Author: harshdeep19

Take a step back in time when you visit this historic site located in a very quiet and picturesque setting.

Located just minutes east of Drumheller, Alberta. Escape the crowds and enjoy the peace at historic – Wayne, Alberta

Enjoy a meal and cold beer at The Last Chance Saloon

Drop by and enjoy a great meal or cold beer. Once you walk into the Saloon, you become completely mesmerized with its antique interior. A special treat, there is LIVE music on certain evenings/weekends for everyone to enjoy during their stay here.

The Historic “Rosedeer Hotel”

Choose to spend a memorable night in one of their themed renovated rooms, at this vintage 1900’hotel. The hotel opened in 1919 and at that time, the Rosedeer Hotel was the go-to place.

Coal mining was huge in the early 1900’s in the region, and the population of Wayne grew to more than 2500 at that time. Since the shut-down, now just 27 residents remain in this ghost town.

How to find

Located just 5 minutes east of Drumheller on Highway 10 to Rosedale. Enjoy the six kilometer quiet and scenic drive on this country road, as you make your way over 11 bridges, holding the Guinness Book of World Records title as most bridges to be found within the shortest distance.

The hotel and saloon continue to prosper though, with visitors coming to spend some time from all corners of the world!

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These days, there are endless options for promoting your business or organization, with one of the most popular being to post about what you’re doing on social media.

You’re expected to be a social media marketer, even if you have zero experience with content or social media marketing. Social media is a pillar of digital marketing, and can help you drive traffic, find leads, and rank higher in search.

I come from a non-writers’ background and that is one of the reasons I took “Digital Storytelling” course. While learning, the article “The Non-Writers’ Guide to Writing Better Social Media Copy” by “Eric Goldschein” was very helpful for me to understand the basic rules of writing better for social media.

You could outsource the job but rather than adding another expense, you might find you enjoy writing. With so many options for writing social media copy – Facebook updates, tweets, Instagram captions, etc. Here are some tips to get started and write better.

1. Write the way you talk – Imagine you describing your business to your friends. That tone, the choice of language, and that level of simplicity should be your goal. By tapping into this, your content will come across as more natural, and will be easier to read.
2. Write consistently – Do it often. Write as much as you can. You’ll get better at writing
3. Write first, then edit heavily – For many people, the hardest part of writing is simply starting out. You might have an idea for a post or an update, but you don’t know how to begin, or what it should look like.
   The best way to get through writer’s block is to write yourself out of it. Your first draft of your copy should never be the final one. Get all the important information you need to say down on “paper.” Some bloggers even use voice-to-text to get their initial thoughts out.  
   Once you have a draft, go back and edit, revise, and rewrite entire sections until you’re satisfied.
4. Read your competitors’ feeds – You need to read. A good place to start is the feeds and blogs of your competitors, peers, and others in your industry. You will get a sense of what good writing looks like and discover topics that you too can discuss.
5. Provide value with every post – Every social media post will have a different goal. Boost website traffic, Newsletter signups, shop, etc.
6. Conduct hashtag and keyword research – Keyword and /or hashtag research is a great way to drum up topics but don’t let terms drive all your content. Use keywords as your guide, but write naturally.
7. Write to your target demographic – You content must speak to the demographic you are trying to capture.
8. Write short for engagement and long for traffic – There is no definitive rules as to how long your posts should be. Above all, they should be well-written.
9. Add Visual elements to your posts – Add photos, infographics, videos, GIFs and other visual media to the body pf your posts.

You won’t become a better social media marketer overnight, and your business won’t reap the benefits of your new tactics after a single post. This is a long-term play, and there are no shortcuts – but the payoff will be worth the investment, since you’ll be able to apply your new skills as a writer to other aspects of your business.

There are some fundamental questions which you should consider before telling a story. Storytelling always includes the “5 W” questions – Who, What, When, Where, Why, and the bonus How. Answers to these questions may change in the process of storytelling.

Below is the infographic of key point to keep in mind before telling a story.

1. What is story’s driving question?

A question gives you a mission; a puzzle to solve. The process of answering that question focuses your reporting and allows your story to become a journey for the listener or reader.

2. Who is your audience and how will you engage them?

This is the chance to think creatively about story and storytelling. Always try to put yourself in your audience’s shoes. What interests you? what would you enjoy reading or listening to? 

3. What are the elements of the story?

Imagining the elements of your story ahead of time is a time-honored approach. It helps you conceive your story and plan your reporting. The basic elements of the story are Setting, Characters, Plot, Conflict, Resolution, Point of View and Theme

4. Relatability

A story’s relatability allows people to empathise with the plot, themes and characters in an intimate way so that its core message is one that becomes meaningful to us. It is, what some describe, the quality that enables us to become part of the story and makes the good ones resonate so deeply.

5. What will the audience remember?

If your reader could only take away one thing from your story, decide what you want it to be and focus on developing that material.

Conculsion: If you remember to ask these questions at the beginning of writing or telling your story it will help guide your story.

Reference: “Beyond the 5 W’s: What should you ask before starting a story?” by “Alison Macadam”