Month: January 2018

How to write about conservation?

How to write about conservation online in effective ways is something I’d like to explore in several blog posts.

To fully have an impact, this content needs to engage the audience beyond clicking on cute baby elephant videos or posting ‘wow’ emoticons to emergency rescue appeals.

Generally, the best way to affect change on an issue is to inform and educate the public around facts. However, it can sometimes be a challenge to be heard among the noise caused by sensationalism and content devised to trigger strong emotional reactions.

The antidote, I think, is real old-fashioned quality storytelling using our new technologies on social media. Stories that bring us closer to the people on the ground — so that we can really ‘meet,’ and relate to them — can inspire learning and action.

Here’s an excerpt from my new book ‘On the road to elephants,’ where I take a moment to talk about my intention for the book, and this particular pet peeve:

“For one, I wanted to share some elephant joy. But I also wanted process some of the thoughts and debate around elephant conservation. I wanted to shed some more light on the fact that conservation can be a complex issue. I also wanted to encourage a little more open-mindedness and less judgmental attitudes.

After a few trips to the bush, I’m definitely not an expert on conservation or elephant management … But I think we can safely say that I’m an elephant appreciator of note. And as someone who cares, I think it’s important that we educate ourselves about what’s actually needed to safeguard these elephants – if we are going to weigh in on the debate.

It seems that often the harshest words and opinions are fired off by people who don’t have a clue about conservation, or what’s happening on the ground in Africa. Nevertheless, it’s often those loud and emotional opinions that direct the global debate. They influence what legal measures are taken, and how international aid is spent. Those developments, in turn, impact what happens at the grassroots level. …”

If you would like to chime in on this discussion, please engage with me on the Creative Experiences FB page, or send me a message.

All content on this blog is Copyright ©Eva-Lotta Jansson 2017-2018. All rights reserved.

Ready to tell your own story?

UNIQUELY YOUR STORY 2018


Ready to power your brand by telling your unique story?

I’ll take you through an easy process to clarify and focus your storytelling strategy – and then I’ll help you tell the story. Heck, I’ll even write the story for you.

I’m a content strategist who both inspires and helps organizations and entrepreneurs tell their unique story to power their brand and maximize their impact on social media. Take a look at my new offering, below: Uniquely your story 2018

Interested in working together? Set up a time to chat about it here.

**TELL YOUR UNIQUE STORY TO MAXIMIZE YOUR IMPACT ON SOCIAL MEDIA**

You know in your heart that you are ready to tell your story to power your brand, BUT:

-Who has time to slave over a hot keyboard, when there are so many other important things to do?

-You know who you are and what you want to say, but it’s too HARD to be Hemmingway.

-It’s like starting a whole publication venture, isn’t it?! That’s daunting. The details of all that isn’t your zone of genius. What if you get writers block?! And who knows if it will bear any fruit?

Hold on a minute. Those are your gremlins speaking. And help is on the way.

What if I told you there was an easier way to do this?

That’s where I come in. Let me help you. If you get my Uniquely your story 2018 package, I’ll take you through an easy process to clarify and focus your storytelling strategy – and then I’ll help you tell the story. I’ll even write the story for you.

Wouldn’t it be great to have someone to brainstorm with?

Wouldn’t it be great to work with someone who gets you, who can extract that great story gold out of you, and help you strut your stuff to the world?

You’d get help to tell your unique story in a personal and magical way. That way, you’ll be speaking directly to the hearts and minds of your ideal audience.

You’ll have someone to guide you, step by step, in the right direction, so you can relax and focus on your core purpose!

So I have to ask you…

Wouldn’t it be great to have someone that could help you create your storytelling strategy and write your unique content for you – all within weeks?

If you are ready to commit to powering your brand by telling your unique story – and need some help, then this package is for you: Welcome to Uniquely your story 2018!

Uniquely your story is a an all-inclusive storytelling strategy + coaching + storytelling content package.

©Eva-Lotta Jansson

I’m Eva-Lotta Jansson, and I’ve been telling stories since I was about five years old. I kid you not. That’s when I made my first ‘newspaper.’

When I say tell stories, I might sound like I mean I was fibbing? Nope, I was a modest, model child 😉 who grew up to be truth-telling journalist.

I’ve been telling stories in various forms – articles, blogs, video and photography – for (ahem) several decades now. I’ve worked with news organizations and NGOs, in the United States, England and Africa. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and did post-graduate studies in photojournalism at the College of Printing in London.

I use my storytelling skills to help entrepreneurs and organizations tell their unique stories, so that they can connect with their audiences in a powerful way.

I live in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I’ve just finished my latest personal storytelling project, a book called ‘On the road to elephants.’ I love nature, so trips to the ‘bush’ and the ocean are among my favorites.

Feeling inspired and ready to dive in? I know I am, and I’d love to help you tell your story.

As an example, here are some of the details that are included for individual entrepreneurs who buy the Uniquely your story 2018 package, in workflow order:

1) Storytelling Strategy:

-I’ll supply Q&A storytelling strategy document (you’ll fill this out before our call);
-We’ll have a 45-min strategy zoom call (we’ll discuss the storytelling strategy);
-I’ll supply a strategy summary document based on above: storytelling focus, media platform(s), planning, themes, SEO words and story/blog post ideas, etc.

2) Unique Storytelling Content:
-We’ll create a starter package of storytelling content for you. I find that a blog combined with a Facebook page is a great way to tell your story. (So an example starter-content package would be your storytelling ‘about’ page, two blog posts and seven storytelling FB posts.)

