololand at www.freedigitalphotos.net

Nothing like doing more to cheer yourself up when you're feeling overwhelmed :-)

The writing blues hit us all at some time--usually after a spurt of great energy leaves us exhausted. Banish them by learning a new skill, trying something different.

Write non fiction if you find yourself stuck with a novel. Alternatively write fiction if you're finding it hard to get enthused over your usual content writing tasks.

Bite the bullet and start using the PLR (private label rights) articles you bought for a rainy day. It's never advisable to use them as is, but they act as a plan to follow and get you going again.

Treat yourself to a new piece of software.

Worn out trying to think up titles for your blog posts? Make life easier by using the Ideator .
You type in your desired keyword and the search produces a selection of titles using that word.
For this blog post, I typed in energy and in double quick time the Ideator produced  25 pages of suggested content titles. I'd never in a month of Sundays have thought up The Energy of Busy  myself but I think it's exactly right for what I want to say. Oh and I forgot to say--it's free.

And how about Keyword Kiwi? Again free, it finds long tail keywords based on what people are searching for on Google. You can set it for Google in any area, set it to produce questions or list titles.

Read and learn

My book of the month has to be Danny Iny's Teach and Grow Rich. It's short but packed with information about the state of marketing and publishing today. It is already at the top of the best sellers for business education on Amazon.com . But be sure to read the one star as well as the five star reviews to make up your own mind first before you buy. It resonated with me. He's not promising "rich" in the sense of making millions before Christmas but in the sense of making a comfortable living while having a happy and fulfilling career. That's good news for a start. 

Joanna Penn's How to Make a Living With Your Writing: Books, Blogging and More is a much longer read, packed full of useful links and information. It seems still to be free in the Kindle store and worth grabbing if you don't have it already.

   What have you found to boost your energy and re-inspire you this month? I'd love to know. Share your ideas, please, in the comments below.

Anne Duguid Knol

A local and national journalist in the U.K., Anne is now a fiction editor for award-winning American and Canadian publishers. As a new author, she shares writing tips and insights at Author Support : http://www.authorsupport.net

Her Halloween novella, ShriekWeek is published by The Wild Rose Press and comes out in print next month included in the Hauntings in the Garden anthology. (Volume Two)

Time she wrote something else...

How to Starve Your Inner Critic

For most writers, the inner critic is a challenge to be controlled. Here are some tips to getting the inner critic monkey off your back so you can get back to writing.

1. Don't feed your inner critic. Your inner critic is fed by self doubt. The first step to gaining control of your inner critic is gaining self confidence. How? Focus on that which you are doing well. Keep track of word count, or keep track of grammar lessons that are learned. Anything that shows you are improving your skills, can stop the inner critic.

2. Don't buy into what others have said: Do not let the fact that your third grade teacher didn't think you could write continue to be a factor that keeps you from writing your novel, poem or song lyric. No matter how well meaning family and friends are in keeping it 'real,' keep your focus on what you can and will accomplish.

3. Prove your inner critic wrong: Your inner critic says you can't write, so write 25 words and prove the critic wrong. To prove your inner critic is wrong, take small steps and gradually increase. This is a great way to keep the critic in check until you can completely do away with him.

4. Believe in yourself: Affirmations are a great way to keep focus on the positive.
          I am a talented writer.
          I have a right to be a writer.
          My writing is appreciated.
          My writing has the ability to bless others.
          I am capable.

If affirmations aren't your thing, then find a quote, object or thought that can be used to keep you moving forward.

5. Finally, don't give your inner critic power: You actually choose to listen to the words of your inner critic. So stop! Take back control and tell your inner critic to stop the talking.

Whatever tips or combination of tips work, keep writing. Eventually the critic will starve and no longer bother you at all.

___________________________________

D. Jean Quarles is a writer of Women's Fiction and a co-author of a Young Adult Science Fiction Series. Her latest book, House of Glass, Book 2 of The Exodus Serieswas written with coauthor, Austine Etcheverry.

D. Jean loves to tell stories of personal growth – where success has nothing to do with money or fame, but of living life to the fullest. She is also the author of the novels: Rocky's Mountains, Fire in the Hole, and Perception.The Mermaid, an award winning short story was published in the anthology, Tales from a Sweltering City.

