L 2-2 : Content Story Telling
You're not familiar with content strategy. Let's take a look at what makes content great. In this lesson, you'll dive deeper into content tell a story, and repurpose and curate content.
After you've considered your customers' needs or problems, chosen a topic and a format, there are a few more content elements you'll want to pay attention to in order to make your content great. First content, that is more niche and more personalized is often more successful. For example an article on How to Attract Customers Online is too generic. Most people pay attention to content that relates to them and their specific problems or needs. So a better article and headline would be How to Attract Returning Customers Through Facebook Ads. You can use short-form content like a -word blog or long-form content like an in-depth white paper. What links work best will depend on your content topic, your audience and the format of the content. For example Bamboo HR, a BB, business to business, company created a white paper for their audience of HR hiring managers. The description of the article makes it very clear to users what they can expect. The full document is pages long and has a clearer table of contents that gives the reader a good overview of what they'll get. Elizabeth Arden a skincare company and BC, business to consumer, company created content around skincare with tips for users that they paid to have featured on the website refinery.com. The content is focused on selling their product and it's short. It's only eight slides with pictures. The user again gets a very good sense of what they will get from the title. There is a lot of content out there, and much of it waste the reader's time. Make sure your content actually delivers on the title headline or description, includes only the necessary points and conveys the central message upfront. Whatever length you choose the golden rule is to respect your audience's time. You also want your content to use the same language that your audience uses. In many BB, business to business, context you might need to use more formal language. While in some BC, business to consumer context slang could be okay. In general though, you want to avoid using too much jargon. Jargon can demonstrate that you're an insider in your industry and know the lingo, but too much jargon can make your content pretentious, clunky and alienating. In any case, your content should always be easily understood by newcomers to your industry. Straightforward and simple messaging is best. In addition, positive language is more effective than negative language. For example pay attention to your language is positive language. Don't use jargon is negative language. One way to detect negative language is to look for words like can't and don't. But it's not a hard and fast rule. The right move is to use language that best conveys your message.
Further, pay attention to the voice and tone of your content.Voice is who is crafting the content and their personality.Tone is how a voice is used in different situations.For example, you have the same voice all the time but your tone changes.You might use one tone when talking to your dog,and another when talking with your boss.With tone you'll always want to consider the audience's state of mind.You want to think through who you want the content to come from;a person, a team,a mascot, the company.What is the personality of the voice?Is the voice warm and encouraging or authoritative and disciplined?A good example of a voice reflected in content is Virgin America's blog.As you can see they keep the content fun,with light and upbeat tone focused oncontent that is in line with their hip and cool image.Don't try to fake a voice.If for example using emojis doesn't come naturally to you, don't attempt it.As much as you can use a voice that is authentic to your company or organization.Whether it's a consumer or the decision maker at a business,you're trying to establish a relationship with a person.As such you'll want to speak to what makes us human.There are many parts to being human that your marketing can leverage.Three core elements to consider are memory, motivation and emotion.Humans have an innate ability to remember things spatially.That means you want to put your content in context.Give its sensory details and use imagery such as this infographic.Infographics are colorful ways to summarize data in sites with pictures and graphs.They are popular content format exactly becausethe imagery helps people remember the content better.Every day we go through a range of emotions.Happy, sad, afraid surprise,and angry disgusted to name a few.Each of these emotions can drive different behaviors.For example, research shows that happiness can prompt people to share,sadness can prompt people to empathize,fear can prompt people to bond with others and anger can prompt people to action.Humor works too. This video by Ikea created to announcethe launch of their new catalog was self-effacing and tickled the funny-bone of viewers.It's a book book.The first thing to note is no cables,not even a power cable.The Ikea catalog comes fully charged and the battery life is eternal.The interface is . by inches but can expand to by inches.The navigation is based on tactile touch technology that you can actually feel.Content comes pre-installed.They have high definition pages inspiring or furnishing ideas.To start browsing, simply is touch and drag.Right to Left to move forwards,Left to Right to move backwards.As a result it was shared millions of times.If your content evokes emotions in your audience they're also more likely to remember it.Motivation is another internal state that activates behavior.While many can't articulate why they make the decisions they do,they're often motivated by unmet psychological needs.Common human needs, are the need for consistency,the need to categorize and they need to belong.If for example, someone listens to country music they will oftenalso own cowboy boots to satisfy their need for consistency.Marketing content that leveragesthe memory emotion and motivation of your targer persona,is likely to be highly effective.Finally, Simon Sinek, an author and consultant sums upthe best content creation with his advice for marketers. Start with why?Why?How? What? This little idea,explains why some organizations and some leaders are able to inspire where others aren't.Let me define the terms really quickly.Every