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The Trope FactoryKelvin Newman @ Search Leeds 2016
Who is this guy?Kelvin Newman - Founder of BrightonSEO
@kelvinnewman
http://www.slideshare.net/kelvinnewman
@kelvinnewman
@kelvinnewman
What this presentation isn’t?
@kelvinnewman
You know what, content marketing is amazing…
You should do some of that stuff
“ “
@kelvinnewman
I’m going to assume your already doing some type of content marketing and want to do it better
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Who produces great content?
@kelvinnewman
The Jar-Jar Binks Hypothesis
But they often do…
Nobody sets out to make something shit
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This is IMDB Reviews
http://blog.moertel.com/posts/2006-01-17-mining-gold-from-the-internet-movie-database-part-1.html
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This is a normal distribution “bell curve”
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Most content is average
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But the rewards go to the excellent not the average.
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@kelvinnewman
@kelvinnewman
Quality
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Rewards
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The Problem…
@kelvinnewman
Three approaches to content
Play in the tail Die in the middle Swing for the fences
High Frequency Low FrequencyMedium Frequency
Low Cost High CostMedium Cost
Low Marginal Return High Marginal ReturnLow Marginal Return
High Aggregate Value Low Aggregate ValueLow Aggregate Value
@kelvinnewman
So what’s this presentation about?
@kelvinnewmanCost
Quality
@kelvinnewmanCost
Quality
Peanuts Flop
BlockbusterCult Hit
@kelvinnewmanCost
Quality
Peanuts Flop
BlockbusterCult Hit
ICONOGRAPHY/SIGNAGE 8ICONOGRAPHY/SIGNAGE 8
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Tropes are one way of doing that
@kelvinnewman
So we start hereICONOGRAPHY/SIGNAGE8
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Rather than here,
ICONOGRAPHY/SIGNAGE8
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trope noun
a significant or recurrent theme; a motif.
@kelvinnewman
There are motifs and patterns in all works of art that appeal to something innate in us all
@kelvinnewman
Understanding these patterns shorten the odds of our content success
@kelvinnewman
but won’t that just make my content same-y and derivative
Sceptical Audience Member
“ “
@kelvinnewman
@kelvinnewman
Beauty and the BeastThe beast is usually a monster physically, capable of great rage
and destruction.
The beauty is kind, smart, and emotional.
The Beauty sees the good in the Beast and the world;
The Beauty brings out the best in Beast.
This often leads to Love Redeems (Another Trope)
@kelvinnewman
You probably recognise that one, but some are more subtle.
@kelvinnewman
@kelvinnewman
Twenty Minutes in the Future
The Future, but not so far into it that you'd notice it’d feel alien.
This is often a linear extrapolation of national malaise or existing crises, so American works of the 1970s have endlessly
skyrocketing crime and inner urban decay.
While the 1980s brought the notion that Mega Corps and Japan would rule the world.
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@kelvinnewman
Bumbling SidekickAn annoying, incompetent sidekick for another character — who
barely tolerates him.
Some Bumbling Sidekicks are delusional and think they are appreciated.
Others are just too desperate for friendship and/or money to leave.
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@kelvinnewman
The MacGuffin
A plot device in the form of some goal, desired object, or other motivator that the protagonist pursues, often with little or no
narrative explanation.
The specific nature of a MacGuffin is typically unimportant to the overall plot.
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I point these out not to belittle these films;
but rather to point out the huge variety films can have with
shared elements.
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Think of them as building blocks for you to construct
things with.
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But what has this got to do with content marketing?
@kelvinnewman
We must understand
the Tropes in our sector’s
content
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We want to discover subtle lessons.
@kelvinnewman
Top Ten Kim Kardashian Selfies with Kittens that will blow your
mindThat’s the Jar-Jar Binks Lesson
“ “
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Our audience is risk averse, so prefer articles about avoiding
disaster than achieving success.
We want things more like
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Our readers like to show-off in front of their friends.
These are insights you can act upon
Things you can do when you get back to the office…
@kelvinnewman
Cover all the sensible
suggestions from
answerthepublic.com
@kelvinnewman
Word-cloud the most socially
popular pages and look for the
tropes.
@kelvinnewman
Have a play with my Google Doc “The Trope Factory”
http://www.brightonSEO.com/tropes
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Use the “Seven Whys” to examine content success.
@kelvinnewman
Why is Nomad List such as successful website?
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Because it helps people decide where is a good place to remote
work.
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Why?
@kelvinnewman
Because it has comprehensive information about different
places suited to remote working.
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Why?
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Because lots of people want to work remotely and overseas
but aren’t sure where.
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Why?
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Because although the idea of remote working is appealing
but reality is daunting.
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Why?
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Because working in a country where you’ve never visited is
scary.
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Why?
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Because we wouldn’t know what to expect from those
places.
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Why?
@kelvinnewman
Because change is appealing but also scary.
@kelvinnewman
“Because change is appealing but also scary”
is a much more useful content prompt than
“information about remote working is popular”
@kelvinnewman
Also check out
But be prepared to lose a whole evening in the rabbit hole.
Thanks for listeningKelvin Newman - Founder of BrightonSEO
@kelvinnewman
http://www.slideshare.net/kelvinnewman