[VIDEO] - Speakers, Presenters, and Storytellers: Keep Your Content Fresh with Rebecca Anderson
Chicago Pastor and storytelling coach Rebecca Anderson is on this week’s Between Two Speakers, where she gives tips on how to keep your content fresh.
Creating one good piece of content is hard enough, let alone weekly ones. Rebecca Anderson has tips on how to make your content relevant.
If you have to give speeches or presentations often, you have probably faced the following question: “What new thing can I possibly say about this topic?” You are not alone! As a public speaking coach and workshop leader, I have worked with many clients who struggle to produce one speech a year. The pressure to keep content fresh and interesting is very real.
Rebecca Anderson knows a thing or two about having to churn out storytelling ideas. As a co-founding pastor of Gilead Church Chicago she has to write a new sermon every week for two different congregations (she is also a co-pastor at Bethany United Church of Christ in Chicago). Like many of us who do public speaking, she sometimes feels like she’s run out of new material. She admits to procrastinating. And it’s important to her that her congregation—aka her audience—find meaning in what she has to say.
Fortunately, Rebecca is also a storytelling coach and she has her fair share of tips for creating relevant content. Her experience in both arenas makes her the perfect guest to talk about this topic on this week’s Between Two Speakers. Here she shares three hacks for ensuring your content is fresh as can be.
Watch the first video in our three-part series with Rebecca below or keep scrolling for a brief summary.
Content Hack #1: Deadlines should always be prioritized for time-sensitive speeches
Sometimes the best motivation is a deadline staring you in the face. “I definitely go through dry spells where it feels more like work, “ Rebecca said. “And I do it truly because there's a deadline and because it's my job.” If you don’t have an external one, set yourself artificial deadlines to keep your momentum going.
Content Hack #2: When applicable, stick to a theme
For Rebecca, there’s an overlap between the way she prepares for a sermon and for a storytelling event. For example, having a theme helps her to approach content in a new angle. Many conferences, public speaking events and storytelling shows will be organized around a central theme. Rebecca’s church functions in much the same way, choosing a different monthly theme for the congregation. “I'm someone who who benefits greatly from having an idea early enough to let it percolate,” she said. “It helps me to have the themes swirling around in my head.”
Analyzing your usual content through the lens of a particular theme can be one way to give it new energy. It helps you narrow down larger topics into smaller, more approachable bites. It can also help you really hone in on what the core issue is.
Content Hack #3: Think about how the main topic intersects with your life and personal world
Rebecca and her co-pastor have an inside joke: oversharing is their personal brand. Even when the content you’re presenting feels evergreen, you may have changed. The world around you has definitely changed (pandemic, anyone?). Ask yourself, “how can I relate this issue to what is going on in my life now? To what is going on in the world?”
This is the first of a three-part series with Rebecca Anderson. View relevant topics here:
Rebecca Anderson, Part 2: Speaking or Storytelling: Be Vulnerable Without Spilling Your Guts or Alienating Your Audience [VIDEO]
Prepare a Persuasive Speech: Interview with Kwame Christian [AUDIO]
Need help preparing your own presentation, or need help adding storytelling to your business presentations? Get in touch!
Randy Ford and I are storytelling coaches who help organizations tell their stories and strengthen their messages.
About The Author
Hi! I’m Marianna. I make public speaking and presentation skills easier for my clients. I help with everything from preparation to managing anxiety and nerves to speaking with strength and confidence. In addition to Presentation Skills workshops, I offer executive coaching and Keynote speeches. To learn more, Get in touch.