single person, every single organization on the planet knows what they do, %.Some, know how they do it.Whether you call it your differentiating valueproposition or your proprietary process or USP.But very, very few people or organizations know why they do what they do.And by why, I don't mean to make a profit.That's a result. It's always a result.By why I mean what's your purpose? What's your cause?What's your belief?Why does your organization exist?Why do you get out of bed in the morning?And why should anyone care?Well as a result, the way we think, the way we act,the way we communicate is from the outside in.It's obvious, we go from the clearest thing to the fuzziest thing.But the inspired leaders and the inspired organizations,regardless of their size,regardless of their industry,all think, act and communicate, from the inside out.Let me give you an example. I useApple because they're easy to understand and everybody gets it.If Apple were like everyone else,a marketing message from them might sound like this;We make great computers.They're beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly.Want to buy one?And that's how most of us communicate.That's how most marketing is done,that's how most sales are done, and that's how most of us communicate inter-personally.We say what we do,we say how we're different or how we better and we expect some sort of behavior;a purchase of both, something like that.Here is our new law firm.We have the best lawyers with the biggest clients.You know we always perform for our clients, do business with us.Here's our new car that gets great gas mileage,it has, you know leather seats.Buy our car. But it's uninspired.Here's how Apple actually communicates.Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo.We believe in thinking differently.The way we challenge the status quo,is by making our products beautifully designed,simple to use and user friendly.We just happened to make great computers.Want to buy one? Totally different right?You ready to buy a computer from me.All I did was reverse the order of the information.What it proves to us, is that people don't buy what you do,people buy why you do it.People don't buy what you do, they buy why
The world is more and more savvy about marketing and advertising and as a result,weary of being sold to.So how can you stand apart?Tell a story.Storytelling is the most effective way toconnect with your audience and get your message across.You can use stories to persuade by example or to link powerful emotions to your brand.Stories don't need to be long or complicated or even in writing to pack a punch.There are a number of different story structures you canuse to build that personal connection and drive action.Here are two you should consider: SCQA,also called the pyramid principle,and the Pixar framework. Let's go over these.One framework you can use to create an engaging story iscalled SCQA which stands for situation,complication, question, and answer.The situation is a clear crisp statement of the facts,it's the state of affairs as they are right now.Complication is the thing that's changed that makes things harder,the change of circumstances that you should be concerned about.Question normally falls out of the situation and complication,like, what should we do?And answer is the answer to this question.It usually resolves the complication.Here's how SCQA would apply to the story of Little Red Riding Hood.Situation: Little Red Riding Hoodwalks through the woods to deliver food to her grandmother.Complication: A wolf pretends to beher grandmother so that he can eat Little Red Riding Hood.Question: How will she escape?Answer: A lumberjack comes to the rescue.The Pixar framework is from Pixar,a famous storytelling company responsible for some ofthe most popular animated movies of all time like Toy Story.Pixar stories follow this simple outline.Once there was a,usually a protagonist with a goal;every day, describes the protagonist's routine;until one day, something pivotal that changes everything; because of that,what follows as a result;because of that; until finally.This is when the protagonist reaches the goal but oftennot in the way they originally thought they would;ever since then, how the character and their situation has changed.Here's how the Pixar framework would apply to Star Wars.Once there was a farm boy who wanted to be a fighter pilot.Every day, he helped out on the farm.Until one day, his family is killed.Because of that, he joins Obi-Wan Kenobi.Because of that, there were lots of wars and stars.Until finally, he becomes the star fighter pilot and saves the day.Ever since then, he's known not only as a pilot but also a Jedi.You can choose either of these frameworks to outlineyour company product or service a story and take a variety of approaches.But what all good stories have in common are character, conflict, and resolution.Every story should have all three.Let's look at how you can applythe story elements to your content with the help of HubSpot.The character is the connection between you,the storyteller, and your audience.To make sure you're focusing on the right characters,start with your buyer personas.This semi-fictional representation of your ideal buyer can help guideyou to understanding the goals and challenges that your character will face.Is your buyer persona a full time parent?Well, you might know that time is not ontheir side and they would describe themselves as busy.You should keep that in mind for your storytelling.Or is your buyer persona a business owner who is looking fora better way to communicate between her team members?She'll likely see herself as the character if a team is used within your story.Or maybe you are an educational organization lookingto attract students who want to take online courses?They may want to read about success stories of students that are just like them.Once you have an idea of who the character will be for your story,it's important to understand the conflict.The conflict is the lesson in how the character transforms through challenge,an emphasis on the lesson.Remember, when it comes to content marketing and storytelling,the power is in what you're teaching.Conflict helps build developmental and emotional dynamics.It helps to make a connection between two entities.And human to human connections are the foundation for a successful business.Remember, you're dealing with people not machines.Your company is providing answers, relieving