“Easy reading is damn hard writing.” And there we have one of the main messages in today’s Listen. A lot of truth bombs being dropped in this one, so grab a helmet and take action.
Tech and tactics come and go, but storytelling lasts forever. In this episode, Shane Snow and Joe Lazauskas of Contently share their favorite techniques for great storytelling—the kind that create and foster emotional connections.
Their book, The Storytelling Edge: How to Transform Your Business, Stop Screaming Into the Void, and Make People Love You is all about this. So, if you’re interested in learning more, this should be your next step.
All right, let’s dive in. Here are the show notes from today’s Listen:
- (05:10) What happens in our brains when we hear a good story
- (05:50) “Our brains are hardwired for stories” – Why we remember much more information when we feel empathy
- (10:35) The 4 elements of great storytelling (novelty, relatability, fluency, and tension) and why they keep people engaged
- (11:05) Novelty and relatability
- (12:00) Fluency and tension
- (14:15) If the story isn’t new or relatable or it’s too complex or doesn’t have a plot, your story/message is going nowhere fast…
- (14:45) The “epidemic” right now of content being made with the “sole intention of seeming professional or advanced”
- (15:30) What brands get wrong with storytelling
- (16:25) The simple formula for building an audience that loves you
- (16:50) Why making your content more accessible isn’t about dumbing it down
