Lindy Alexander
Lindy is a freelance writer, researcher and content creator living in the vibrant goldfields town of Castlemaine in central Victoria, Australia. For a time, writing was a hobby, but after winning the Grace Marion Wilson prize for non-fiction writing in 2010 about her travels in Rwanda, she started to seriously consider following her passion and pursue a career putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). Lindy's work has been published in numerous Australian and international publications including Sunday Life, The Age/The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian, The Telegraph, delicious., Good Food, The Saturday Paper, SBS Life, Dumbo Feather, Escape, Travel + Indulgence, Jetstar, Australian Traveller and MiNDFOOD.We recently asked her some questions about her approach to content creation.
What is it you enjoy about creating content?
I love being able to take an idea and turn it into an engaging piece of content. There's no better feeling than having lots of different bits and pieces that you need to include in an article and working to bring it all together in a coherent way that hits the brief.
Tell us about your journey to become a content creator
I originally trained as a social worker and worked in the field for 10 years. After completing my PhD, I decided I had had enough of social work! I always loved writing and undertook a short course in feature writing with the view of it being a hobby. Within a few weeks of finishing the course I had my first article commissioned and the rest, as they say, is history. I now write articles for Australian and international publications, as well as for corporate organisations.
What is the piece of content you are most proud of?
This is a tough one! I've loved the articles I've written for The Saturday Paper about memory systems and ancient knowledge and post-traumatic growth because they've been about topics that aren't really in the mainstream, but equally, I loved writing this piece about recently re-discovered rock art in the Grampians for The Telegraph (UK).
What value does content bring to a client's marketing strategy?
Content is one of the best ways of connecting with customers. Stories are in our DNA and there's something about reading or hearing a wonderfully engaging story that makes a product or experience come to life.
What's your approach in bringing a client's story to life through brand journalism?
I am tireless in meeting a client's brief because I know they have a specific outcome that they want to reach, and my job is to create content that meets that goal. I like to get as much information as I can about what they hope the outcome of my content is going to be and how it's going to make the consumer feel. For example, will it inspire, fascinate, shock, encourage, educate, motivate? Those emotions and outcomes are so important to identify because they will impact what and how I write.
How do you determine the tone, voice and style is right for a piece of content?
It's important that a brand or company has a strong sense of who their audience is and how they like to be communicated with. Are they playful? Serious? Irreverent? Knowing who your readers (or viewers) are is the first step in determining tone, voice and style. Then I like to read what the brand has already produced to ensure that their style seeps into my writing.
What is the most useful thing a marketer can provide you in the brief that allows you to understand their brand?
I think the most useful thing is cutting out the industry jargon. The best briefs I receive are written in plain language about what they do and don't want. I also want to know what value they hope to offer the consumer with the piece of content.
What makes successful content?
If it immediately engages the reader and offers something valuable to them. You can find Lindy and her creative portfolio on the Fabulate platform, by clicking and viewing her profile here.