stress,creating happiness, and making life easier for the end user.The revenue your company makes comes froma well-thought business plan and customers who believe in you and what you do.If your story lacks conflict,then you're probably not telling a story.Instead you're telling a pitch,a tagline, unique selling point,or a plain statement.This approach won't resonate with your audience.And from a content marketing perspective,it won't get you views,and shares, and conversions, or customers.Conflict doesn't mean that you should be overly dramatic.Be genuine.The conflict should drive the overall story and affect how characters react.This is what should inspire your audience to engage.Make sure the conflict fits your prospect's problems,needs, or the stage of the buyer's journey.If it doesn't fit,why would they be interested in reading the story?Why will they connect?As important as it is to understand your buyer personas,it's equally as important to understandtheir buyer's journey and the conflicts that they face at each stage.Where there is conflict,your audience will naturally want some sort of resolution.But what happens next?How does the story end?How did the characters or characters change?It doesn't always have to be a happy ending.Every good story has a closing.So the idea of the resolution is to provide context andemotion for the audience to relate and process the story.The resolution should wrap up the storybut should also clearly call your audience to action.It fulfills the purpose behind the story.For content marketing, a resolution could benext steps or even a call to action for more content.Either way, don't leave them hanging.Let's look at some more examples.Hi, I'm Mike, founder of dollarshaveclub.com.What is dollarshaveclub.com?Well, for a dollar a month we send high quality razors right to your door.Yeah a dollar.Are the blades any good?No, our plans are f*n great.Your story can be about your company's origins like Dollar Shave Club.We are dollarshaveclub.com and the party is on.Or the story you tellcan be related to your company product or service but notdirectly about it like Fitbit's approach with, Know Your Heart.But you don't need video to tell a story.You can also use story in a blog.Here's HubSpot on how Wistia,a video service, uses blogs.They created this blog post,Improve Your Audio: How to Reduce Echo in Your Video.Right from the title,you can tell what the conflict is,reducing echo in video.A title isn't always going to be about the conflict.Sometimes it might be the resolution andother times it might summarize what the blog post is all about.But in this case, it's the conflict.The blog post even starts out with,"Bad sounding audio can ruin even the best of videos."Their buyer persona can instantly relate,they're pulled into the conflict and now asking for more.Let's dig deeper, who is the character?From the title it appears like the character will be the audience orthe reader since it's about improving your audio in your video.As you'll see Wistia continues to use this point of view through out the blog post.And, finally, the blog post provides the resolution.Step by step instructions on soundproofing for video.The story is clear and concise and ties back totheir purpose: empowering people to get more out of video.They use language and a funny tone to stay consistent and authentic with their brand.It's easy to think that using stories only worksbest with BC or business to consumer companies.But even BB or business to business companies need to connect to individual people.The decision makers are buyers with their content.For example, Qualcomm is a BB company that does storytelling.Through their stories and invention,they tell stories that involve their products and the impact they have had on many lives.This example about the invention of CDMA,a component that was essential for Qualcomm's wireless communications products,tells a story of how back in someone's invention was almost dismissed and lost until its value was proven.The story's a great way for Qualcomm to get users interested in their products.As you can see by telling authentic stories BB companies cancreate deeper connections with the individuals that matter to their business.Let's turn to HubSpot to go over some best practices.Now beyond the three elements that make up the story.There are also some best practices to follow and keep in mind.To help make your story great and resonate with your audience,you need to use content to create emotional appeal.Be consistent and authentic and keep the story clear and concise.First, using content to create emotional appeal,your story needs emotional resonance.Emotion is what will give your story power.Make sure to give your stories character some emotion.And think about the emotional response that you're looking to get from the reader.Is it fear, survival,guilt, amusement, maybe even hope?To get buy in from your audience,you need to elicit emotion.What's the difference between your story and somebody else's story?What's the mission or purpose of your company?Why should your audience care?Next, your story needs to be consistent and authentic.It's not just what you say through your website or your content butthe entire experience that your company has to offer based on your buyer persona needs.David Ogilvy, one of the most well-known advertisers of all time once said,"Tell the truth, but make it fascinating".You can make any industry,any product, or any service stand out.And that's done with providing an experience.And lastly, you need to keep things clear and concise.Everyone can benefit from cutting down a lengthy story.Ever had a friend tell you a story that took about minutes to getthrough but probably could have taken them under a minute?Even long stories benefit from when you whittle themdown to just the most important parts.And be specific, you're not trying to speak to everyone.Your story and experience should not be a one size fits all approach.Communicating with the correct audience nicheand creating that need is just as important,if not more important than,the story you're telling.So remember create emotional appeal,be consistent and authentic,and keep the story clear and concise.Finally, humans have been telling and relating to stories since the beginning of time.Stories can trigger emotions, make us wonder,and they can be incredibly effective tools of persuasion.Your content in whatever format should utilize the power of story.
