Social storytelling 101: Stop and sharpen your marketing axe

Wesley Mathew, head of marketing at Meltwater, began with a fitting introduction in keeping with the storytelling theme, starting with one of his own

The year was 1656. Deep in the Scottish Highlands, two men were chopping wood for winter. One took a break every two hours, the other chopped away tirelessly until his hands were blistered and sore. Eventually, he noticed the pile next to his more rested friend was twice the height of his own. Incredulous, he asked, ‘How is that possible, you’ve worked half my time?!’ To which his friend replied, ‘While you continued to chop wood, I was sharpening my axe.’

Mathew said it’s a good fable explaining where marketers go wrong today. We chop away at those expected KPIs but seldom stop to see how we can tell our story better.

Duarte himself then took to the front of the stage.

Steer clear of 'social Polyfilla' stories

He said that from a corporate context, it makes you feel less alone. So be careful of your brand only talking from that “We” angle of personal success and help your readers and consumers feel like the hero in the story. Talk about stories people want to talk about. You’d think this is an obvious step but most brands blindly follow the rules without adding any creativity, which Duarte calls “social Polyfilla that clogs up our timelines” and doesn’t achieve anything. The formulaic approach definitely does work, but you need to add a little something extra:

Same narrative happens so often in storytelling! It tells us a lot about ourselves. #outsideinsight #storytelling #artofstorytelling @DaveDuarte pic.twitter.com/DoQu1ZRf2L

— Marketing & Media SA (@Biz_Marketing) May 18, 2018

There’s no doubt that competitions are the clear winner, but readers are also motivated by stories that aren’t just a sell.

It’s important ask people what stories are important to them. #outsideinsight pic.twitter.com/bXOPpeEzXZ

— Marketing & Media SA (@Biz_Marketing) May 18, 2018

Duarte shared three types of social media stories:

Wildfire: Packaging your story; Bonfire: Conversation and community - what subjects are people already talking about?; Fireworks: Launches, stunts, building excitement. Anticipation and Surprise are the key elements #outsideinsight pic.twitter.com/4KgWYEIUhP

— Marketing & Media SA (@Biz_Marketing) May 18, 2018

Surprise and anticipation are key with any form of storytelling, and it’s not about balance but what works best for your brand.

Bonfires are the most rewarding but hardest to grow, while fireworks work well for big issues like fundraisers to expand the reach.

Duarte said this is one of his favourite quotes at the moment: From Alistair King of King James Group it’s about branding but definitely applies to storytelling, too…

Storymaking vs storytelling. Everything you do makes your story. Storymaking gives a platform for others to tell their stories. #outsideinsight pic.twitter.com/jowS8gqo52

— Marketing & Media SA (@Biz_Marketing) May 18, 2018

Just think of the way the concept of #DayZero was drummed into Capetonians' heads at the end of last year. Duarte feels the image of proposed water collection points released in January did more than all the written posts in scaring many into drastically dropping their consumption levels.

He also spoke of the concept of crafting your headline and the importance of pulling out different aspects, rewriting the same post headline 25 times to find the most compelling headline.

But do your bit to help Google be a better librarian. Be authoritative and keep up with culture.

That said, while the craft and how we frame things matters, remember that over-optimised isn’t always the best way. Write in a way that appeals to readers, not bots – we’re still human (for now). Duarte also shared Daniel Kahneman’s study on crisis management, where people registered the pain they experienced during colonoscopies.

#outsideinsight pic.twitter.com/r0XxYEya6y

— Marketing & Media SA (@Biz_Marketing) May 18, 2018

When it comes to frequency of posting on social media, John Sanei said:

You want it to be like drugs, scheduled to give a hit.” It doesn’t really matter what your brand’s specific schedule is as long as you have one, but if your dope is just talcum powder it won’t be effective.

So you need to put out as much content as you can, at the quality level you’re happy with.

Duarte added that it’s a good idea to prepare ahead of time so you have content ready and waiting, and don’t be shy to ask others to help share your content.

Also, remember that frequency not always based on time but about occasions – we expect news of the Absa Cape Epic once a year around the time of the event, or something from Nando’s when there’s a political fiasco.

Lastly, when asked how he comes up with ideas, Duarte said it hardly ever happens when he’s sitting at his desk. He encourages storytellers to attend events and be inspired beyond your own industry. Also, take care of your body, and be aware of the context and culture you put yourself in.

An excellent morning that left our storytelling skills refreshed. Click here for more on Meltwater’s Biz Breakfasts, track the latest news in their press office, and follow Meltwater and ‏Duarte on Twitter for the latest updates.