If you’ve heard of Digital Storytelling but you’re not exactly sure what it refers to, Dana Atchley, a Digital Storytelling pioneer, summed it up pretty accurately before his death in 2000: “…Digital storytelling combines the best of two worlds: the “new world” of digitised video, photography and art, and the “old world” of telling stories.” Now, we know that a lot has changed since 2020, and some of these changes are here to stay. Digital storytelling technologies, for one, are helping businesses and entrepreneurs to pin down the new normal, and these include big trends taking 2022 by storm. One of these is Pinterest. To dive deeper into how to grow your brand using Pinterest as a form of digital storytelling, Future Females Jakarta Chapter Ambassador, Ninda Aldila, shares her expertise.
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FF: You are our (new) Jakarta Chapter Ambassador. Welcome! Tell us more about yourself, and why did you decide to become a Future Females ambassador?
NA: Hi, thank you for the warmest welcome! I’m Ninda Aldila, I was a former lifestyle and luxury journalist turned digital marketer. I am now a Regional Managing Editor in Green Park Content while building my own ventures. I joined the Future Females Business School in 2021, and other than learning the school subjects, I also learned about FF’s mission and vision. I think those are aligned with my own mission to support many female entrepreneurs to achieve their goals. That’s why when the opportunity came (to be FF ambassador), I applied without question! 😊
FF: How and when did you decide to become an entrepreneur?
NA: I lived with a family business all my life. That’s why I have a deep interest in entrepreneurship. But my interest came in my fam’s biz. My family business is more into transportation, property, and financial services, but I am interested in digital commerce and education.
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FF: You recently hosted your first Future Females Chapter event called ‘Grow Your Brand with Creativity: Celebrate Innovation in Digital Storytelling with Pinterest’ with two masterminds from Pinterest. Tell us more…
NA: I invited two Pinterest experts, Puteri Fatia (Editorial Manager) and Alifa Putrinda (Content Growth Manager), to share their expertise on Pinterest for brands/businesses. Many Pinterest users get excited when they find some images that can inspire them, but not so many of them know how to use it as a branding medium.
Pinterest isn’t like other platforms. It’s a place of positivity, where people feel safe to explore and discover, knowing they’ll find brands they’ll love and can trust. It’s not an accident that people come to Pinterest for themselves, not their selfies. Not only are they watching more videos – they’re driven to action afterward. Pinners engage with video on Pinterest differently than on any other platform. They are in an action-oriented mindset, and they are coming to do something with the new information they receive.
Some key takeaways for entrepreneurs:
- If your brand is focused on driving awareness, whether around a new product launch, film premiere, or all-inclusive resort, Pinterest is where you want to be.
- Pinterest is a positive environment where your brand can reach 454m people who come here every month EXPRESSLY to get inspired and discover new ideas and products to try.
- Pinterest drives awareness because users go there early in their journey for planning, inspiration, and discovery.
- Without an awareness strategy, your business will miss out on opportunities to reach net new customers and generate brand or product awareness, favorability, or purchase intent.
Also, we have some Pinterest Insights to understand how Pinners use video on Pinterest vs. other video platforms.
- 77% of weekly Pinners have discovered a new brand or product on Pinterest.
- Pinners are 2x more likely to view videos on Pinterest to find an idea/product/service they can trust than videos on other media platforms.
- Pinners are 53% more likely to purchase a brand/ product after seeing a Pinterest video than videos on other media platforms.
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FF: How would you define Digital Storytelling?
NA: Digital Storytelling is an effort to bring the narratives to life through the digital medium. The idea can be of various topics or styles as with traditional storytelling. But digital stories usually contain some mixture of computer-based images, text, recorded audio narration, video clips, and/or music. It is essential for sharing and collaboration. Due to its nature, it can instantly be shared with others and reach a broader audience.
FF: How do you think Digital Storytelling will change the way brands and/or entrepreneurs do business creatively?
NA: On Pinterest, people discover ideas for meaningful moments. They are planning for holidays, personal events, and a lot more. Make sure your brand is there when it’s most relevant—when the moment is being made on Pinterest.
- Inspiration ignites the making of a moment, and that’s where Pinterest comes in.
- Pinners plan for both seasonal and life moments.
- Life moments are personal events or celebrations where a Pinner or their loved ones are at the centre..
- We’ve also created a scale for moments as they range from Traditional to Unique.
- Traditional moments are significant milestones that happen once a year or once in your life and take an abundance of planning.
- Unique moments happen in everyday life and during every season, sometimes as a smaller celebration leading to a more significant traditional moment.
FF: What are your tips for writing a digital story?
NA: Producing content is not much different from building your own startup. You gotta start somewhere. But I have some tips based on my experience:
- Focus on the area you are most passionate about and develop an idea around it. Once you have a few topics, ask yourself the following questions about each one: • What is my connection to this topic? • Is it motivating to an audience? • Is it relatable?
- Execute your plan. Once you have an idea for a story, you can develop a plan to help organize both your thoughts and resources.
- Get resources. Some basic gadgets/technology include: a recording device (camera, smartphone), editing apps (iMovie, Adobe Audition, etc.), an account to publish your video (Pinterest account or any other audio or video social sharing account), account to share (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
Pro tips: No matter how amateur or good your videos are, don’t forget to engage with your audience to get feedback. This can improve the quality of your content over time.
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FF: What would you say are the top tips for using Pinterest to tell digital stories?
NA: Every day, there are thousands of ideas pins created. These are the top tips on how to make your content stand out and can be featured:
Inspirational: Content that can inspire many people. Not personal content. Also, make sure there is a complete description that is informative for the audience. For example, if you are reviewing tourist attractions, including location information and ticket prices. If the content is about recipes or tutorials, don’t forget to write down what ingredients are needed.
Monthly-themed: Creating monthly-themed content will increase your chances of being featured in the editorial channel.
Has a title on the cover: Yep! The title on the cover of an Idea Pin is a vital element for your Pin to appear on editorial channels. Tip: Use a title that describes your content well to keep the audience interested. Use numbers & appropriate keywords to get your content found by more people.
Example: 7 easy to care for indoor plants or an easy 30-minute recipe: Stir-fry Chicken & Beans, 5 OOTD Hijabs in Pastel Colors.
Use local language: Using the Indonesian language (or another language you’re based in) is a plus point in the title and description.
Always early: On Pinterest, people are looking for inspiration for what’s in the future. For example, plans for Eid clothes, inspiration for Christmas dishes, and graduation dress design ideas will be sought from the previous 1-2 months.
FF: What are some of the best examples of Digital Storytelling that you have seen recently?
NA: Too many to mention.😉 But to name a few…
- BMW tribute to Mercedes-Benz Retirement: Funny yet touching. It’s not only the visual, but the copy was also very intriguing. It said “Free at Last” because finally, Mr. Zetsche can ride his BMW i8 Roadster after retirement. And the video ended with a note of gratitude: “Thank you, Dieter Zetsche, for so many years of inspiring competition.” Check out the video
- Netflix- Bandersnatch: Who doesn’t impress with Bandersnatch? The story, the uniqueness, and the interactivity of telling the stories capture my heart instantly.
- Apple – Escape from the Office: I love most of their stories. But this one is really hilarious and highlights essential (of course, Apple) products and apps for remote workers and aspiring startup businesses. This is very genius! Check out the video
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FF: In your opinion, what does the future of content creation look like for female entrepreneurs/brands?
For me, in the future content should be straightforward to digest within the audience’s short span in the future. Other than that, interactive content, such as quizzes, questionnaires, interactive infographics, etc., can help visitors engage and make complex information easier to digest.