In his article “7 tips for better digital storytelling,” Russell Working (@ByWorking), a writer for Ragan Communications, presents good ideas about storytelling from Brian Solis (@briansolis), a digital analyst, speaker, and author at research firm Altimeter Group.
As a creator of content and sometime content marketer, I love sharing good ideas. Here are my three faves from this article:
- “Stop chasing ‘shiny objects.’” Basically you should be creating great content for any outlet—especially smartphones—instead of worrying about the latest “shiny new platform.” Sounds about right to me. In a recent physical therapy session—broken foot, dontcha know—the therapist talked about how much he enjoyed reading Hemingway’s short stories. Actually read from a book! He was reacting to the content, not the platform, which should tell you something.
- “Storyboard.” I may adopt this technique for the fiction writing I do. And then again, I may not. Simply because freewriting, a technique suggested by the wonderful Anne Janzer, author of “The Workplace Writer’s Process: A Guide to Getting the Job Done,” and “The Writer’s Process: Getting Your Brain in Gear,” has worked so well for me. I think what storyboarding and freewriting have in common is that they make you engage with your story before you jump in and get serious.
- “Stop selling, and start embracing responsive storytelling.” Interesting. I think this relates to one of the other seven tips: “Stop talking to people only when you need them.” What a concept. Of course, you’re always selling, yet you don’t need to be overt all the time. And when you engage customers through conversation and not by dropping content bombs on them, you stand to win.
One of the tips I’m not sure I agree with is “Quit chasing case studies. Give your audience interesting, useful content.” Well, I write case studies, so I have some self-interest here. But I think a well-written case study can serve up useful information. With this caveat. Strive for real-world relevance. If there are lessons learned, fess up. Your audience did not fall off the turnip truck yesterday, so be honest and dial down the puff piece factor.
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