By Darren Gilbert

Every single piece of content your brand creates should have a greater purpose. There should be a reason behind why you decided to shoot a video. Or why you uploaded a podcast onto your website. After all, you want people to engage with your brand, don’t you? Of course you do. And that is why you need to answer this question: what do people want when it comes to content?

You only have to look at the virality of cat videos and ask why. It’s certainly not because of the production value. Or, to bring it closer to home, why is Suzelle DIY getting so much attention? It can’t only be because her videos are well-presented. There has to be more. And there is. The success of your content comes down to whether or not it will tug at your audience’s heartstrings. Whether or not it elicits emotion, in other words.

And who better to understand this than 10th Street Media, who live and breathe this tagline. Founder and executive producer of the boutique content production house, Darren Kerr, explains: “‘Elicit emotion’ came about from thinking of what drives people to want to engage with content.” What keeps people connected when they are viewing a 90 second video? What will entice your audience to share, like and engage with your content?

According to Kerr and 10th Street Media, it all comes down to emotion. “Everything we create has to elicit some type of emotion in the person at the other end,” says Kerr. It sounds simple. And from a certain angle it is. However at the same time, it’s complex. “The way in which we consume content has changed,” says Kerr. “Today, we consume it when and how we want.” And in order to keep consumers engaged and entertained for more than five seconds, you have to provide them with worthwhile content. Content that they can identify with. Engage with. And that can’t be ignored.

However, at the same time, creating this content – content that stirs feelings – is only half the equation. The other half involves strategic thinking. It involves collaboration and teamwork. And clients becoming partners, says Kerr. “Content is only successful when it is created with like-minded individuals who are aware of the overall strategy.” After all, a piece of content can be amazing but if there is no strategy behind it, it’s useless. “It’s why we get heavily involved with agencies and brands from the get-go because we know you can’t create content in a vacuum,” adds Kerr.

This means instead of getting the brief and executing it like many other production houses, 10th Street Media aligns their content with the brand’s strategy. ‘We think. We align. We produce’ is another tagline you’ll come across if you work with them. “We understand who the client is. We understand where [the content] is going and on what digital platforms they want to work on.” And then 10th Street Media simply goes about providing the right solution. “It’s really a matter of how best we can tell the story that is true to the brand, and true to its ethos,” says Kerr.

For 10th Street Media, it starts and ends with video. And with good reason. After all, you can have great still images and great stories. But video is something that truly captivates people. “Video is what touches on the emotions,” points out Kerr. “It pulls you in as a viewer.” It also tugs at your audience’s heartstrings. And in a world flooded with information, your brand deserves this. It deserves content that elicits emotion.

For more information on 10th Street Media, visit 10thstreetmedia.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Twitter.