Some folks write for fun. Some write for that sweet, sweet profit. Caitlin Flowers, Content Specialist at Well Done, is solidly in both camps. A born storyteller, Caitlin grew up writing and reading and filming. And at Butler University, she made a double major of it, studying digital media production and creative writing.
Which, really, makes her a perfect fit for an agency like us. (If you ever want to strike up a conversation with a writer at Well Done, just ask, “How’s the novel comin’ along?”) We sat down with Caitlin to learn more about her role here, what makes her tick, and how she came to join our ranks.
So what does a content specialist do?
In my role, I’m primarily working with different social media accounts to run the day-to-day operations. That includes creating content, like copy and video, but it also includes things like measuring engagement and interacting with followers. It’s a pretty robust role that puts me on the front line between clients and audiences.
What is it about writing and digital media that appeals to you?
At the end of the day, my favorite thing is telling a story. And a story is successful when it’s engaging—no matter what the format is. If your audience is excited and engaged and interested in what you’re doing, it’s a successful story.
What’s interesting to me is that human beings are always telling the same stories. Shakespeare stole ideas from Italian novelists, the Greek playwrights stole from myth. But it’s how you take those stories and grab the best pieces and tell them in new ways that I think is the real challenge of what writers do.
Social media marketing is such a new field, yet your double major seems ideally suited for it.
At Butler I really got to major in my two passions. Ever since I was little, I was writing stories and books, and I was always filming, always writing scripts and making movies with my friends. When it came time to pick a major, I couldn’t convince myself to choose a safe option. I did what I always wanted to do.
How do you tell stories in the digital age, when there’s so much emphasis on photo and video? Does it affect how you engage your audience?
When you’re writing a story, you have to do everything with words on paper. With digital storytelling you have the advantage of visuals that can support—or even carry—the storyline. And you can convey so much more with mood, lighting, setting, and actors than you can with words alone.
Another one of the really strong advantages of digital storytelling is that you can do it so much faster—on a lot of social media, video plays automatically, which can hook an audience’s attention quickly. But that initial engagement is still just the first step. To keep people hooked, you still need that classic story structure of a beginning, a middle, and an end. With so much content available in the world, you need to give people a reason why you’re better than their other options. Whether it’s more interesting content or better visuals or you’re targeting to a specific audience, you need to be the best.
What attracted you to Well Done?
All the work I’ve seen come out of Well Done is excellent. The people here work hard, and it’s clear that what the agency produces is the best it can be. It’s also a great culture—people aren’t just cogs in a machine clocking in from 9 to 5. There’s a culture of care here.
I came to Well Done for the chance to learn the skills I haven’t been able to flex yet. I’m excited for the experience, and excited to grow. In college I’d always kind of whisper about being a creative writer, like if you tell people you want to write they think of the starving artist. But here I feel like that’s valued.