History With Jackson
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History with Jackson was born from a simple but powerful idea: that history should be accessible, engaging, and enjoyable for everyone—regardless of background, academic level, or where they are in the world. Founded by Jackson, a passionate historian and storyteller, the brand exists to break down barriers between historians and the wider public. Through his podcast, Jackson brings expert voices directly to history lovers and enthusiasts, sparking conversations that are both informative and approachable. His content isn’t about gatekeeping the past—it’s about opening the doors to it. On social media, Jackson brings history to life in creative and relatable ways. From dynamic videos to behind-the-scenes moments at historical festivals, his content reflects a genuine passion for storytelling, grounded in research but delivered with clarity and energy. History with Jackson works the way it does because Jackson believes history belongs to everyone. His mission is to make it digestible without diluting its depth, and accessible without losing authenticity—building a space where curiosity meets credibility, and where everyone feels welcome to explore the past.
— Abigail Williams, Content Producer and Digital Stratergist for History with Jackson
Social Media and Digitial Stratergist (A Case Study)
oDigital Stratergist oContent Creation oContent Planning oSocail Media Copy oSEO Optimisation oVideo Scripts oBrand Story oBlog Posts
As Social Media Strategist for History with Jackson, I led the end-to-end creation and execution of content strategies designed to grow the brand’s digital presence and connect with a wider audience. I researched and scripted engaging video content, ensuring all accompanying social media copy was SEO-optimised and tailored to platform-specific engagement.
In preparation for UK history festivals, I developed strategic content plans aligned with both the HWJ brand and the unique identity of each festival. While on-site, I filmed and edited all festival content—balancing behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, and historical storytelling to bring events to life for online audiences. I also worked closely with festival organisers to ensure brand presence aligned with their content expectations and guidelines.
Additionally, I helped coin and shape key concepts that have become defining elements of the History with Jackson identity today, ensuring every piece of content reflected Jackson’s mission to make history accessible, engaging, and relevant to all.
01— The Creative Process
Researching
Understanding the essence of History with Jackson (HWJ) — its mission to present history in an accessible and engaging way, the audience it aims to serve, and the reasons behind its push to expand its social media presence.
Brainstorming
With HWJ making its debut on the UK history festival circuit, it was essential to develop a strategic approach to ensure the brand remained impactful and visible within the broader festival narrative, while adapting to the unique identity of each event HWJ covered as a member of the press. By examining how historical content is most effectively consumed online and identifying where HWJ’s niche could thrive amid the fast-paced digital landscape, I developed a series of tailored content types for the brand to explore.
Creating the Strategy
The creative strategy was built around Jackson: the founder, face, and driving force behind HWJ. Jackson is HWJ, and it was time for the content to reflect that by spotlighting him, not just the guests featured on his podcast. The HWJ brand resonates with audiences because of Jackson’s unique voice and perspective, so it was crucial to craft a strategy that conveyed his passion and showcased the authenticity that fuels his work within the history community.
Refining
Piloting new content at the Katharine of Aragon Festival (KOAF), History with Jackson introduced its audience to a fresh blend of scripted on-site historical videos, behind-the-scenes footage, exclusive festival interviews, round-up blog posts, and tailored festival content. It quickly became clear that Jackson, as the face of HWJ, resonated powerfully with audiences. His presence emerged as the cornerstone of a content-led strategy, proving essential as we continued to navigate and grow within the history festival circuit.
This iterative process unfolded with each new festival the HWJ team engaged with—assessing the strengths and limitations of the content produced, refining what resonated, and evolving successful formats. Through this continual adaptation, HWJ steadily shaped the distinctive and recognisable brand presence it holds online today.
02 - Social Media Copy and SEO Optimisation
HistorywithJackson: BANGERS HERE! The incredible story or Major ‘Banger’ King brought to life @chalkehistoryfestival
Remembering the individual stories of those who showed great courage and camaraderie is so important, and cannot be overlooked. Keep an eye out for Major Banger King discussing more of his personal history during World War II
HistorywithJackson: Dr Zack White speaks to @historywithjackson about the important work he and the Napoleonic and Revolutionary War Graves Charity does.
If you want to hear more about the work @zwhite_history does and his talks from the @chalkehistoryfestival head over the History With Jackson Podcast to listen to our episode with him! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZldkQP3iDBI
HistorywithJakson: Listen to @jamesholland1940 tell us what his favourite fact about World War II is!
The @wehavewayspod We Have Ways Festival is the UK’s largest World War II history festival and highlights so much of the known, and unknown history of the Second World War. Keep an eye out as we ask more of the festival goers their favourite fact about World War II!
Capturing the stories you love and the history you didn’t know you needed...
I crafted SEO-optimised social media copy to ensure festival-related content reached the widest possible audience. By aligning keywords with historical themes, trending topics, and platform-specific search behaviours, I boosted visibility and engagement across channels. Each post was carefully written to balance historical value with compelling calls to action—bringing UK history festivals to life online, spotlighting stories from historians and living historians alike, and strengthening HWJ’s digital footprint within the history community.
