We’ve all had someone affected by cancer in some way or another. No one including my family is not affected by this terrible illness. Recently, my brother in law was diagnosed with cancer. Though treatable, it has become impossible for our family to absorb the cost of this treatment alone.
So we are reaching out to see if any kind people out there are willing to help us raise the funds necessary to help fight his disease, and hope for a cure.
My brother in law Francis, is one of the nicest people I know. Unfortunately for him, the cancer that is destroying his body doesn’t care about how nice he is, or how youthful and creative he is. For the second time now he is striving to beat this horrible disease, and although his family and friends are here to support him, the cost to live day to day not being able to work, and pay for ludicrously large medical bills is too much for even our collective numbers to keep up with.
And that’s why we are reaching out across the globe to see if the humanity that exists in all of us is enough to help Francis and us get through this hard time and fight this disease with every ounce of strength that we have. We know that for most people it is always hard to find a spare penny to share with someone you don’t know, but are grateful and hopeful that there are other people who have been helped in similar ways, and others more again that are able to pay it forward and help Francis and us in our time of need.
The Content Rules is a book from authors Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman which acts as an incredible, and completely credible guide for anyone putting themselves out on the net. Whether it be through blogs, E-books, or even YouTube videos, it’s a great resource to understand some of the basic principles of what makes great content.
Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman boil down content to 11 simple principles. Some of these simple principles seem just that on the surface, simple. When you really dive a bit deeper into it however, easy ideas like #4 “Speak Human” are often harder than you think. Especially when writing, and being our own critics, it’s astounding how often we over speak, over indulge in big words, and complex ideas to make our thoughts sound so much more interesting. So we think. But, the reality is, we all often forget who we are talking to, and what we are talking about when we get the chance to edit and filter ourselves so much through written and video content. Trying to perfect each sentence, and idea and structure, we often forget who our audience is, and what they expect from our content.
“Know yourself better than anyone. Get your brand story straight and give voice to your distinctive point of view based on your mission and attributes.” ~ The Content Rules
Elements like this are found throughout The Content Rules. Even within the content itself, the book follows it’s own rules to draw you in to the conversation it is trying to have with you. The easy language, lightheartedness and regular jokes and jives help illustrate various points throughout the text.
The modern internet is no longer about simply having the most and best facts available to all, but really about building relationships, conversations, community and a story about your brand. The Content Rules does a good job of teaching you how to do so, and what pitfalls to avoid along the way.
It’s also not pushy about how it does so. With internet content, there is no strict right or wrong, but there are elements of what we publish that will fit better, or worse with who we are and what we are trying to accomplish. The best take away I got from my reading, is exactly that. Know who you are, know who you are trying to connect with.
“Does it sound condescending to instruct you to ‘speak human’? We don’t mean it to be; instead, we are imploring you to create content that sounds as though a person, not a corporate department, fashioned it. How? Simply: Write the way you talk.” ~ The Content Rules
For my YouTube friends, the book also focuses on what we can do to set ourselves apart from others. Though a good deal of the content is focused on businesses, branding in general is still very relevant to what you and I do, and is critical to growing our audiences and building communities.
Though you won’t find hardcore specifics of what hardware to pick up, or what games to cover, the principles of marketing yourself and your brand illustrated in The Content Rules still apply. Most people starting up YouTube gaming channels don’t have marketing degrees, and years of experience. The biggest downfall is seeing something you enjoy watching, and copying it exactly, like the many versions of the infamous PewDiePie to be found out there.
What the book will help you through however, is how to create your own story. How to be real. The simple question of “Why would the people I want to reach want to watch this?”is something a great deal of content creators for YouTube forget to answer. It also touches on the point that you don’t need to have a video go viral to be successful. Steady commitment to being who you are, and how your brand yourself is just as important as getting a million views.
