Kmonaefierce A Blog About Collaboration and Creative Etiquette
Tag My Name So I Know It’s Real
Creators are putting out content left & right, and I think I speak for us all when I say: “tag my name, so I know it’s real”! That’s it. That’s the post. In other words, give people credit for their work. We are in an era where that tag means a lot more than it did in the past. For me personally, most of my clientele find me via social media, and being tagged on previous projects that I’ve worked on. So it’s very crucial that we don’t slack in giving people credit on these digital platforms.
This is what I like to call, Creative Etiquette. If you’re collaborating on projects, or even curating projects or content you should be tagging all known parties– click here for an extensive example.
Social media platforms, editing software, etc. all have ways you can give credit and secure your involvement in any work. Whether you’re an artist, designer, director, content creator, photographer, journalist, curator, etc. there should be no excuse as to why you don’t have knowledge on creative etiquette. However, if you need a refresher I’m going to show you exactly how to get your creative etiquette skills up to par.
Add a Tag
Social media is one of the most common places creators post their work, and ‘tagging’ has been a thing ever since. Tagging creators for their work is something I thought I’d never have to say, yet here we are. It’s just that simple. Tag the person/people included on the content no matter what. Whether they helped take the photo, direct, write the script, etc. they should get the credit they deserve. Not to mention, this is and should be a priority whenever you’re collaborating, or curating content– period.
Invite as a Collaborator
Instagram has a feature that allows you to post the same post to multiple audiences. Yours and the people you’re collaborating with (up to 3 in total). The “Invite Collaborator” feature is great because the content shows up on your feed and whoever is collaborating with you. It’s a win win, allowing you access to their audience and algorithm in addition to yours. Others will also be able to click on all accounts listed as collaborators which makes connecting for future projects a breeze.
Secure Your Own Work
Digital content is flooding our phones and it’s so easy to get lost on the internet. We’ve seen the manhunts looking for the originators of viral content, sounds, etc. Most times the internet finds them but there have been some unfortunate situations where the wrong people get credit for someone else’s work. It’s crazy to imagine your work could be out there making someone millions and you have no input or clue about it. Luckily, Open Standards has a solution for you to secure your own work which is included in your Adobe subscription. It does take some extra leg work, but if you value yourself and your work, you would take necessary actions. It’s called Content Credentials, it’s a tamper-evident metadata that can be applied to your assets at export or download– click here to learn more.
See See (CC) Me
Here’s the thing, as a content creator who produces bomb work, a lot of my content opens the door for my next opportunity. If I’m collaborating with someone on a project whether it’s paid or gifted I want to be a part of the conversation. At the very least you want to be copied on any email about the content that you’re assisting in bringing to life. Making sure that you have all the details about the project before, during, and after is a must. This paper trail will also help you in the long run, just incase things get misconstrued along the way or after the work is complete.
Let’s Work
Creating is fun but it’s also my job, and I do it well. I hope that this refresher on Creative Etiquette helps you in all your creative endeavors. If you’d like to learn more about my thoughts on Creative Etiquette please feel free to reach out to me at hello@kmonaefierce.com. I’d be happy to share them at your next event, podcast, or conference. With that being said, cheers to the gift of creativity and collaboration, let’s do more great things!
As always, stay fierce
Xoxo– Kmo
