Along with all the updates, retweets, self promotion, and other social media content clutter, it’s always nice to find a good story. Why? A good story educates, draws you in, is shareable, and most of all, resonates emotionally.
If someone sat down and told you how wonderful they were for 10 minutes, how much of that would you remember the next day? The average person has a 5% recall. But the recall for a memorable story is different. If that same person told you an urban myth, you would be able to recall that story 5 years later.
So what is the difference between 5% and 5 years? The facts and figures you were subjected are stored in short term memory (lasts for the length of a conversation), while the urban myth you heard goes into long term memory (lasts for years). And that’s the part that retains a memorable story.
Ways to get your brand message out in a compelling story format:
“Show, Don’t Tell”
Show what is happening, and let the audience draw it’s own conclusions. Use visuals, video, testimonials, and animations to demonstrate the story.
Avoid the “Scanning” Effect
Online readers scan rather than read. In order for your content to consumed, wrap the message in a compelling story. Have an engaging headline, and a story with a beginning, middle and end.
Manage the Process
Take them on a journey, tell them what to do next, and give them a chance to ask for more. You can leave them hanging in the storyline, but don’t leave them hanging in disconnected media. Create a consistent flow from story to action (and resolution).
Get Real and Personal
Tell them about your own struggles, or your customer’s struggles, to find the solution to a challenge. Clients will identify with others who share the same problems, solutions, and outcomes.
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Connor Brooke.
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