It’s a good week to talk about content creators. We had Dylan Sadiq, “The College Cuber,” and we recently caught up with “The King of NBA twitter,” Josiah Johnson on our podcast at Columbia (which we have just wrapped up six years doing by the way).
Johnson, who ironically told us he had the unique choice to play hoops between…yes, Columbia and UCLA, has built a career based on grit, hustle, and listening to the conversations going on, especially in the media. A self-proclaimed one man band on the production side, Johnson touched on a myriad of topics during our 45 minute discussion. You can also read the NY Times piece on him here.
Some highlights:
The value of being digital artists and leaning in on cultural literacy: Johnson sees the content he creates, especially on twitter, as a social artform that expands a conversation going on. His memes are fun and drive a picture well beyond just words. The uniqueness of clips he has taken the time to store and then use tied to a moment in and around the NBA has gotten him to be a “must follow” around NBA culture.
Tied to the digital artistry is cultural literacy. Johnson feels that the most successful creators have a great sense of history and positioning tied to culture. They do not operate in a vacuum and have the ability to read the room and react as opportunities and conversations evolve. That literacy comes with experience, which he has gained over a career of content creating, and archiving, at previous stops like NFL media.
Timing is so key. Johnson talks about his success in producing and sharing content quickly and effectively, and that content is delivered in short, digestible bites, memes and videos tied to the moment involved. Being slow on the draw, not being prepared, or trying to overproduce a piece of content leaves many aspiring creators in the dust, especially as the social conversation around live sports moves from minute to minute.
The impact of staying ready. Johnson’s career logging highlights and helping produce content at NFL Media for years gave him the ability to capture and then have highlights and snippets ready for any number of scenarios. He has taken that content logging concept with him to his social platforms, as he comes armed with a myriad of clips, memes and images collected over time that give him the ability to click, tag, and share as moments arise. Preparedness tied to speed has made him so successful in his work of social.
Taking advantage of the worldwide NBA community. Johnson also pointed out, as others have before, that the NBA’s proactive stance to letting highlights and other content be available and sharable has fueled their social success. The NBA’s place in global conversations on social that are well beyond sport and into culture are because of their inclusiveness and understanding that the social sharing drives relevance. It is something that many other professional leagues have been slow to the take, and as a result, the NBA’s social product continues to dwarf most others who are just starting to catch up on content sharing.
Want to know more about, Josiah’s influencers, his integration of content from shows like Game of Thrones and South Park into his feed, his work in podcasting and Netflix and elsewhere? Give the pod a listen. It should entertain, inform and delight, just like it did for us.