-We’ll have two 25-min zoom blog calls; or one 50-min zoom blog call;
-I’ll supply a word document containing the storytelling content

Speed, direction and purpose: We’ll get everything done within two* weeks.
*if you are the kind of client I love to work with: You are all in; Passionate about your work; and, strive to the best in your line of work. You’re investing in this package, so you’ll be 100 percent invested in this storytelling process – meet deadlines – and get fabulous results within weeks.

I want to give you my all of my attention when we are working together, so I will only take on a few clients each month. (And once you’re in, you may chose to work with me on a recurring schedule for more content creation). Want to claim one of the limited spots now? Book a free call with me to chat about it (use the form above).

Interested in working together? Set up a time to chat about it here.

Want me to come to you, so you can get photos and video with that? That’s possible too. Just ask. Have a look at some samples on my photographer website:

Eva-Lotta Jansson’s photo and video assignment services

The snorkelling elephant

An enjoyable and perplexing moment from my new book ‘On the road to elephants’

NewExcerpt

My most special Kruger Park experience happened on the day when I was leaving.

“I’d already had a few adventures on this trip. First I got lost in the park after dark. And I had made myself quite sick with dehydration the day before I was leaving. So I departed late that last morning, to first make sure I wasn’t too dizzy to drive.

I was headed South through the park, to exit at the gate down below. And even though I had been told I wouldn’t see many elephants in that area of the park, I had the best sightings of the trip there.

Crossing a dried river bed, next to a dam wall, I observed a rather large elephant with big tusks in the distance, and decided to hang around for a bit.

And it was so worth it. Eventually that big guy came over to enjoy the shade of a big tree nearby. This was pretty much the biggest elephant I had seen so far, or ever. In a way that was an illusion because he was towering above me, because the road was built below that dam wall.

Me and the big elephant had a nice eye to eye right there. He was calm, but yes, a giant. So I think I trembled a bit inside. With my car parked just below him, the elephant, if angered, probably would have just needed to take one big leap to step on me. So here I did not plan to stay long.

But then another, more normally-sized elephant came walking across the plains. And it was doing something curious. It was using its trunk like a snorkel in the air – skilfully waving it about in a controlled way, a bit like an Indian dancer does with her arms. What was it doing? I had not seen this behaviour before.

It turns out that it was sniffing us, me and the big elephant. And it was headed our way. First, I thought for sure that it was signalling to the other elephant, making some kind of communication. By now he was standing very close to me, on the dam wall just above me. And he was signalling to me too!

What on earth, I thought. I was so excited, flabbergasted (and probably a little scared) that I accidentally caught part of the inside of my car roof in the frame, when I pointed my camera towards him.

Then I realized that he was actually smelling me! He was apparently very curious. Taking pictures, my car window was of course open, and the elephant was downwind from me. I felt a little guilty, as I realized I might be smelling of the Impala meat I had tasted at the lodge where I was staying the night before. How barbaric, he might have thought. Elephants are herbivores. …”

All content on this blog is Copyright ©Eva-Lotta Jansson 2017-2018. All rights reserved.

Read more about ‘On the road to elephants’. And, buy the book.

Buy ‘On the road to elephants’


‘On the road to elephants’ has been published, and it’s making its way into online bookstores, worldwide. In the meantime, you can order the book directly from me.

The book is printed* in the US and ships worldwide. Price $67 + shipping.


‘On the road to elephants’ + US shipping:

‘On the road to elephants’ + UK shipping


I’ve included a payment button valid for shipping within the US, or to the UK, above.

However, I’ll be happy to ship the book to you anywhere!; simply use the contact form to send me a message. Please tell me your shipping location and how many copies you’d like to buy, and I’ll calculate your shipping fees and revert with a Paypal link specifically for you.

*Please note that the printer offers no refunds as each copy of the book is printed when you pay for it. So therefore, I too have a no-refund policy, not matter what PayPal might say.

You can sample the contents of ‘On the road to elephants’ here, on Instagram, and the blog.

SAMPLE BOOK PAGES HERE

‘On the Road to Elephants’ is a soft-cover photography book with a written essay. Inside its pages, you’ll find lots of delightful elephant pictures. Although this isn’t really a ‘traditional’ wildlife ‘coffee-table’ book; it’s more of an essay about elephants, and more.

I explore, with my camera – from my rather small car – how elephants live in modern day (South) Africa. It’s a mixture of photo book, personal travel experiences and informal guide book. And, beyond the fun pictures and travel anecdotes, it’s also a more serious journalistic document about South Africa, and an exploration into our relationship, as humans, with elephants in a historical context.

Elephants are a keystone species in Africa, which means that the rest of the ecosystem, including other wildlife, depend on their survival. The issues affecting elephant populations vary from region to region in Africa. That’s why I focus on South Africa, on its own, and in context of what’s happening on the continent.

Happy New Year!


Happy New Year! Hope all your dreams come true in 2018.

Here’s an elephant New Year’s kiss for you.

The displays of love and affection among elephants are some of the behaviours that make them so dear to us. However, although this might seem like merely an enjoyable French kiss, the act may actually also serve another purpose.

The elephants are exchanging information by connecting like this through their mouths, an elephant handler explained to me. By ‘kissing, they can find out where the other elephant has travelled from, and what the soil and food was like there, for example. This is research I would love to find out more about!

I met these particular elephants at the Knysna Elephant Park, in the Western Cape. For this and more elephant stories, please check out my new book ‘On the road to elephants.’