No offense to “in this blog” people. But no one cares. As a former in-this-blog-er, it doesn’t do enough to create an emotional connection like storytelling.
I never got blogging until I figured out that my innate storytelling skill that got me in trouble as a kid was actually a missing component.
No one claps for basic—except in fashion and design—trust me, ask the first 5 blogs I ever posted.
So how do we use a story to create a connection? First, you need to know what the story is.
The Essence of Story
Humans are social animals (some just animals), we’re meant to chatter and connect.
Stories boil down into a “hack” into language—meaning they can pierce different languages and borders. (And according to the Christians, turn water into wine.)
They’re emotional. Raw. They not only provoke action and thought but tap into any number of raw emotions. (Part of why copywriting is such a delicate skill.)
Stories create a chain of ancestral custody of traditions and culture. Both individually and on a macro level.
So, yeah. Stories are some powerful motherfuckers. So how do you turn the mundane into something meaningful that makes people want to move?
The Human-Machine Enigma
No one outside of the people who create and operate them knows what algorithms do, how they operate, and what makes them tick.
Humans override algorithms.
Viral videos.
Gore.
Kittens.
It’s all about the emotional storytelling angle. But that doesn’t exempt us from having to appease the machines to an extent.
Take this article for example. It’s got a search crawler-friendly structure and still weaves in storytelling through careful keyword placements and the “human override phenomena”.
Social Engagement
Stories are only as good as how many people hear and repeat them. Even if you’re no graphic designer, consistency and great work always prevail. (I fall into the “semi-decent” category).
While it’s no quick fix, having just a few readers who refer others to your site can be a quick catalyst to greatness.
If you’re skilled enough to use power tools like Adobe and the like, feel free. If you’re a beginner (or better with your hands, as I like to say) Canva and Grammarly are perfect.
You can check out the rest of our blog for tips on social media marketing but for now, let’s digress.
From Day-to-Day to Stories
Now, part of emotional storytelling is to channel your 10th-grade Creative Writing class. Use analogy, simile, personification, adjectives, and imagery to turn “I stubbed my FUCKIN TOE” into:
“Sometimes things fall apart from the first step. The other day, the wake-the-dead alarm from the other room woke me up at its usual too-fucking-early-thirty. Half asleep, I managed to get my hoodie on, stumble forward, and introduce my baby toe to the corner of the bedframe. Sparking a red-hot-devil-fire licking up my leg—snapping me awake. Now I’m cursing at 3:30 am.
Some days…(and projects) are just like that….”
It takes practice, drop your story in the comments for an assist! Thanks for reading! 😛