Reacting to BIG news as a creator

And how Apple nearly ruined my week

A lot can happen in a couple of weeks.

I recently published a YouTube video (below) that charted my intention to give DaVinci Resolve a go on the iPad and see what I might be missing out on. In that video, I also made the bold claim that Apple clearly has no intention of releasing a version of Final Cut Pro for the iPad.

Two weeks later, Apple dropped the mother of all press releases (for my industry, at least). As it turns out, they had been working hard on Final Cut Pro for the iPad. So hard, in fact, that it will become available for everyone on 23rd May. Oh, and they’re also launching the digital audio workstation, Logic Pro, for the iPad at the same time.

This was a genuine mouth-agog moment for me when I saw the news. It also arrived at the worst possible time.

What I did next is, I think, a lesson for all creators.

News from Apple never arrives at a convenient time for me. It either happens while I’m travelling or when my to-do list and content calendar are both at breaking point. The announcement of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro coming to the iPad didn’t arrive while I was travelling in Belgium last week, but it has come at a time when there isn’t an ounce of wriggle room in my video schedule.

When the news broke, I had two options. The first was to shut down the business, run for the hills, and do something else that had nothing to do with covering tech or Apple News. After briefly considering that as a viable route forward, I quickly came to my senses and decided to opt for the more strategic approach instead.

Unless you have insider contacts within the brands about which you create content, you will inevitably encounter instances like this; big news will come out of the blue and at the worst possible time. Yet, the first thing you must always remind yourself - as I did this week - is that it is a wonderful thing. If the news is really that big, it means there will be a sudden swell of interest, searches, and engagement in your niche. You need that - and boy did we Apple commentators need it this week!

When I heard the news from Apple, I was working on a completely unrelated piece of content - which I very nearly abandoned, until I realised that it was still a priority regardless of what Apple was up to. So, I calmed down, put things into perspective and carried on as if nothing had happened. Once I’d finished that piece of content, I created some simple social stuff about Apple’s big news and planned a reaction blog post, and last-minute video for the next day.

It worked. That reaction video was treated to a very simple production process and benefitted, as always, from the fact that I’d written a blog on the topic the night before. There were no fires to put out, no panic and, despite a late night due to the blog post and a fairly frenetic video production process the next day, everything went to plan.

The lesson here is simple: always keep in mind that, as a content creator, you’re working within a live situation. Things can change; stuff can happen without any input or knowledge on your behalf. When these events provide opportunities for your brand, you should always grab them, but without disregarding your current priorities - because you’re working on those for a valid reason, too!

Equally, make sure you have bulletproof processes. I’m very boring about this, but the only reason I was able to react so quickly to Apple’s news was that I have processes that are set in stone and that work every single time. I’d still be sitting here working out what to do if that wasn’t the case.

Reacting fast as a creator is something I’ve got entirely wrong in the past. It’s left me exhausted, frustrated, and neglectful of other priorities. The biggest win this week (beyond Apple’s exciting news) is the fact that I’ve clearly learned my lesson.