She is a wife, mother, grandmother and business coach. In her free time . . . ha! ha! ha! Anyway, you can find more about D. Jean Quarles, her writing and her books at her website at www.djeanquarles.com

You can also follower her at www.djeanquarles.blogspot.com or on Facebook.

A Few Tips for Writing Nonfiction Articles

by Suzanne Lieurance, the Working Writer's Coach

Writing nonfiction articles can be a lot of fun and an excellent way to earn income as a freelance writer. But whether you’re writing a nonfiction article for a major magazine or an article that will become a blog post, follow these tips to create a well-written article.

Tip #1 Create a Clear Title for Your Article

A catchy title is good but be sure it accurately conveys what you article will be about. If it is misleading, your editor or your readers won’t be impressed.

Tip #2 Start with an Introductory Paragraph, Not a Subtopic Heading

Be sure you have an introductory paragraph before you have your first subtopic heading. You don’t want to start your article with a catchy title, then immediately have a subtopic heading. This doesn't really make sense.

Tip #3 Make Sure Your Title Reflects the Structure of Your Article

Be sure your title and the content of the article match up. For example, if your title is “Ten Ways to Take Charge of Your Life” and then within the article you tell readers to “follow these ten steps to take charge of your life” the title and content don’t match up. A "way" isn’t necessarily a “step.” Plus, steps generally need to be taken in order, but ways might not.

Tip #4 Use the Right Words

Be sure you’re using the right word. I see articles all the time that say “peek your Interest” or “peak your interest” but the right word in this case is “pique” your interest.

Tip #5 Count the Steps or Ways in Your Article

I edit articles for www.workingwritersclub.com and I often get submissions with titles like “5 Ways to Write an Article” but when I read the article, there are 6 ways listed or only 4 ways. Again, the title and content need to match up. It’s easy for your computer to mess up the numbering so check your article for this type of thing before you send it off to your editor or publish it on your blog.

Tip #6 Check for Parallel Structure in Your Bulleted or List Items

Look at this list and see which item isn’t parallel in structure to all the others:

Catching
Watching
Looking
Create

All the words, above, end in -ing, except for "create." This is an easy fix. Simply change "create" to "creating" and each of your items is parallel in structure.

Tip #7 Avoid Mixing Metaphors

Don’t switch metaphors from sentence to sentence. If you’re talking about how “writing is an ocean of possibilities” don’t then say, in the next sentence, “there are all sorts of ways to bring home the bacon if you’re a writer.“

These tips are pretty basic, but you might use them as a checklist when you're writing your next nonfiction article.

Try it!

Suzanne Lieurance is a fulltime freelance writer, writing coach, certified life coach, and the author of over 30 published books. For more tips, resources, and other helpful information about writing and the business of writing, get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge at www.morningnudge.com.

September Blogging Prompts

Whether or not you are in school or have kids in school, there is something about autumn that makes people want to regroup and get a fresh start on any and all projects. Much like the beginning of the calendar year, September feels like a clean slate. So offer tips to encourage productivity and help your readers re-approach their writing projects. 

Here are some other ideas of what to blog about in September.

Plus:

September Holidays: September is National Courtesy Month, Self Improvement Month and Classical Music Month. September 13 is Positive Thinking Day (challenge you readers to think positive all day long), September September 19 is International Talk Like A Pirate Day (you've probably seen goofy promotions on social media. Be creative and see if there's a way to tie it into your business), and September 28 is Ask a Stupid Question Day (no question is too stupid. Ask questions of your readers and encourage them to ask them of others).

September Food Holidays: September is National Breakfast Month, National Waffle Week is the second week of the month, and National Pancake Day is September 26. Plus, Drink Beer Day is September 28 and National Coffee Day is September 29. Love it! Writers can relate to all things food and drink, but there's something about coffee and alcohol (and the fact that they are a day apart) may inspire some creative posts..

Bonus: Fiction writers, send your characters to school. If they are the right age, send them to a new school and see how they interact with their classmates. If not, send a character to teach for the day (substitute!) or have a character take or teach a continuing education class or workshop. Another option is to send them back to school. Put a character in as much of a fish out of water scenario as you can concoct and see how they handle it. It may lead to creative scenes you can incorporate into current work or just be a character-building (pun intended) exercise to see how much your characters can handle.

***

Debra Eckerling is the author of Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages. She's a writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of Guided Goals and Write On Online, a live and online writers’ support group. She is an editor at Social Media Examiner. Debra is also a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.