story cafe – The Story Co.

Jun

Marketing Trends That Have Caught Our Attention

If I’m being completely honest, keeping up with the trends can be exhausting. We are constantly being told that if we don’t do this or if we don’t do that, we’re doing something wrong. And, sometimes… they do have a point. Although, when you hear about a trend, finally adopt it, and then a few months later it’s irrelevant, it can be pretty frustrating.

Are you feeling this same way? If so, I’ve come up with a few ‘trendy’ marketing tactics that will never go out of style (at least not for a while).

1. Less SEO, more value

In the last few years, it’s been all about SEO.

SEO this, SEO that… we were all convinced that if our website wasn’t optimized, we wouldn’t get the attention, and we wouldn’t get the sales.

Yes, if you can optimize your website, sales pages, and blog posts for search engine traffic without sacrificing the value of your content, then by all means… go for it! Although, don’t forget that SEO will never be more important than the value you deliver.

If the messaging you’re delivering is valuable in and of itself, that is number one… always. Optimization is secondary.

Remember the algorithms that we all know and love (or hate)? They are getting smarter, meaning it’s getting harder to ‘hack’ the algorithm in our favour.

So instead of playing a game of cat and mouse with the algorithm, try narrowing in on what really matters within your messaging.

Take the pressure off of trying to land on page one of Google, and instead focus on your customers and the value they walk away with after visiting your website.

And a hot tip, Google is prioritizing quality content above all else!

1. LINKEDIN, LINKEDIN, LINKEDIN

LinkedIn is growing!

LinkedIn has never really been considered one of the big players in social media networks, mainly because it’s geared towards a particular market – professionals looking to connect with other professionals.

Although, LinkedIn has recently seen massive growth in its active users and platform engagement.

Recent stats from Business Insider tell us that:

LinkedIn drives 46% of social traffic to B2B sites;
LinkedIn is considered the most credible source for content.

Are you on LinkedIn? This year might be the year to use this platform to your advantage!

1. Online events & live video

Video and online events have been on the rise for years, and this year is no exception.

Online events, such as webinars, master classes, and lives, are one of the most popular ways for people to connect with the brands and businesses they follow, no matter where they are in the world.

According to Sprout Social, half of social media users said they prefer video content, and 85% of users want more videos from brands.

While we might be cringing at the idea of putting our faces on video, the data says that, yes, video does work!

***

Did any of these trends resonate with you? Which one would you consider incorporating into your marketing strategy?

May

Why should you be telling your story?

Storytelling is everywhere.

Think about famous leaders throughout history; what made them so persuasive?

Popular social movements, what made them so engaging?

Your favourite novels, what makes them so appealing?

The last movie that made you laugh or cry, what about it grabbed your attention?

The underdog, the comeback kid, the rags to riches, the quest, etc…

The fairy tale ending, the unhappy ending, the tragedy…

Stories appeal to us in different ways. Some resonate with us stronger than others.

But, the truth is… the right stories sell.

I came across an article written by Jonathan Gottschall, “Why storytelling is the ultimate weapon.” Personally, I really don’t like using “war” analogies in marketing, and for me, marketing is never a weapon; however, he makes a good point with this…

He explains that when we read facts, we keep our guard up. With hard facts, we are searching for inconsistencies and not always taking the information at its face value. Do you do this?

Whereas stories disarm us. We drop our intellectual guard and look for ways to connect it to our own experiences.

In business, stories can take on many forms…

The origin story.

Customer experience stories.

Stories in ads and campaigns.

These are all opportunities to share who and what our business is at its foundation and most importantly why we exist. This showcases our brand’s values and helps consumers feel a deeper connection to our companies.

“We rely on data to tell us what has happened, and stories to tell us what it means.”

Nancy Duarte

Yes, data still tells a story, but it doesn’t drive the heart of our messaging. And although its tempting to deliver data driven information, unless we’re attaching story to data, it isn’t what’s going to be remembered.

What stories can you share in your business? How can you gain a deeper connection with your customers or clients through strategic storytelling?