Conflict : The Conflict Should Fit
Your Prospect's Problem
Your Prospect's Needs
Your Prospect's Buyer Journey Stage
As you learn content creation takes a lot of time and thought.The good news is that you can repurpose a piece of content.Repurposing content is where you take an item of content that you'vecreated and adapt it for use in a different place or for a different purpose.Repurposing content is beneficial because not everyone consumes content in the same way.You need to repeat your message in order for it tostick and it reduces your content production burden.Here's how it works, when you repurpose content you're doing one of two things or both.One, changing the format of the content,and two, changing the target audience for the content.Changing the format could mean turning a series of blog posts intoan e-book or taking content from a webinar and turning it into an infographic.Changing the target audience for the contentcould mean turning a series of clothing images forwomen on Instagram into a gift ideas for her blog post targeted to men.HubSpot for example repurposedits entire email marketing certification into a publication on Medium.Salesforce repurposes their marketing blog topicsinto podcasts their customers can subscribe to.Betabrand repurpose their product images into beautiful pinboard on Pinterest.If you have rich image content this is a great way togive your content other life and reach a new audience.Not sure what to repurpose?Go back to the content audit spreadsheet we talked about in lesson one.You can use this spreadsheet as a content catalog andquickly identify different ways you can repurpose content.Be sure to get the most out of your content and repurpose it.The current leader in content creation is hands down BuzzFeed.Buzzfeed was created by Jonah Peretti in and hasexpanded from listicles and animal memes to investigative journalism,foreign news bureaus, local sites from London toSao Paolo and a staff of over that includes a Pulitzer Prize winner.BuzzFeed's core philosophy of content creationis centered around the emotional needs of its audience.Jonah has said, "What need does a story play in someone's life?"When you're having a rough day at work and see simple steps to get you through a rough day.That's servicing an emotional need.Look at this hedgehog wearing a tiny hat, you feel better.You share with your friends,and while you can have some success with tactical approachesa more powerful approach is to ask is this a compelling human story.A lot of the emotionally compelling content that peopleshare in BuzzFeed is not just funny, it's news.BuzzFeed's aim is to provide a mash up of both,because they both serve the needs of their audience.Buzzfeed also uses quizzes extensively.In Buzzfeed found that a quiz entitled "which greasepink lady are you' had accumulated the most shares of any post that year.As a result quizzes becamea daily content type used by all teams including the news team.Quizzes also demonstrated what Buzzfeed learned to utilize, identity.People like to share things that say something about themselves.Per Jason, if you share a Harvard Business Review article,it's partly because your peers see you sharing something from a respected publication.People got used to this idea that you have to dumb down your content to be popular.In fact you're more likely to spread smart content.Buzzfeed did a very literary post on books you need to read in your s.It has millions of views partly from people who want to be seen as literary.Buzzfeed is also leading the way in video and leveraging its inherent shareability.Further BuzzFeed's content strategy is built on data.The data science team relies on analytics.The design team test different versions of web site pages,and the company uses machine learning to predict which stories might spread.Let's learn more from BuzzFeed.My name is Edwin Wong,I'm vice president of research and insights and I work at BuzzFeed.I think being in the space that I'm in research and insights.It's a remarkable place to be today because there'sjust so much data that you can use where you understand when people engage,when they're dropping off, why they're even dropping off.And so really having a group thatis where you champion that group and you really listen to the insights folksbut also having insights folks know that there'sdata and there's also human interaction andbeing able to have that connection tocreatives will help to create the best sort of content.And so having that relationship andthat loop with our creatives is one of the best things that I see at BuzzFeed.One of the things that we've actually seen in the data isthat we're able to tag a lot of the content that we put out there.And you know there are pillars of content or content pillars as you will.They're funny or it's exciting or it's identity base or it's knowledge base,all things that we're pretty privy to in terms of scoring content.What was really interesting is we did an analysis last year duringthe holidays for branded content and identity,being able to connect with the consumer,that was the branded content from advertisers thatended up being looked at most as well as being shared the most.And so there's this really interesting dynamic that ends up happeningwith the consumer when it really reaches them in a new way.That's much more powerful than knowledge based content or a sale,a piece of sale content because if you want to actually share something you have tooffer this gift to the consumer sothey're willing to offer that gift to their friends and family.Buzzfeed's golden rules of shareability some of their overall content strategy.The rules include don't use tricks.People don't like to feel stupid.Your headline should relate to the content.You don't ever want to leave readers with a bad experience. Be yourself.Content should reflect your own identity not anyone else's.Make content you would be proud to share.Experiment, no ideas are bad ideas and have a heart.Let's quickly recap this lesson.Your content will need to consider personalization, length,language, voice, tone, and the humanness of your audience.Use story to stand out.
