Are you sitting comfortably?

Although it’s now easier than ever to get your message out there, it’s increasingly hard to get it noticed. Whether it’s a blog post, website copy or a presentation – there are millions of other messages out there competing for your audience’s attention. How then to get them to remember what you have to say?

Why not consider telling them a story?

Once upon a time…

Since cavemen first gathered around fires to tell each other the tale of that time a mammoth sat on Ugbog, the story has helped us remember and understand important messages. With the power to entertain, enthrall and captivate, a good story can lodge in people’s heads forever.

And does that sound like effective (and ethical) subliminal advertising to you?

(Not) The Greatest Story Ever Told

Consider this fictional piece of marketing blurb.

“The AMAZING iToaster2.0:
- puts an end to toast-related misery FOREVER!
- toasts bread QUICKER THAN EVER BEFORE!
- features cutting-edge TOUCHSCREEN controls!
- includes a selection of USEFUL and PERSONALISED recorded messages!
- AUTOMATICALLY stops when the toast is cooked to YOUR liking!

(Available whilst stocks last for an introductory price of £999.99)”

Feeling the need to rush out and buy one yet…?

Start at the very beginning

According to literary scholars, a good story needs:
- a structure- the classic beginning, middle and an end
- some conflict which the hero battles to overcome
- a satisfactory though not necessary happy conclusion

And what about the ‘hero’? Yes, that can be taken to mean one of those chisel-jawed protagonists of classical myth, throwing thunderbolts with one hand whilst wrestling three headed serpents with the other.

However, some of the best stories feature a hero who is just an ‘average’ person. Think of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars – the fact that most of the audience can relate to this poor daydreaming farm boy with the bad haircut makes his journey all the more memorable.

And the conflict doesn’t need to be the kind of thing which decides the fate of humanity either. Look at contemporary fiction and you’ll see dozens of examples of stories which feature everyday problems and the struggle to resolve them.

Apply this to your own message, think about what you are offering and weave its key features into a tale where it helps one of those ‘average’ people overcome some ‘everyday’ problem.

It was a dark and stormy night…

So, what of the humble iToaster2.0? Say hello to Joe, struggling over what to have for breakfast…

“Joe was never at his best in the mornings. It always seemed as if there were a hundred and one things to do and eating breakfast often ended up as the hundred and second.

The sight of his gleaming new iToaster2.0 snapped him out of his daydreaming. With its bewitching blinking lights, smooth chrome exterior and sensual curves, the compact-sized machine sat there coyly.

Slipping two slices of bread into its generous slots, Joe deftly swiped his fingers across the iToaster2.0’s innovative touchscreen controls. A quiet but pleasing hum from the device soothed him as his nostrils were filled with the delicious smell of perfectly-toasting bread.

In what seemed like seconds later, the toast popped out of the top, accompanied by a friendly female voice:

“Enjoy your toast, Joe! Have a good day!”

As he took a bite out of his expertly-cooked and nutritious breakfast, Joe realised it wasn’t going to be a good day.

It was going to be a great day.”

Yes, prose as purple as a people-eater- but very likely more memorable – and appealing to your target market. So, the next time you have a message to get across, why not see if you can turn it into a story?

You never know – you might just live happily ever after.
………………………………………………………………………………………..

This post was written by Keith D, freelance web designer & photographer. Find out more here.