What’s in a ‘blog’ after all?
Whether you call it an article, a write-up, ‘content’ or a blog; the common ‘thread’ that binds them all; the common element present in each one of them is - They all tell a STORY!
Without a story, a blog is simply reduced to randomly spluttered, nonsensical blobs of texts on a page – now who would want to go through that? - Let alone subscribing to the blogpost or being inspired enough to make a purchase.
You may be a sales person, a performance artist, an actor or a content creator; it really doesn’t matter whichever hat you put on – If we start digging to the core; deep down, everyone essentially wants to ‘connect’ to their audience. And the only way to do that is by telling an intriguing story!
But stories don’t always come easy; especially the ones that entice the readers with the very first sentence and keep their eyes glued to the page, until they read the very last word of the blog.
Michael Margolis, who is considered as one of the world’s first business storytellers, is also a frequent speaker at conferences including TEDx, SXSW, and CultureCon. As a CEO and founder of getstoried.com, Michael delivers learning programs, coaches and blogs under his portal.
Today we have chosen Michael Margolis as our influencer for this BLOGSpeak post. We look into what he calls - Three simple ways to start your story. These simple kick-off phrases, as Michael says, will help you start a compelling and inspiring story:
1. The VISION Story I – “Imagine if…”
The phrase ‘imagine if’ immediately offers an ‘invitation’ to the readers to connect – As soon as they read the line, they are enticed to read further… as Michael puts it, ‘a powerful way to ask your audience to suspend their disbelief and imagine the following possibility’.
For the audience, the phrase opens doors to the prospect of chartering new territories; an enchanting journey maybe. It creates a new space for them to start visualizing and exploring the world within their contexts.
A few examples that Michael offers to illustrate this phrase:
AirBNB Story: Imagine if you could travel to any city around the world and feel like you’re living a little bit more like the locals.
ZipCar Story: Imagine if you had the convenience of driving a car without the expense and hassle of insurance, parking, and all the other stuff that stresses you out.
Once the First Stage (which is the carrot) is set for the imagination to flow, it is critical that the readers are taken into the Second Stage where you show them that the picture being painted is already in existence. Again an example of ZipCar illustrates that:
“Guess what? That possibility is already real. Let me show you how it’s already happening…”
In such an imaginative, possibility story; Michael says it is important not to wander off too far away; not so much that the readers tend to become sceptics and start shaking their heads. It is crucial that the readers know that the idea is not only amazing but ‘It already exists and is real.’
The Third Stage in the sequence is to “bring in the ‘creative tension’ into the story” – which means to plant the possible obstacles and challenges needed to overcome, in order to furnish the idea or imagination – and if possible, a solution to propose in this regard or invitation to figure out one.
All in all, these three stages when laid out in their proper sequence can produce an enticing, positive narrative.
2. The Vision Story II – “Here’s what excites me…”
The phrase, “Here’s what excites me…” is an innovative way to personalize the story and share what you’re passionate about, leading the readers into the ‘thick’ of the story.
People are always intrigued by passionate and unique personal tales, as they exude emotions – which are, as Michael says, ‘contagious’. If you write on the premise of ‘what moves you’ ‘what excites you’ ‘what bothers or uplifts you’, it is sure going to strike a chord with your readers.
An example: “Here’s what excites me about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning technologies have enabled people to learn and interact more easily…”
If the picture you’re painting seems ‘alive’ and is filled with excitement; it will get others excited too. However, it is crucial that you are genuinely excited about your story; otherwise, it may not show and therefore may not garner the desired attention.
3. Origins Story – “I remember when…”
The phrase, “I remember when” gives a picture of how things were; or how far things have come from the stated time frame. This sets the stage to remind the readers of the past and how the future is unfolding – a peek again into the possibilities that lie ahead and how that brings excitement to you; and in turn to your readers.
The origin stories help to create a 'contrast frame' and can be used for offering perspective. As Michael says, “these stories lay the foundation for your faith in the future and what’s coming ahead. By sharing what you’ve accomplished so far, you can inspire confidence in where things are going.”
For example: “I remember when we used to write letters by hand and send them through postal offices... now look how far we’ve come since then”
Or in a similar vein, here's an excerpt from a blog (5 Tips for Taking Your Business Digital – Without the Brain Fry!): “Back in the year 2000, when I urged prospective clients to build websites for their businesses, they scoffed at the idea… Fast forward 10 years; by 2010 everyone wanted a website for their businesses, for their products, services; personal sites for themselves…and for their dogs too!
The Origins stories, as Michael says, are great at creating ‘rooting’ and ‘foundation’. It simultaneously helps to show the context of ‘where it was’ and ‘how it is now’. It has an ‘evolving’ nature underneath, which evokes excitement amongst the readers. And with the past and the present story at hand; the stage is set to paint the picture of exciting possibilities into the future…
Story-telling, content creation or blogging – whichever name you want to give it – can sometimes be very complex and overwhelming. The only way to get better at it is to do more of it - and with tips from Influencers like Michael Margolis I’m sure we’ll be writing more stories and blogposts that invigorate and uplift our readers.
If you would like to know more or would like to contribute to this article I want to hear from you.
Call Andy Fox (me) on (03) 5249-5570 or email andy@element7digital.com.au...
Website is element7digital.com.au
