Category: Storytelling

The team over at Blurb have an interesting approach to storytelling and publishing — they let you create your story and then custom publish it for you — professionally. Sounds good?

Unfortunately they have reached their subscription limit, so I have not had the opportunity to sign up and test it out … but I am on the list. The prices start at around $30 for a 40 page book which is not bad if you are only printing for a select few.

And while I do love technology and the way that you can publish instantly online, there is something about a book and a bookstore that you just can’t beat. Except, perhaps, if you are into stationery (did Maslow cover fetishes?).

S.

We can spend quite some time on our stories. We can agonise over the key message, the formulation of the words, the grammar and the syntax. We can theorise about the tone, plan the audience response and review it over and over again. And living in close proximity to our stories, we can come to care for them. Sometimes, we may even come to love them.

So it can be challenging for us when we put our stories out into the world. But there are two important things to remember:

1. A story really isn’t a story if you don’t tell someone else
2. Your story is not for you … it is for your customers

I was reminded of this while watching Seth Godin’s excellent presentation to the folk at Google.

There are a lot of people who write, but many keep their work to themselves. Even marketers will have (brand) stories that they keep in their bottom drawer but never show to the outside world. And while there is a sense of satisfaction in authoring a story, it does not come close to the quiver of excitement you get when your story is read for the first time (or for the online world — referenced, quoted or blogged about).

The funny thing is, though, that these bottom drawer stories (if they are compelling enough) simply will not remain hidden. They will seep into your other work. You will find themes or issues or a turn of phrase leaping out of an Annual Report or Exec Summary and think "I like that!". Later you will remember where it is from.

I think that a good story (whatever its focus) will take on a life of its own. The story will find a way to escape your bottom drawer and get out into the world. The basis of a good viral campaign, for example, is not a fancy piece of technology or a great product even — it is a good story. It is the story that your customers like to tell others. It is the story that makes those customers feel part of something — to have a secret, an affiliation, something to share. It is the story and the feeling that are important.

Most of all, a good story knows that it is meant for your customers, not you.

S.

OK … you may have seen this site already — but I do like the way that the story unfolds in various interactive ways. In this new site for Mercedes Benz, the designers demonstrate the features of the new car using cool Flash animation and effects. And while the technology is cool, you are able to piece together the story they want you to know – even if you only click, drag, rollover or drag and drop a few times.

S.

We can’t underestimate the emotional strength of a good story. They can not only help us understand our place in the world, they can also help us realise that we are not alone in our world. Through the simple act of sharing a story we can reach out to others, and in turn, be reached by those who have an affinity with our story. A great example of this is the Livestrong "share your story" site.

On this site, the stories are raw and powerful. They are stories of saving lives (the ultimate story), of overcoming and learning. They are written with the authority of real experience and they are shared honestly.

There is much to like about the approach that the Livestrong Foundation continue to take. And there is also much to learn about the way that they are using technology to spread stories and connect real people with them.

S.

When I was younger I was able to write much more quickly. I was more in-tune with the connection between writing and my emotions (as well as the emotions of others). It was always interesting for me to share my poetry or prose with others, as I would find that the words on the page would resonate with them in surprising ways. Back then, I used to write to hide. My readers, on the other hand, would read to reveal.
What my readers would find within the writing was a small secret. No matter how much I wanted to hide, I also wanted to be found, so I would leave clues, hints and pointers. A word here or there, an exposed nerve. What I was searching for, through my writing, was an authentic reaction, and this too, was what my readers were intent on discovering.
Back then it was easier in a way. It was easier to write and shy away from responsibility. It was easier to claim that the writing was separate from the writer.
But then a hollowness fell over my words. I found that my writing began to lose some power and that the energy that had driven it was missing. I still wrote often, thinking that strength would return. I turned my hand to plays, to short stories and to articles, and while they were "clever", they would only sometimes approach the full force of emotional engagement. Clearly I was burnt out.
When I came back to writing after a short break I was surprised to find a shred of authenticity in a page of one of my plays. It was funny, because I remembered what was going on when I wrote those particular words. It was frightening, because those words seemed to hit me in the chest. It was sobering because I knew, now, what it would take to write.
I had discovered the secret of my secret.
S.

I love the idea of reversing the funnel, but once you DO reverse the funnel and have customers and employees and your other constituents telling your story, you also need to allow them somewhere to return to. You need and outbound strategy AND an inbound strategy.

Seth Godin claims we need to think in terms of "earning" more traffic to your website, rather than simply "getting" more traffic, but I would like to extend this. It is not just a matter of earning more traffic (or improving your brand or your reputation or even your customer experience). You also need an internal funnel so that you can make sure that those who DO come to your site are able to find and access what they are looking for. Also, from YOUR business’ point of view, you need to make sure that you convert browsers to buyers.

You need to understand what works and what doesn’t on your site. This is about statistics and about narrative flow. On the one hand you need to know what is of most interest to your site visitors, and on the other you need to remove any blockages that stop your customers from purchasing or engaging with your site. Does this still happen? All the time!

It is the equivalent of a Dear Scott Letter for a web surfer!

S.

Sometimes "A Dear John Letter" is used to end a relationship. But "A Dear Scott Letter" can signal the death of a brand.

I write a lot about the storytelling capacities of our best customers, but it is important to remember that your employees can also be a vital generator of good stories. Unfortunately, as Scott found out, they can also be quite dangerous.

As Seth Godin reminds us, the onus is on you to make sure that your business is remarkable. And considering that your employees are the ones that live and breathe your brand every day, they are going to be the ones who best know, understand and can articulate your story. The Dear Scott Letter shows that your "business" is not just the product or service that you sell, but the experience that you provide.

S.