How can you use your creative work to engage with a wider audience?

When I was on the Brand Creative team at First Republic, getting to the root of how we wanted people to feel during every interaction with this beloved brand was always top of mind. From there, we were able to codify our brand behaviors in a way that hadn't been done before, which made it easy to communicate these with our team and the broader First Republic community. Takeaway: Clarity boosts creativity, every time.

This is Marketing 101. Every creative effort should begin with an understanding of who it is you're trying to communicate with. To achieve this understanding, you must crave empathy. Empathy drives curiosity, fosters resonance, and creates an overall sense of deep respect for those you serve. Make achieving empathy your passion, and don't rest until you are insanely committed to knowing —?really knowing —?your audience, inside and out.

Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments, ask for feedback, and create content based on audience suggestions. This builds a community around your work and fosters loyalty.

One of the best ways you can understand what it is your target audience values is to get out into the street. Leave the car at home and take public transportation. Work on your laptop for an afternoon in a cafe or open space. Take your earbuds out and listen to conversations around you. Silence your phone, put it in your pocket, and look up when you walk around. We are so consumed by our devices and isolated by our routines. Take a break from all of this and look, listen, feel, and absorb. All around you, people are shouting out their needs and desires —?most of the time without saying a word. Observe and learn, and then take what you know and turn it into something engaging.

Create Shareable Content: Design your work in a way that encourages sharing. This could be through creating infographics, short videos, or interactive content that resonates with your audience.

Of course, storytelling is at the heart of everything we do —?whether we know it or not. However you show up in this world, and whatever interests and inspires you will help craft what you say. How you say it... That's another challenge. In Europe, everywhere I went, I saw people gathering moments for Instagram stories: Here's me looking at great art. Here's me walking along a river. Here's me lost in thought by old ruins. Except it was none of these. Instead, it was someone taking photo after photo of them "having" these experiences until they looked just right. These are stories we've heard a million (billion?) times already, ones we scroll through every day. Your story is unique to you. Find a unique way to tell it.

Utilize Email Marketing: Share your creative work through newsletters to keep your audience updated and engaged. Include exclusive content or behind-the-scenes insights to add value.

Participate in Online Communities: Join forums or groups related to your creative field and share your work there. Engaging in discussions can also help you connect with like-minded individuals.

This one is simple: Think of engagement online just as you would engagement in real life. Answer questions, respond to comments, be gracious when you've been complimented, and courteous when attacked. And when asking for a share, be humble and willing to reciprocate —?just as you would do in a face-to-face interaction.

Because I'm a writer and filmmaker, storytelling will always be my first choice medium for communicating with a large audience. As a marketing professional, it should be yours, too. A strategic approach to using this tool for maximum effect is to think broadly, then break things into little chunks. What's the story you want to tell? How might you tell it in three to five minutes? Then, how might you break that longer story into smaller content — bite-sized insights, teasers, celebrations that are both engaging and memorable? One expertly executed, large-form piece of content can be repurposed and reimagined several different ways for immediate and lasting impact, so be sure that film and video are part of your strategy for success.