Expanding my Horizons – Final Blog Post
Following a final week of practicing platform proliferation, this blog post will reflect on my auto-ethnographic research on the ‘Female Hormonal Health and Fitness’ niche. By applying the skills Including, Comparing, Contrasting, Reflexivity, Sensitivity, and Flexibility, I not only enhanced the quality of my content but also gained a deeper understanding of my media niche and audience dynamics.
Including:
Developing my ability to include diverse voices and perspectives deepened my appreciation for the importance of representation and underlined its impact on audience engagement. I learned that being open to diverse voices and experiences enriches my content and fosters a sense of inclusivity within my niche.
By engaging with PCOS awareness accounts on Instagram, following accounts that cater to different viewpoints, and using inclusive hashtags, I aimed to enhance my content with diverse voices and experiences, fostering inclusivity within my niche.
Comparing:
Comparing content across different platforms revealed the significance of adapting to platform-specific features and understanding user behaviour. My content doesn’t exist in isolation; it’s part of a broader media landscape, and comparing my work to other creators in my niche helped me identify trends, techniques, and viewpoints. This insight enabled me to refine my content strategy to align better with my audience’s preferences.
I compared content across different platforms to refine my content strategy. Recognising the significance of adapting to platform-specific features and understanding user behaviour, I aimed to better align with my audience’s preferences.
Contrasting:
Contrasting, on the other hand, emphasised the uniqueness of my content and brand. Recognising and highlighting key points of difference between my work and that of other creators allows me to stand out and engage my audience more effectively. I learned that being distinctive in my niche can be a strong asset.
By emphasising differences and highlighting my uniqueness, I aimed to stand out and engage my audience more effectively. Key points of difference between my work and that of other creators allowed me to differentiate my content.
Reflexivity:
Fostering reflexivity has been an eye-opening experience. It’s not just about creating content but also about examining my content creation process, biases, and assumptions. By reflecting on my learning process and acknowledging areas where I might have biases, I’m able to create content that is more self-aware and respectful of diverse perspectives. Reflexivity makes my content more responsible, empathetic, and considerate.
I reflected on my content creation process, biases, and assumptions. Examining my learning process and acknowledging potential biases, I aimed to create content that is more self-aware and respectful of diverse perspectives.
Sensitivity:
Addressing topics with sensitivity has always been very important, but this week reinforced this importance of content warnings, especially when sharing potentially sensitive material. It’s essential to maintain a respectful and empathetic approach, ensuring that my content does not unintentionally cause harm.
Flexibility:
The skill of flexibility came to the forefront this week as I adapted my content for different platforms. Being open to feedback, I made changes and tailored my content to the unique strengths and cultures of each platform. This adaptive approach enhances the effectiveness of my content in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
In conclusion, this week’s experiences have reinforced the significance of these skills in enhancing content creation, understanding my niche, and adapting to various platforms.
Bibliography:
- Ivanovic, N 2022, How to Repurpose Video Content for Social Media, Tailor Brands, viewed 13 October 2023, <https://www.tailorbrands.com/blog/how-to-repurpose-video-content>.
- Creswell, JW 2016, 30 essential skills for the qualitative researcher, SAGE Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks, California.