I love sharing the storytelling gospel through our workshops. It’s both fun and satisfying to see the dots connect in how storytelling techniques can be applied to any type of communications coming from an organization. When I say “any,” I mean communications ranging from job descriptions to Twitter to PR to the reply triggered from …more
Good question. This was one of the questions that surfaced recently during an interview with an Asian newspaper. I’ve captured the high points in an abbreviated version of the interview . Q: Define storytelling as it relates to business communications. A: Obviously, companies don’t have 300 pages or two hours on the silver screen to develop a …more
Every description of a home for sale seems to carry the same language. Stunning views. Pristine landscape. Gorgeous custom home Spacious master suite Lush carpeting Etc. Spin through enough descriptions on the MLS listings and you’ll also see that “Wow!” gets ample play. Apparently, realtors pull from the same “Home Descriptions 101” book. It reminds …more
Every company correlates the recruitment of top talent to long-term success. Yet, companies continue to churn out job descriptions like soulless widgets on an assembly line. Even in Silicon Valley where rule-breaking serves as a badge of honor, job descriptions get zero respect. I wrote last summer that 99 percent of companies borrow from the …more
Every company wants a signature win in heavyweight publications like Fast Company, BusinessWeek and Fortune. By signature win, I mean 1,000-plus words devoted to a behind-the-curtain look at the company. Yet, few PR teams cultivate the needed content assets to give themselves a fighting chance for this type of attention. It requires thinking like a …more
There’s a reason the line “a picture is worth a thousand words” became a cliché. To debate whether it’s 1,000 words or 1,055 words misses the point. A visual pulls the reader into the narrative and enhances the storytelling. Photo sites like Flickr make it easy to add photos into your blog posts. You can …more
I’m always interested in the science behind storytelling. What makes it such an effective part of our social being and communications? This video by Paul Zak is a good watch. It shares his study on the topic, which revealed a change in a person’s blood chemistry before and after hearing a story. The storytelling caused …more
I’m always on the lookout for information that explains the science behind why storytelling resonates. The article in Lifehacker, “Why Telling a Story is the Most Powerful Way to Activate Our Brains” by Leo Widrich does exactly that. And you don’t need to be cognitive neurologist to understand it. Here’s the thrust: “If we listen …more
Yes. But before diving into the topic at hand, it’s worth a visit to your Google Analytics. This doesn’t require a lengthy analysis. Click on the site content and pull up the pages with the most views. If you’re a B2B play, it’s likely that your contact page is a top producer of pageviews. It …more
