Ever had one of those "eureka" moments? You know, where you stumble upon something so brilliant, you can't help but marvel at its simplicity? That's precisely the experience I had when I found this ingenious content format while browsing Twitter. It was an impressive blend of different modes of communication, brought together in such a unique way that it caters to just about every kind of content consumer.
Check it out for yourself:
Let me explain what Esther is doing with this format, but first let’s think about Twitter (now called X). It's a space where short-form text communication thrives. A rapid-fire exchange of ideas and events, a peek into diverse minds and happenings. It's quick, efficient, immediate.
Then consider long-form content like videos or podcasts. Here, you find the depth and nuances that are hard to squeeze into 280 characters. It's a realm where more complex ideas can breathe. But it does require more time and commitment from the audience.
So, the question arises: how do we bring together the brevity of short-form content with the depth of long-form? How do we cater to readers, listeners, and viewers alike? And how do we maintain a genuine, human connection with our audience without having to be on camera all the time?
This is where the ingenious format I discovered through Esther comes into play. Imagine a long tweet that contains a full transcript of a verbal message for the people who like to learn through reading.
And embedded in this tweet is a video, which begins with a brief intro by the speaker with the speaker’s face in it for a few seconds, just enough to establish a context and a personal connection.
Then the video transitions into audio, complete with captions overlayed, to serve both listeners and readers. All of this while maintaining the human element, without the speaker needing to be on camera throughout.
I'm excited to try out this hybrid format because it has this beautiful balance of maintaining the personal touch while respecting different preferences and time constraints.
I can't wait to see how it resonates with my audience, and encourage you to try it for yourself.
Quick recap of the format:
- Tweet Text: Start with a long tweet (requires Twitter Blue Subscription) that contains a full transcript of what the speaker is going to say. The text allows fast readers or those who prefer reading to get the content quickly.
- Brief Video Introduction: Begin the video content with a few seconds of the speaker setting the context. This part establishes a personal connection and gives viewers a glimpse of the speaker's personality.
- Transition to Audio: After the initial video introduction, the format transitions into an audio narration of the transcript. This caters to those who prefer listening or multitasking while consuming content.
- Subtitles/Captions: Include captions for the audio narration. This feature benefits individuals who might have difficulty hearing or understanding the spoken language, or those who simply prefer to read along with the audio.