In this week's episode of "Inside the Mind", we're going to talk about how to "Be Engaging" while avoiding all the cliches. If you like these videos consider subscribing and leave a comment letting me know what you'd like to see covered in future episodes!
Hey what's up guys, welcome to Inside the Mind where we talk about Online Marketing Strategy, what it is, why it's important, and why you should care.
In the last episode we talked about how to provide value and in this week's episode, we're wrapping up our two part series on creating awesome contentwith how to be engaging.
Now Like I said in the last episode, "Being Engaging" is really just code for being a good storyteller.
At the core of every person, we crave a good story. It's why we buy books, watch movies, or even a web series about online marketing.
Stories take us away from what we're doing, and bring us somewhere else. Stories are humanities currency.
The better the stories you tell, the more interesting you become.
So is it really any surprise that the businesses who tell the best stories also have the competitive advantage?
Brands like Coca Cola and Starbucks are tell compelling stories about their "ideal" customers in everything they do, from television campaigns, to their Facebook Pages and Twitter accounts.
Watching the story unfold gives you a very strong impression of what life is like when you're a part of their brand.
The massive disruption of the Internet is that it really leveled the playing field and big brands were no longer the only people who could have air time.
Mommybloggers like Dooce and self published authors like E.L James have been able to make pretty decent livings primarily on their ability to tell a compelling story.
The problem is, not everyone who creates content is a good story teller. And because of that, they miss out on readership, social sharing, sales and all the other benefits from successful online marketing strategy
Now there are a number of places you could start to learn about being a better story teller, but I would recommend you start with Robert Mckee's "Story" which focuses on how Hollywood movies are created and refined.
Granted, you're probably not off to write the next summer blockbuster, but because everything online is text and image based, the lessons in this book are more relevant than you could imagine.
And while there are way more qualified people than me to go into detail on story telling, here's a basic structure that works perfectly for telling almost any story.
1. Exposition: scene and setting
2. Conflict: The problem on which the story is based
3. Rising Action: The journey from conflict to resolution
4. Resolution: The solution to the problem (not always something everyone will be happy about)
5. Denouement: What happens after the resolution
But If you really want to be a good story teller, the best thing I can tell you is to practice. Read "Story" for sure, but also look into reading stories from other renown storytellers. A few of my favorites are Stephen King, David Sedaris, and Augustin Burroughs.
If movies and videos more your thing, any of the movies on the Writer's Guild's 101 best list are all extraordinary films to watch for storytelling, and I would recommend that you get your hands on the screen play and read along as you watch to see how the words on the page are brought to life.
And finally, try writing your own little mini saga which is a story in exactly 50 words.
Alright, that's All I've got for this episode of Inside The Mind, thanks so much for watching.
And tell me, who's your favorite story teller?
You can leave your creative or interesting responses by clicking on my face or in the comments section below or on Facebook Twitter or Google Plus.