After you've considered your customers' needs or problems, chosen a topic and a format, there are a few more content elements you'll want to pay attention to in order to make your content great. First content, that is more niche and more personalized is often more successful. For example an article on How to Attract Customers Online is too generic. Most people pay attention to content that relates to them and their specific problems or needs. So a better article and headline would be How to Attract Returning Customers Through Facebook Ads. You can use short-form content like a -word blog or long-form content like an in-depth white paper. What links work best will depend on your content topic, your audience and the format of the content. For example Bamboo HR, a BB, business to business, company created a white paper for their audience of HR hiring managers. The description of the article makes it very clear to users what they can expect. The full document is pages long and has a clearer table of contents that gives the reader a good overview of what they'll get. Elizabeth Arden a skincare company and BC, business to consumer, company created content around skincare with tips for users that they paid to have featured on the website refinery.com. The content is focused on selling their product and it's short. It's only eight slides with pictures. The user again gets a very good sense of what they will get from the title. There is a lot of content out there, and much of it waste the reader's time. Make sure your content actually delivers on the title headline or description, includes only the necessary points and conveys the central message upfront. Whatever length you choose the golden rule is to respect your audience's time. You also want your content to use the same language that your audience uses. In many BB, business to business, context you might need to use more formal language. While in some BC, business to consumer context slang could be okay. In general though, you want to avoid using too much jargon. Jargon can demonstrate that you're an insider in your industry and know the lingo, but too much jargon can make your content pretentious, clunky and alienating. In any case, your content should always be easily understood by newcomers to your industry. Straightforward and simple messaging is best. In addition, positive language is more effective than negative language. For example pay attention to your language is positive language. Don't use jargon is negative language. One way to detect negative language is to look for words like can't and don't. But it's not a hard and fast rule. The right move is to use language that best conveys your message.
- Personalization Works Best Eg:
- Use Appropriate Length For Tour Target Audience And The Customer Journey
- Use Language Your Audience Can Understand
- Consider Your Voice And Tone
- Memory, Emotion & Motivation Help Customers To Relate.
Further, pay attention to the voice and tone of your content.Voice is who is crafting the content and their personality.Tone is how a voice is used in different situations.For example, you have the same voice all the time but your tone changes.You might use one tone when talking to your dog,and another when talking with your boss.With tone you'll always want to consider the audience's state of mind.You want to think through who you want the content to come from;a person, a team,a mascot, the company.What is the personality of the voice?Is the voice warm and encouraging or authoritative and disciplined?A good example of a voice reflected in content is Virgin America's blog.As you can see they keep the content fun,with light and upbeat tone focused oncontent that is in line with their hip and cool image.Don't try to fake a voice.If for example using emojis doesn't come naturally to you, don't attempt it.As much as you can use a voice that is authentic to your company or organization.Whether it's a consumer or the decision maker at a business,you're trying to establish a relationship with a person.As such you'll want to speak to what makes us human.There are many parts to being human that your marketing can leverage.Three core elements to consider are memory, motivation and emotion.Humans have an innate ability to remember things spatially.That means you want to put your content in context.Give its sensory details and use imagery such as this infographic.Infographics are colorful ways to summarize data in sites with pictures and graphs.They are popular content format exactly becausethe imagery helps people remember the content better.Every day we go through a range of emotions.Happy, sad, afraid surprise,and angry disgusted to name a few.Each of these emotions can drive different behaviors.For example, research shows that happiness can prompt people to share,sadness can prompt people to empathize,fear can prompt people to bond with others and anger can prompt people to action.Humor works too. This video by Ikea created to announcethe launch of their new catalog was self-effacing and tickled the funny-bone of viewers.It's a book book.The first thing to note is no cables,not even a power cable.The Ikea catalog comes fully charged and the battery life is eternal.The interface is . by inches but can expand to by inches.The navigation is based on tactile touch technology that you can actually feel.Content comes pre-installed.They have high definition pages inspiring or furnishing ideas.To start browsing, simply is touch and drag.Right to Left to move forwards,Left to Right to move backwards.As a result it was shared millions of times.If your content evokes emotions in your audience they're also more likely to remember it.Motivation is another internal state that activates behavior.While many can't articulate why they make the decisions they do,they're often motivated by unmet psychological needs.Common human needs, are the need for consistency,the need to categorize and they need to belong.If for example, someone listens to country music they will oftenalso own cowboy boots to satisfy their need for consistency.Marketing content that leveragesthe memory emotion and motivation of your targer persona,is likely to be highly effective.Finally, Simon Sinek, an author and consultant sums upthe best content creation with his advice for marketers. Start with why?Why?How? What? This little idea,explains why some organizations and some leaders are able to inspire where others aren't.Let me define the terms really quickly.Every single person, every single organization on the planet knows what they do, %.Some, know how they do it.Whether you call it your differentiating valueproposition or your proprietary process or USP.But very, very few people or organizations know why they do what they do.And by why, I don't mean to make a profit.That's a result. It's always a result.By why I mean what's your purpose? What's your cause?What's your belief?Why does your organization exist?Why do you get out of bed in the morning?And why should anyone care?Well as a result, the way we think, the way we act,the way we communicate is from the outside in.It's obvious, we go from the clearest thing to the fuzziest thing.But the inspired leaders and the inspired organizations,regardless of their size,regardless of their industry,all think, act and communicate, from the inside out.Let me give you an example. I useApple because they're easy to understand and everybody gets it.If Apple were like everyone else,a marketing message from them might sound like this;We make great computers.They're beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly.Want to buy one?And that's how most of us communicate.That's how most marketing is done,that's how most sales are done, and that's how most of us communicate inter-personally.We say what we do,we say how we're different or how we better and we expect some sort of behavior;a purchase of both, something like that.Here is our new law firm.We have the best lawyers with the biggest clients.You know we always perform for our clients, do business with us.Here's our new car that gets great gas mileage,it has, you know leather seats.Buy our car. But it's uninspired.Here's how Apple actually communicates.Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo.We believe in thinking differently.The way we challenge the status quo,is by making our products beautifully designed,simple to use and user friendly.We just happened to make great computers.Want to buy one? Totally different right?You ready to buy a computer from me.All I did was reverse the order of the information.What it proves to us, is that people don't buy what you do,people buy why you do it.People don't buy what you do, they buy why
Reading on how to leverage the humanity of your customers:
Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Contagious - Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D.
Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples
Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Contagious - Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D.
Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples
The world is more and more savvy about marketing and advertising and as a result,weary of being sold to.So how can you stand apart?Tell a story.Storytelling is the most effective way toconnect with your audience and get your message across.You can use stories to persuade by example or to link powerful emotions to your brand.Stories don't need to be long or complicated or even in writing to pack a punch.There are a number of different story structures you canuse to build that personal connection and drive action.Here are two you should consider: SCQA,also called the pyramid principle,and the Pixar framework. Let's go over these.One framework you can use to create an engaging story iscalled SCQA which stands for situation,complication, question, and answer.The situation is a clear crisp statement of the facts,it's the state of affairs as they are right now.Complication is the thing that's changed that makes things harder,the change of circumstances that you should be concerned about.Question normally falls out of the situation and complication,like, what should we do?And answer is the answer to this question.It usually resolves the complication.Here's how SCQA would apply to the story of Little Red Riding Hood.Situation: Little Red Riding Hoodwalks through the woods to deliver food to her grandmother.Complication: A wolf pretends to beher grandmother so that he can eat Little Red Riding Hood.Question: How will she escape?Answer: A lumberjack comes to the rescue.The Pixar framework is from Pixar,a famous storytelling company responsible for some ofthe most popular animated movies of all time like Toy Story.Pixar stories follow this simple outline.Once there was a,usually a protagonist with a goal;every day, describes the protagonist's routine;until one day, something pivotal that changes everything; because of that,what follows as a result;because of that; until finally.This is when the protagonist reaches the goal but oftennot in the way they originally thought they would;ever since then, how the character and their situation has changed.Here's how the Pixar framework would apply to Star Wars.Once there was a farm boy who wanted to be a fighter pilot.Every day, he helped out on the farm.Until one day, his family is killed.Because of that, he joins Obi-Wan Kenobi.Because of that, there were lots of wars and stars.Until finally, he becomes the star fighter pilot and saves the day.Ever since then, he's known not only as a pilot but also a Jedi.You can choose either of these frameworks to outlineyour company product or service a story and take a variety of approaches.But what all good stories have in common are character, conflict, and resolution.Every story should have all three.Let's look at how you can applythe story elements to your content with the help of HubSpot.The character is the connection between you,the storyteller, and your audience.To make sure you're focusing on the right characters,start with your buyer personas.This semi-fictional representation of your ideal buyer can help guideyou to understanding the goals and challenges that your character will face.Is your buyer persona a full time parent?Well, you might know that time is not ontheir side and they would describe themselves as busy.You should keep that in mind for your storytelling.Or is your buyer persona a business owner who is looking fora better way to communicate between her team members?She'll likely see herself as the character if a team is used within your story.Or maybe you are an educational organization lookingto attract students who want to take online courses?They may want to read about success stories of students that are just like them.Once you have an idea of who the character will be for your story,it's important to understand the conflict.The conflict is the lesson in how the character transforms through challenge,an emphasis on the lesson.Remember, when it comes to content marketing and storytelling,the power is in what you're teaching.Conflict helps build developmental and emotional dynamics.It helps to make a connection between two entities.And human to human connections are the foundation for a successful business.Remember, you're dealing with people not machines.Your company is providing answers, relieving stress,creating happiness, and making life easier for the end user.The revenue your company makes comes froma well-thought business plan and customers who believe in you and what you do.If your story lacks conflict,then you're probably not telling a story.Instead you're telling a pitch,a tagline, unique selling point,or a plain statement.This approach won't resonate with your audience.And from a content marketing perspective,it won't get you views,and shares, and conversions, or customers.Conflict doesn't mean that you should be overly dramatic.Be genuine.The conflict should drive the overall story and affect how characters react.This is what should inspire your audience to engage.Make sure the conflict fits your prospect's problems,needs, or the stage of the buyer's journey.If it doesn't fit,why would they be interested in reading the story?Why will they connect?As important as it is to understand your buyer personas,it's equally as important to understandtheir buyer's journey and the conflicts that they face at each stage.Where there is conflict,your audience will naturally want some sort of resolution.But what happens next?How does the story end?How did the characters or characters change?It doesn't always have to be a happy