Today we will deal with the “transmedia mindset” competency, which refers to the ability to understand and apply the principles to be able to tell stories, to be able to excite and influence others through the creation and distribution of content on various platforms and formats, actively engaging the audience.
Aspects of the transmedia mindset
It requires being able to think strategically about how a story can be enriched using various media, in addition to knowing in an operational way how to take advantage of the characteristics of each one. This competence in the digital age is a fundamental skill in leaders and digital professionals, since it is necessary to be able to excite and influence not only with our traditional oral and written communication, but also to have developed transmedia capacity, which involves several aspects:
- Understand how the story unfolds on each platform, so you know how to tailor the message to each unique perspective and make it complementary to each other.
- Produce content in a way that is autonomous across platforms, but at the same time integrated into a more global story.
- Know how to use the right distribution channels for each type of audience and optimize the user for that experience.
- Know how to position the content in the set of contents of the digital universe and how to distribute each piece participating in its expansion, designing participatory experiences for the audience to achieve their involvement and commitment.
This competence involves not only knowing, knowing how to search for and consume content in different formats (social networks, blogs, etc.), but also interacting with them, producing and sharing their own content, and solving problems from a collaborative perspective, expanding and connecting ideas in a creative way. It is, therefore, related to other competencies seen above, such as communication, strategic vision, influence and result orientation, among others.
HOW CAN I DEVELOP MY TRANSMEDIA MINDSET?
To develop this competence, exercises can be carried out that invite you to create, analyze and expand stories or projects using various platforms, encouraging collaborative work and creativity.
Encourage creativity
Promote the creation of their own stories using various digital platforms, such as blogs, videos, podcasts, social networks, also testing the combination of formats. For example, you could start with a story or an event and ask it to expand in different media: create a profile of a character on social networks, a continuation in podcast and a short video that narrates another perspective.
Collaborative work
Propose group projects where each participant contributes from different media and perspectives, valuing the diversity of ideas and skills. For example, raising a social problem and organizing the group to design a transmedia awareness campaign together, assigning a format to each subgroup so that they can coordinate.
Troubleshooting
Propose simulations or cases to be solved where different digital environments have to be used in a transversal way, combining resources from different channels. For example, using a narrative game or ARG (Alternate Reality Games), activities where the group must solve a fictitious situation using clues distributed in various digital and analog formats (videos, emails, messages, web pages).
Digital Literacy
To be trained in the critical and ethical use of digital tools, developing the analysis, production and responsible distribution of content. It is important to reflect on how the narrative changes depending on the chosen medium, and to analyse the results in groups to reinforce critical thinking and media awareness.
Promote audience participation and engagement
Invite the audience to take an active part in the development of the narrative, favoring a sense of belonging, exploration and autonomy.
“Remember to continue developing your talent to reach your best version”
