I’m convinced that storytelling in news releases increases syndication. While the wire services don’t track this type of data, our own experiences support the premise. Apparently, Gold’s Gym agrees, applying storytelling techniques to a news release distributed yesterday with the headline: Are You Fit Enough For Your Own Phone? Gold’s figured out announcing yet another discount on membership fees …more
My post last week on the lack of storytelling in job descriptions triggered some interesting email exchanges. I especially appreciated Greg Morris who curates “What’s Your Story?” sharing a behind-the-scenes look at his son’s recent experiences in pursuing a job out of college. It turns out that Bank of America actually asks job candidates to …more
It’s easy to fall victim to the status quo. After all, if virtually all companies handle something a certain way, then it must be right … right? Wrong. The crafting of a job description shouldn’t be deadly dull even if companies have standardized on such an approach. This got me thinking. If there’s one large …more
We’ve discussed how storytelling techniques can open doors in the business and mainstream media. HP provides a good Exhibit A. By packaging a story on how the University of Minnesota took proceeds from licensing the “code” from Honeycrisp apples to help pay for a supercomputer, they secured interest from Ashlee Vance at The New York …more
A Korean publication has asked me to pen a column that offers an insider’s view of Silicon Valley. No question, the business of technology has been globalized with innovation coming from all parts of the world. At the same time, I think it’s fair to say that Silicon Valley, this strip of land that stretches roughly …more
I got the SlideShare religion back in June. The medium allows you to craft a story that the audience can consume in a few minutes. Plus, you gain another digital touch point that easily integrates into your overall social media strategy. We’ve used SlideShare as a tool to evangelize the power of storytelling in the deck “Aligning …more
I was honored that Kathy Hansen invited me to participate in her Q&A series. She asked me to share one piece of advice or wisdom on storytelling. My response – The story is always there. I truly believe this. Every company has something compelling to say. But like discovery in the legal sphere, it can …more
National Mustard Day took place on August 7. Who knew? I got a kick out of the City of Middleton’s proclamation. Typically, these types of proclamations are the epitome of dull, paying proper homage to the topic at hand and being careful not to offend anyone. Not the case for the mustard evangelists. It’s not enough …more
Talk about the future of journalism often takes on a victim-istic tenor. That’s why the post from Reuters EIC David Schlesinger “Changing Journalism; Changing Reuters” stands out. Rather than lament, he’s charging the hill. There’s poetic sensibility in his words: Knowing the story is not enough. Telling the story is only the beginning. The conversation …more