ending.Every good story has a closing.So the idea of the resolution is to provide context andemotion for the audience to relate and process the story.The resolution should wrap up the storybut should also clearly call your audience to action.It fulfills the purpose behind the story.For content marketing, a resolution could benext steps or even a call to action for more content.Either way, don't leave them hanging.Let's look at some more examples.Hi, I'm Mike, founder of dollarshaveclub.com.What is dollarshaveclub.com?Well, for a dollar a month we send high quality razors right to your door.Yeah a dollar.Are the blades any good?No, our plans are f*n great.Your story can be about your company's origins like Dollar Shave Club.We are dollarshaveclub.com and the party is on.Or the story you tellcan be related to your company product or service but notdirectly about it like Fitbit's approach with, Know Your Heart.But you don't need video to tell a story.You can also use story in a blog.Here's HubSpot on how Wistia,a video service, uses blogs.They created this blog post,Improve Your Audio: How to Reduce Echo in Your Video.Right from the title,you can tell what the conflict is,reducing echo in video.A title isn't always going to be about the conflict.Sometimes it might be the resolution andother times it might summarize what the blog post is all about.But in this case, it's the conflict.The blog post even starts out with,"Bad sounding audio can ruin even the best of videos."Their buyer persona can instantly relate,they're pulled into the conflict and now asking for more.Let's dig deeper, who is the character?From the title it appears like the character will be the audience orthe reader since it's about improving your audio in your video.As you'll see Wistia continues to use this point of view through out the blog post.And, finally, the blog post provides the resolution.Step by step instructions on soundproofing for video.The story is clear and concise and ties back totheir purpose: empowering people to get more out of video.They use language and a funny tone to stay consistent and authentic with their brand.It's easy to think that using stories only worksbest with BC or business to consumer companies.But even BB or business to business companies need to connect to individual people.The decision makers are buyers with their content.For example, Qualcomm is a BB company that does storytelling.Through their stories and invention,they tell stories that involve their products and the impact they have had on many lives.This example about the invention of CDMA,a component that was essential for Qualcomm's wireless communications products,tells a story of how back in someone's invention was almost dismissed and lost until its value was proven.The story's a great way for Qualcomm to get users interested in their products.As you can see by telling authentic stories BB companies cancreate deeper connections with the individuals that matter to their business.Let's turn to HubSpot to go over some best practices.Now beyond the three elements that make up the story.There are also some best practices to follow and keep in mind.To help make your story great and resonate with your audience,you need to use content to create emotional appeal.Be consistent and authentic and keep the story clear and concise.First, using content to create emotional appeal,your story needs emotional resonance.Emotion is what will give your story power.Make sure to give your stories character some emotion.And think about the emotional response that you're looking to get from the reader.Is it fear, survival,guilt, amusement, maybe even hope?To get buy in from your audience,you need to elicit emotion.What's the difference between your story and somebody else's story?What's the mission or purpose of your company?Why should your audience care?Next, your story needs to be consistent and authentic.It's not just what you say through your website or your content butthe entire experience that your company has to offer based on your buyer persona needs.David Ogilvy, one of the most well-known advertisers of all time once said,"Tell the truth, but make it fascinating".You can make any industry,any product, or any service stand out.And that's done with providing an experience.And lastly, you need to keep things clear and concise.Everyone can benefit from cutting down a lengthy story.Ever had a friend tell you a story that took about minutes to getthrough but probably could have taken them under a minute?Even long stories benefit from when you whittle themdown to just the most important parts.And be specific, you're not trying to speak to everyone.Your story and experience should not be a one size fits all approach.Communicating with the correct audience nicheand creating that need is just as important,if not more important than,the story you're telling.So remember create emotional appeal,be consistent and authentic,and keep the story clear and concise.Finally, humans have been telling and relating to stories since the beginning of time.Stories can trigger emotions, make us wonder,and they can be incredibly effective tools of persuasion.Your content in whatever format should utilize the power of story.
Story Telling Structures
- SCQA Also Known As Pyramid Principal
- Pixar Framework
SCQA Framework
Situation : The State Of Affairs
Complication : The Thing That's Changed
Question : The Question Raised By S & C
Answer : Answer To The Q
Complication : The Thing That's Changed
Question : The Question Raised By S & C
Answer : Answer To The Q
Pixar Framework
Once There Was A...
Everyday...
Until One Day...
Because Of That...
Because Of That...
Until Finally...
Ever Since Then...
Everyday...
Until One Day...
Because Of That...