03 - Examples of Scripted Videos
"In my end, is my beginning" - Mary Queen of Scots
Peterborough Cathedral is often unknown as Mary Queen of Scots orignal resting place - Jackson brings this to life at KOAF
The Tomb of Edward II
As part of our Gloucester History Festival series the HWJ team explored Gloucester Cathederal in all of its royal glory
Katharine of Aragon: The Peoples Queen
Jackson introduces this beloved Queen as part of the Katharine of Aragon Festival(KOAF) &provides a short history of her tomb
The Crypt at Gloucester Cathedral
Few people have descended into the Crypt below Gloucester Cathedral.Come with Jackson as he shares a rare glimpse to the past
The Great East Window at Gloucester Cathedral
Who knew that stain glass could shed light upon the scheming politics of the royal court...
Donnington Castle
Once a mighty castle, the ruins of Donnington Castle still paints an impressive image on the Berkshire skyline.
The infamous Fan Vaulting
Perhaps you movie buffs recognise this area of Gloucester cathedral? Did you know this architectural style is fan vaulting?
The Comemorative Edda Stone
Listen to the Organ of Peterborough Cathedral as Jackson details the history of the viking massacre of Edda the Abbot
04 - From concept to script, location to lens, caption to post - I brought it all to life as the creative force behind History with Jackson’s digital storytelling
As Social Media Strategist for History with Jackson, I led the content planning process for UK history festivals and developed long-term strategies to integrate social media into the core of the brand’s business model. This involved crafting tailored content calendars for each festival, aligning historical themes with platform trends, and ensuring consistent brand storytelling across channels. I also played a key role in shaping the overall digital direction of HWJ—establishing a sustainable, scalable strategy that positioned social media as a vital tool for growth, audience engagement, and historical outreach. This has enabled HWJ to become a historical consultant promoting Historical works not just through his podcast platform but on social media, with publishers using the HWJ platform to market their authors.
05 - Content Creation
As part of the History with Jackson team, I was the driving force behind all aspects of content creation: planning, filming, and editing everything from dynamic B-roll to on-location storytelling. I captured engaging interviews, behind-the-scenes moments, and historical narratives from living historians and historians alike, crafting visually rich content that brought events and places to life. Whether it was filming on-site at UK history festivals or shaping stories for social media, I ensured every frame aligned with the HWJ brand and connected with our audience.
As part of the History with Jackson team, I authored daily round-up blog posts for the Katharine of Aragon Festival, Gloucester History Festival, and Chalke History Festival. These posts captured the essence of each day's events, from insightful talks and engaging performances to the vibrant atmosphere of the festivals. My writing aimed to make historical content accessible and engaging for a broad audience, providing readers with concise and lively summaries that reflected the unique character of each festival. This experience honed my ability to distil diverse historical topics into compelling narratives and brought interviews and talks from some of the top historians in the UK to a wider audience of people who may not have been able to attend themselves.
You can see more examples of Blog Posts here
Event Coordinator (A Case Study)
oWritten Reports oFact Checker oCopy Editing
As Event Coordinator for the History with Jackson team during the UK history festival circuit, I played a pivotal role in ensuring seamless operations and effective content delivery. My responsibilities included drafting detailed briefing reports on prominent historians and key figures slated for interviews, providing the team with essential context and background. I meticulously fact-checked Jackson's event schedule to guarantee accuracy and relevance, ensuring he was equipped with the most up-to-date information. Additionally, I copy-edited blog posts and social media content, maintaining a consistent and engaging tone that resonated with our audience. This role demanded a blend of strategic planning, attention to detail, and strong communication skills to enhance our presence and impact at each festival. I held this role at the Katharine of Aragon Festival, Gloucester Spring and Autumn Festival, Chalk History Festival, and We Have Ways Festival in 2024.
01- Written Reports
Before each festival, I meticulously planned our event schedule, cross-referencing those earmarked for interview. I then developed comprehensive briefing reports on prominent historians and public figures scheduled for interviews. These reports included concise biographies, summaries of recent publications, the summary of their talk or event from the event programme, analyses of their contributions to the field, and any relevant historical knowledge or context Jackson may need to understand before an interview. These reports provided the team with essential context and tailored questions to facilitate insightful conversations, and to ensure that the History with Jackson brand was remembered favourably by the Historians who featured in our festival special series podcast interviews. By distilling complex historical backgrounds into accessible summaries, I ensured our interviews were also well-informed and engaging for a broad audience.
02 - Fact Checker
As the Fact Checker for the History with Jackson team during the 2024 UK history festival circuit, I ensured the accuracy and relevance of event schedules by meticulously verifying all details. This involved cross-referencing festival programs, speaker biographies, and session information to provide Jackson with the most up-to-date information about scheduling changes, context regarding historians’ talks and historical background. My diligence ensured seamless interviews and engagements, enhancing our credibility and audience trust.
03 - Copy Editing
As a copy editor for the History with Jackson team, I was responsible for refining and shaping blog content produced during UK history festivals. Working in fast-paced, content-rich environments, I edited festival round-ups, social media copy, and behind-the-scenes insights for event staff to ensure clarity, consistency, and alignment with the HWJ brand voice. My role was key in transforming on-the-ground experiences into engaging, accessible written content that resonated with HWJ’s diverse online audience—helping to maintain a high editorial standard while capturing the energy and relevance of each festival, in a fast-paced and content-dense environment.
The History with Jackson Team at Gloucester our first History Festival of 2024
Abigail interviewing Saul David for the History with Jackson Podcast at Chalke History Festival
Major Banger King, a major part of the incredible atmophere at We Have Ways Fest
The History of Jackson Team at our last Gloucester History festival of 2024