Apr

Pixar’s Lessons for Great Storytelling

The word Pixar, for me, is full of nostalgia.

The memories are visceral and countless.

I have just called in sick to school, lying on the couch, bundled up in a pile of blankets, binge-watching my favourite movies – Toy Story, Monster’s Inc, Finding Nemo, to name a few.

I was glued to the television screen for hours and hours, completely enveloped by the characters, the adventure, the story.

At The Story Co., we think A LOT about storytelling. What makes a great story, what stories are worth telling, and what is the best way to share these stories?

And, in the spirit of storytelling, Pixar knows a thing or two about exactly that.

Initially, Pixar’s Rules for Storytelling were shared via Twitter by a former Pixar employee, Emma Coats. In a series of tweets, she explained that these rules were a mix of things she had learned from Pixar’s writers, directors, and coworkers speaking about their craft, paired with her own efforts in making films.

Her intent in sharing these wasn’t to create any hard and fast rules in how we approach storytelling. Rather, they were shared to jump-start the brainstorming process, begin the conversations, and help flex our creative muscles.

While there are a total of 22 rules included, my picks are ones that I believe are applicable to not only storytelling but also offer some pretty great life lessons. And, as a story junkie myself, life lessons are something that I think storytelling is pretty great at.

Admire characters for attempting more than what their successes have been.

I think we can all agree with this statement.

We shouldn’t be defined by our successes or our failures. Rather, it’s the space in between where our character is developed – the behind-the-scenes, working our a$$ off to get to where we are at now or where we want to get to down the line.

And, let’s be honest, a protagonist who never fails at anything and never experiences any sort of conflict is, well, unlikely to grab anyone’s interest.

Stories have struggle, empathy, and ultimately our admiration for a character derives from us being able to see and relate to their adversities.

Why must you tell this story in particular? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off? That’s the heart of it.

I love this one as it relates so strongly to purpose.

What about this story lights your heart on fire?

Essentially, this rule is getting us to dig deep.

It’s all about ignoring the noise and really narrowing in on exactly what we need to share and the reason we need to share it.

It’s about creating a solid foundation so that we can craft complicated characters and intricate plot lines.

No work is ever wasted. And if it’s not working, let go and move on — if it’s useful, it’ll show up again.

A great tip to avoid writer’s block! But I also really love the overarching idea that no work is ever wasted.

Whether it is finding the right story to tell or REALLY anything else in life… trial and error is how we learn.

To find out what’s right for us, we have to try out ideas, we have to refine these ideas, and if they don’t work… we change them and try again.

As they say, all vision is revision.

Storytelling isn’t about picking one thing and sticking to it. It’s adaptable and malleable.

And, if they say it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill, then practicing your craft doesn’t mean getting it right every time.

Putting it on paper only allows you to start fixing it. If a perfect idea stays in your head, you’ll never share it with anyone.

Now, this rule might seem blatantly obvious. Although, I think it’s always a great reminder in avoiding “perfection paralysis”.

Like the previous rule, understanding that the first draft isn’t going to be the final copy alleviates the pressure to get it right the first time.

Someone once gave me this advice that you’re never going to feel 100% ready. If we wait until we reach that, it’s never going to happen.

Sometimes we just need to start with all the information we have right now and then move forward from there.

At the end of the day, we have to risk failing in order to get to where we want to go. And, if we fail? We revise and try again.

***

We are all storytellers in our own way. As a storyteller yourself, which rule resonated with you the most?

Mar

What now?!

In conversations lately, there seems to be a collective frustration in continuing to act like every day is ‘life as usual’. And, it’s no secret that it has been difficult trying to navigate how we’re supposed to feel – many of us carrying lingering worries of these unprecedented times into our daily lives.

After all, we, as humans, are obsessed with the idea of control.

We plan, delegate, execute.

So much of what we do every day is about exercising control over ourselves and our external environment.

We cling to the idea that we can have full authority over the outcomes and events in our life. Because, at all costs, we are trained to avoid feeling ‘out of control’.

