Storytelling is undoubtedly a massive part of our culture. From a young age we are fed on fairy tales and riddles, they help us learn and understand people, and it’s an essential part of being human. Stories teach us about morality, entertainment and they ultimately educate us. Here at Word Wide, we don’t approach storytelling in the same way as any old content marketing agency. We think that storytelling lies at the very heart of what we do, and not just branded content, but marketing in general.
Think about your favourite ever branded content campaign, and what you love about it. It might be the most recent John Lewis Christmas advert, an infographic you’ve seen on pinterest or simply a clever illustration. What we can guarantee will unite them all, is a story. If you remove the story element, you remove the meaning and the very essence of the campaign.
Most stories can be stripped out the the very bare basics. In fact, we like to make a little London content marketing agency game out of it by naming our favourite stories and attributing them to a template (yes we are content geeks!). Jung-inspired psychologist Christopher Brooker wrote a fantastic book entitled “The Seven Basic Plots” and it really is worth a look. He claims there are 7 all pervasive plots and that all stories adhere to this. Examples of plots are: “rags to riches”, “voyage and return”, and “overcoming the monster”. And they really are ubiquitous.
So, why bother giving your branded content a strong story? To put it simply, it will be more relatable, more memorable, and therefore more shareable. When reviewing your campaigns, if you cannot put your finger on a definable story, try and find one. And remember to do this at the planning stage next time. It’s as true of infographics as it is videos. Consumers crave stories, and as content marketers they are our secret weapon, use it wisely!
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