“Video has the potential to tell a more powerful story than text or audio, so you have a tremendous opportunity to create something truly memorable.” ~ The Content Rules
The Content rules is a great source of inspiration, and guidance for anyone publishing content online. Whether you are a casual blogger, or YouTube channel, or manage a massive online sales company, the principles found throughout the text are sound areas to begin your foray online. The lightly written, and illustration filled book is not only easy to read, but it in fact demonstrates it’s own principles as you move from chapter to chapter. The authors do a stellar job of following their own rules throughout the book. I would definitely recommend The Content Rules as a great source for those just starting off, or those who have been in the game for awhile and want to evaluate more insight to help their brands grow.
As always, thanks for reading, and make sure comment below and let me know who you are and how you hope to bring your content to life!
I rode through the forest to the final destination of a quest, with my prized griffin’s head dangling off my horse, eagerly awaiting the riches that would inevitably be bestowed upon me by a witch. After all, I’d just spent hours slaughtering wolves, eliminating a member of the Wild Hunt and satisfying her physical desires, but only to find she had beguiled me with her good looks and promise of greater things.
Upon learning her true intentions I was given control of Geralt’s dialogue. “There’s no way I’m letting you go” I told her, or something to that effect. I felt empowered. We’d formed a bond; she’d understand my reluctance to let her leave.
Not five seconds later and my sword was unsheathed as a seemingly unavoidable shower of magic mercilessly rained down upon me. A handful of retries later and it was over. My first meaningful relationship in the Witcher 3 had ended…
Continuing the Star Wars mania launch that previously featured new footage from Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, EA has released a trailer for the upcoming reboot of the popular Star Wars Battlefront franchise. If there is anything remotely as highly anticipated as the next part in the Star Wars movie franchise, it is the revival of the Battlefront game franchise.
While the trailer is all in CGI, it is asserted to be representative of the PlayStation 4’s capabilities. Considering this is the first official trailer for Battlefront‘s November 17, 2015 release, it’s not surprising there is no gameplay to be seen. With any luck, we’ll get that soon, too.
Jump down below to watch the trailer and keep your eyes peeled for more Battlefront goodness as it lands. Or, if you’re Force savvy, make them release this game faster.
Great introspect on choice in gaming. Should gamers be able to choose how their story resolves, or is it better to craft a story and let the gamer watch the outcome?
Probably most people’s first memorable sad moment in a game, Aerith’s Death in Final Fantasy 7 sets the tone for the rest of the game as a means of explaining her death, giving it meaning, and having a renewed pursuit in stopping Sephiroth. Aerith’s death aligns everyone’s motivations, opens up character building arcs and allows for a resolution other than “Save the World” when it comes to the end of the game. We have a vested interest in vengeance.
Originally, Sephiroth took control of Cloud to try and kill Aerith at the creation of the Black Materia with the ability to summon Meteor but was knocked out before being able to kill Aerith. When Cloud reawakes, Aerith has already run off to the Forgotten Capital in an attempt to summon Holy from her White Materia that she’s had tied to her ribbon. When Cloud and company reach Aerith, Sephiroth has his…
11bitstudios, creators of This War of Mine are doing a charity fundraiser on Steam to raise funds for War Child. War Child is an organisation that works with children in war-affected communities and helps them reclaim their childhoods. You can help by buying This War of Mine’s latest DLC pack on Steam, which includes new art for the game that you can find throughout the city while playing. 11bitstudios is planning to give 100% of the proceeds to War Child.
Personally I think it’s great to see a developer trying to give back to the community in this way. You can get the DLC in the link above, or visit 11bitstudios here. Also check out my review of This War of Mine here.
New posts now available at my new home at http://micbemac.com Come visit me today and subscribe. New reviews, previews and news added regularly. Follow me @micbemac.
Say hello to my blog’s new home. I am really looking forward to growing this site and building a community that all enjoy sharing their thoughts on current generation games, retro gaming and the industry as a whole.
So comment, reblog, follow me on Twitter, I can’t wait to hear your comments and feedback.
MicBeMac Games 