Importance of Authentic Storytelling on the Web
Chris Stanfield | Creative
Chris Stanfield
More than 30,000 years ago, man certainly wasn’t tweeting about their latest hunting excursion, but that didn’t mean people didn’t know about it. Even then -- in the absence of technology and the Internet -- people understood the importance of communication.
Using berries, clay, soot, charcoal and sharp objects for etching on the walls of caves, man discovered the importance of sharing a piece of themselves with others. And you know what? Not much has changed since.
Psychologists have always been fascinated by man’s predilection for storytelling, but it doesn’t take an expert to realize the value of a good yarn and its ability to influence others’ beliefs.
Fast forward to today where everyone is not only sharing their own story, but repeating it across multiple platforms in the digital space.
In the time it takes to write this sentence, more than 1 million videos will be played on YouTube and 100,000 new Tweets will have appeared along with 1,300 new mobile users.
Content is king for a reason and the Internet has only made it easier for people to share their thoughts and beliefs with the world. If you’re a business seeking to grow your own community in the digital space, consider the following:
If you could only shake one customer’s hand today, what would you say? What would you want them to remember about you? Think about what a first impression should look like in the digital space. Your audience may not be able to hear the tone of your voice, but they should be able to sense your passion and be inspired by what you have to communicate.
As the Internet matures and becomes more sophisticated, strong design, function and interactivity can improve and amplify an already strong message. What the internet can’t do is make poor storytelling any more substantive than it is.Play to your strengths, then look for technology to improve the user experience.
Talk with your audience, not at them. Stories have amazing impact when the audience can see a reflection of themselves and share in a conversation.
Be authentic and transparent. A great story speaks from the heart and becomes more meaningful whe your audience understands that what you’re telling them is the truth. Never underestimate a person’s ability to sense when you’re trying too hard.
You are who you are -- be proud of that. We all expect our friends to share in our success, but there is no shame in telling them about how you learned from your mistakes. Humility in messaging is completely undervalued and misunderstood, especially when it has the power to build credibility with an audience.
No matter what you write on the walls of your own cave, make it count, etch it in stone and strive to leave a lasting impression for future audiences.
More than 30,000 years ago, man certainly wasn’t tweeting about their latest hunting excursion, but that didn’t mean people didn’t know about it. Even then -- in the absence of technology and the Internet -- people understood the importance of communication.
Using berries, clay, soot, charcoal and sharp objects for etching on the walls of caves, man discovered the importance of sharing a piece of themselves with others. And you know what? Not much has changed since.
Psychologists have always been fascinated by man’s predilection for storytelling, but it doesn’t take an expert to realize the value of a good yarn and its ability to influence others’ beliefs.
Fast forward to today where everyone is not only sharing their own story, but repeating it across multiple platforms in the digital space.
In the time it takes to write this sentence, more than 1 million videos will be played on YouTube and 100,000 new Tweets will have appeared along with 1,300 new mobile users.
Content is king for a reason and the Internet has only made it easier for people to share their thoughts and beliefs with the world. If you’re a business seeking to grow your own community in the digital space, consider the following:
If you could only shake one customer’s hand today, what would you say? What would you want them to remember about you? Think about what a first impression should look like in the digital space. Your audience may not be able to hear the tone of your voice, but they should be able to sense your passion and be inspired by what you have to communicate.
As the Internet matures and becomes more sophisticated, strong design, function and interactivity can improve and amplify an already strong message. What the internet can’t do is make poor storytelling any more substantive than it is.Play to your strengths, then look for technology to improve the user experience.
Talk with your audience, not at them. Stories have amazing impac
t when the audience can see a reflection of themselves and share in a conversation.
Be authentic and transparent. A great story speaks from the heart and be
comes more meaningful when your audience understands that what you’re telling them is the truth. Never underestimate a person’s ability to sense when you’re trying too hard.
You are who you are -- be proud of that. We all expect our friends to share in our success, but there is no shame in telling them about how you learned from your mistakes. Humility in messaging is completely undervalued and misunderstood, especially when it has the power to build credibility with an audience.
No matter what you write on the walls of your own cave, make it count, etch it in stone and strive to leave a lasting impression for future audiences.