Although control can often be illusionary…

It seems that as soon as we feel confident that one crisis is behind us… suddenly we are faced with a new challenge. When does it end?! Is this something you’ve felt as well?

So with new surprises, anxieties, and uncertainties, what is our responsibility when a crisis arises?

Things have changed within the last two years – I don’t think we can turn a blind eye to what is happening around us.

To put a positive spin on things, one of the beautiful things about harsh, unexpected circumstances is that it immediately shifts some of our habited brain chemistry. Our perspectives engine begins to putter, and things feel less guaranteed but more truthful.

Suddenly, life’s moments are enriched with gratitude. This is something that I have felt quite a bit.

So in the spirit of embracing our lack of control, we don’t have a ‘how-to’ guide on dealing with these issues. But, we are curious, what is your strategy for dealing with these unprecedented times? Is it ‘business as usual’ or something a little different?

Jan

“Happytalism”, do you buy it?

I stumbled across a new term recently… “happytalism”, have you heard of it?

After seeing a recent Forbes article headline “‘Happytalism’: How to Inject Greater Purpose into Your Business”, I was curious…

Words are important to me. Although, after seeing this one for the first time, I’ll admit I wasn’t convinced.

The word “happytalism”, initially, seemed like more of a marketing tactic to further push the idea of the “pursuit of happiness” onto consumers, rather than a concern for genuine employee wellness. It seemed to be a play on words that actually enhanced the advertising that we’ve already been bombarded with – “you’ll only be happy once you purchase…”

But, I might have judged “happytalism” too quickly.

Essentially, “happytalism” is an economic system and socio-political philosophy that puts happiness and well-being at the center of economic development.

“Happytalism” is meant to encourage a world with less judgment and more wisdom. Inspiring greater meaning behind the work of employers, employees, and consumers alike. As the article mentions, nothing brings greater authentic happiness than a life of meaning through contribution to others.

Ultimately, the intent behind “happytalism”, is to:

support individuals who dare to make positive social impacts;
inspire institutions to embrace the principle of collaboration;
embolden businesses to live their purpose.

“A purposeful life and creating wealth are not mutually exclusive strategies.”

– Ernest Ross, Forbes

Over the last few years, consumers are now thinking in terms of who they want to be, rather than what they want to have. With this shift, businesses should be following suit. Rather than evaluating what they have or what they do, businesses should start to look intrinsically to determine who they want to be.

As consumers become more purposeful with their purchases, it is imperative, now more than ever, that companies reinvent themselves as “happytalists”. But, how do we do this?

How do our businesses become one’s that our employees are proud to belong to?

How do our businesses become one’s that our consumers are proud to purchase from?

We do this by developing, understanding, and sharing our corporate purpose.

What is especially exciting is that “story”, “purpose”, and “happytalism” all go hand in hand. Purpose, for most of us, isn’t a singular thing that we happen to stumble upon one day, rather purpose is a journey of experimentation and self-discovery. Simply put, it is the process of getting to know ourselves better. So, when faced with important life decisions, we know who we are, making it easier to decide where to go from there.

Businesses, like individuals, have their own hopes, dreams, goals, etc.

And like our individual purpose, a business’s purpose is much of the same. Our business purpose helps us understand our impact and identify ways in which our work can make a difference. Purpose can also help us to stay grounded, in turn, simplifying challenging business decisions that are thrown our way.

In finding our business’s purpose, we can narrow down and understand exactly “who” our business is, allowing us to then tell our story to the world. This not only gives us a point of reflection but allows the “happytalistic” mentality to be one that can start to feel a little more tangible.

What do you think, do you “buy into” the “happytalistic” philosophy? In what ways might you embrace “happytalism” in your business?

Cheers,

Bronwen

Marketing Trends That Have Caught Our Attention

Why should you be telling your story?

Pixar’s Lessons for Great Storytelling

What now?!

“Happytalism”, do you buy it?

get inspired.

topics

Marketing Trends That Have Caught Our Attention

Why should you be telling your story?

Pixar’s Lessons for Great Storytelling

￼What now?!

“Happytalism”, do you buy it?

get inspired.

topics

What now?!