Because Of That...
Until Finally...
Ever Since Then...
Main Parts Of Story
Character
Conflict
Resolution
Conflict
Resolution
Conflict : The Conflict Should Fit
Your Prospect's Problem
Your Prospect's Needs
Your Prospect's Buyer Journey Stage
As you learn content creation takes a lot of time and thought.The good news is that you can repurpose a piece of content.Repurposing content is where you take an item of content that you'vecreated and adapt it for use in a different place or for a different purpose.Repurposing content is beneficial because not everyone consumes content in the same way.You need to repeat your message in order for it tostick and it reduces your content production burden.Here's how it works, when you repurpose content you're doing one of two things or both.One, changing the format of the content,and two, changing the target audience for the content.Changing the format could mean turning a series of blog posts intoan e-book or taking content from a webinar and turning it into an infographic.Changing the target audience for the contentcould mean turning a series of clothing images forwomen on Instagram into a gift ideas for her blog post targeted to men.HubSpot for example repurposedits entire email marketing certification into a publication on Medium.Salesforce repurposes their marketing blog topicsinto podcasts their customers can subscribe to.Betabrand repurpose their product images into beautiful pinboard on Pinterest.If you have rich image content this is a great way togive your content other life and reach a new audience.Not sure what to repurpose?Go back to the content audit spreadsheet we talked about in lesson one.You can use this spreadsheet as a content catalog andquickly identify different ways you can repurpose content.Be sure to get the most out of your content and repurpose it.The current leader in content creation is hands down BuzzFeed.Buzzfeed was created by Jonah Peretti in and hasexpanded from listicles and animal memes to investigative journalism,foreign news bureaus, local sites from London toSao Paolo and a staff of over that includes a Pulitzer Prize winner.BuzzFeed's core philosophy of content creationis centered around the emotional needs of its audience.Jonah has said, "What need does a story play in someone's life?"When you're having a rough day at work and see simple steps to get you through a rough day.That's servicing an emotional need.Look at this hedgehog wearing a tiny hat, you feel better.You share with your friends,and while you can have some success with tactical approachesa more powerful approach is to ask is this a compelling human story.A lot of the emotionally compelling content that peopleshare in BuzzFeed is not just funny, it's news.BuzzFeed's aim is to provide a mash up of both,because they both serve the needs of their audience.Buzzfeed also uses quizzes extensively.In Buzzfeed found that a quiz entitled "which greasepink lady are you' had accumulated the most shares of any post that year.As a result quizzes becamea daily content type used by all teams including the news team.Quizzes also demonstrated what Buzzfeed learned to utilize, identity.People like to share things that say something about themselves.Per Jason, if you share a Harvard Business Review article,it's partly because your peers see you sharing something from a respected publication.People got used to this idea that you have to dumb down your content to be popular.In fact you're more likely to spread smart content.Buzzfeed did a very literary post on books you need to read in your s.It has millions of views partly from people who want to be seen as literary.Buzzfeed is also leading the way in video and leveraging its inherent shareability.Further BuzzFeed's content strategy is built on data.The data science team relies on analytics.The design team test different versions of web site pages,and the company uses machine learning to predict which stories might spread.Let's learn more from BuzzFeed.My name is Edwin Wong,I'm vice president of research and insights and I work at BuzzFeed.I think being in the space that I'm in research and insights.It's a remarkable place to be today because there'sjust so much data that you can use where you understand when people engage,when they're dropping off, why they're even dropping off.And so really having a group thatis where you champion that group and you really listen to the insights folksbut also having insights folks know that there'sdata and there's also human interaction andbeing able to have that connection tocreatives will help to create the best sort of content.And so having that relationship andthat loop with our creatives is one of the best things that I see at BuzzFeed.One of the things that we've actually seen in the data isthat we're able to tag a lot of the content that we put out there.And you know there are pillars of content or content pillars as you will.They're funny or it's exciting or it's identity base or it's knowledge base,all things that we're pretty privy to in terms of scoring content.What was really interesting is we did an analysis last year duringthe holidays for branded content and identity,being able to connect with the consumer,that was the branded content from advertisers thatended up being looked at most as well as being shared the most.And so there's this really interesting dynamic that ends up happeningwith the consumer when it really reaches them in a new way.That's much more powerful than knowledge based content or a sale,a piece of sale content because if you want to actually share something you have tooffer this gift to the consumer sothey're willing to offer that gift to their friends and family.Buzzfeed's golden rules of shareability some of their overall content strategy.The rules include don't use tricks.People don't like to feel stupid.Your headline should relate to the content.You don't ever want to leave readers with a bad experience. Be yourself.Content should reflect your own identity not anyone else's.Make content you would be proud to share.Experiment, no ideas are bad ideas and have a heart.Let's quickly recap this lesson.Your content will need to consider personalization, length,language, voice, tone, and the humanness of your audience.Use story to stand out.
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