How good is your story telling? Just because its social doesn't mean your not telling a story - keep them captivated

Storytelling and social media

Nowadays, storytelling is one of the most used and abused words, even in communication marketplace.

Everyone wants to tell a story but sometimes, the hardest part is to start especially when you are extra-exposed as on social media.

So, let's start with the basis: what storytelling is, and for what can be useful.

Storytelling is an art. It requires a good knowledge of the method, the ability to make contact with the reader and to involve him through the perfect tool: the narrative line. The type of narration to use, is chosen by the narrator.

To create a good storytelling, be it personal or a corporate one, means to have a precise goal. Here some examples of how the storytelling is used.

• Storytelling with commercial objectives: it aims to persuade and to sell and to differentiate the storyteller  from the competitors.

• Storytelling with  marketing goals: it wants to capture  audience attention, stimulate  a reaction and to create a relationship.

• Storytelling with advertising goals: it has the intention to promote a brand, increase the visibility, make people remember the message etc.

• Storytelling for personal branding:  the person who uses it wants to sell their skills and experiences by talking about himself in a professional way.

We have seen that storytelling it works for different fields but always remember one thing: the needs of a company are different from those of another and more different in case of personal branding, so you cannot use the same narration for different cases.

The communication vehicle needs also to be different.

When you use social media you can choose the perfect storytelling for each one of them: Pinterest and Instagram are perfect for visual storytelling, using pictures or photographs for telling your stories

Facebook and Tumblr can combine pictures and text...the choice is yours.

 Anyway, here is some advices to correctly make storytelling on social media.

·         Storytelling means to  have an high personalization even if you are a brand, a character with the attitude and personality who has to be interesting in the eyes of readers, with its strengths and its flaws. By giving that, the audience must identify with it.

·         Storytelling must create a character able to speak of emotions, of ambitions,  projects, things  loved and  hated. The public must be able to appreciate the desire to get into the character's life.

·         This story must convey a message. To do so, the storyteller must assume a clearly identifiable point of view. In short: communicate for a specific purpose.When you do storytelling just say something specific, to transfer to the readers a clear and precise message.

·         If you have a first hand experienced story, tell it! It's a precious value and it's quiet easy to transfer it.

·         You have to tell the real facts. Storytelling gets maximum effectiveness if the stories told are true. If this is not the case, at least make sure that your stories are plausible.

·         Your story must have a strong persuasive effect on the reader. Your stories are seduction's tool: the audience have to be pushed to act.

·         It must give the feeling of authenticity.

·         It must be able to touch the emotions of the audience.

·         Ite must be able to be remembered. This one is the most difficult thing but, once is it done, will last for a long time.

Social media are fast, immediate and also noisy. The good storyteller creates value, memories and pleasure in reading and above all, can make a story that goes viral.

If you like it, you share it. So your narration can become viral, with a huge diffusion and with lot of contacts on your page, board, profile and web sites. More contact means more potential conversion.So why do not try? Just find the right social and the right story. The rest will come alone and will generate results durable in time. You can choose text above images, but as final tip I wat to tall you that: be genuine, find your target and involve it in your story by being yourself: if the degree of personalization is real, the reader will notice that and surely appreciate it.