Star Wars set the stage for cinematic content – breaking through the barriers of movie franchises in a way that revolutionized the industry. Keep in mind that what is now known as the “Skywalker Saga” started as one risky science-fiction movie released in May 1977 that even the cast members thought was a joke no one would never take seriously.
Image via imdb.com
Jump ahead now to December 2019 – 42 years, 9 episodes, and billions of box-office dollars later. Clearly, there is nothing to laugh at when discussing the success of the world that George Lucas built & Disney bought. The Skywalker Saga will now end with the highly-anticipated release of Episode IX: Rise of Skywalker. However, there are still more than enough content creation lessons that you can take from this 42-year-old cinematic saga that you can apply to your own work for many years to come.
“Do or Do Not. There is No Try.” – Yoda
With the start of any new year, millions of people take time to set new goals. As you make plans for your own content creation and marketing strategies, chances are you have set a few goals of your own. Setting the goal is the first step. Unfortunately, that is also the only step that most people take – excusing their lack of efforts with such phrases as “I will try.” However, as Yoda made clear, “there is no try” when it comes to your content creation.
What about George Lucas? This visionary filmmaker could have placed his desire to make the first Star Wars movie on the “try” list. He could have set the goal and allowed many other things to get in his way – especially when fans, critics and cast members started to mock his idea when it came to fruition. However, he refused to allow procrastination, self-doubt or the baseless opinions of others to get in his way. Will you?
“Never Tell Me the Odds.”- Han Solo
It is very easy to examine how the odds are stacked against you and quickly become discouraged. When it comes to generating exposure for your business or brand, you may inadvertently focus on the massive flood of competition fighting against you. The same principle applies to online content creation. One study shows that there are more than 600 million active blogs and more than 2 billion blog posts published each year. If you become too concerned with the odds against you, you will never be able to maintain a structured content creation and marketing strategy that could very well beat the odds.
Take a moment to think about the odds that have been placed against the Star Wars franchise over the years.
What were the odds of:
A man who struck gold with his 2nd feature film, American Graffiti, striking oil with a science-fiction movie about intergalactic warfare as his 3rd movie?
A director successfully revisiting a franchise that ended nearly 20 years prior to a new “prequel” trilogy that took place before the original trilogy?
A different studio successfully buying the rights to breathe new life into the cinematic content with new episodes, spin-offs and even television series?
Many fans and critics would agree that George Lucas beat the odds by still having a successful franchise future after the introduction of Jar Jar Binks in the first prequel movie! When analyzing your content creation and marketing strategies for the next few years, do not become overwhelmed by the odds, statistics, facts and figures against you.
Focus on what you can control:
creating high-quality content for your target audience and taking the steps necessary to get them to see it.
“I Have a Bad Feeling About This!” – Everyone
If you pay close attention to each of the Star Wars movies, you will more than likely hear this line uttered in one way or another. It essentially pays tribute to the first time it was uttered in the original trilogy while also giving longtime franchise fans a chance to giggle whenever they hear it. However, there is a bit more to it than that.
In most cases, the “bad feeling” leads to exciting, action-packed scenes that allow the characters involved to beat the odds and come out on top. As you continue to build your online presence and work hard to expand your exposure, you will undoubtedly encounter the same “bad feeling” moments.
Perhaps you decided to go out on a limb and experiment with a post that could strike oil or crash & burn.
Before publishing the content, that “bad feeling” may start to settle in your mind. Think about the Skywalker Saga, prepare yourself for the action-packed sequences to follow. Remind yourself that everything will be fine once the turbulence passes if you stay focused and determined to succeed.
“This is How Liberty Dies… With Thunderous Applause.” – Padme Amidala
During this scene, Palpatine was at the top of his game with his plans succeeding one after the other. It seemed as if he had the crowds eating out of the palm of his hands even though he was clearly breaking the rules behind the scene and was more villainous than heroic. Padme did not know just how dark he was at the time, but moviegoers knew exactly how it would play out.
There are more than likely some “dark side” content creators and marketers within your industry that seem to be succeeding in the public eye even though they are breaking the rules behind the scenes. Instead of allowing jealousy and envy to convince you to compromise your own integrity, stay focused on bringing “balance to the force” by creating quality content the right way. Your target audience (and Google) will appreciate your hard work and integrity – allowing you to experience the type of lasting satisfaction and success that those on the “dark side” will never share.