Happy Friday, fabulous people! It’s time for the Friday Fix! Hard to believe we’re already diving into April Fridays (am I right)? At least the interesting content makes the flight of time worthwhile. This week we look at the merits of emotional storytelling, data-driven storytelling strategies, what big brands are nailing content marketing (and how), digital storytelling, virtual reality, and more. Yep, it’s a great day for the Friday Fix (and a great day in general…how about this spring weather!), so grab a nice iced coffee and dive in. It’s time to get Fixed!
Data-Driven Storytelling: The Intersection of Numbers and Narrative
The idea of using data to tell stories has gained in popularity since last year (at least based on my totally unscientific analysis of the number of pundits who discuss it). This might be something you’ve noticed as well, but perhaps you’re still trying to figure out how one goes from digits to words and how data translates to a compelling story. In this piece, writer Joshua Reynolds covers the elements that go into a sharable data-driven story.
3 Big Brands that Totally “Get” Content Marketing
marketingland.com
I love a good analysis of entities that are just nailing their content marketing strategy, which is why Quinn Whissen’s piece from this week is being featured here. Why is it so great to look at the champs and break down their winning approach? For ideas and inspiration. Sure, you may not have Purina’s budget (that’s one of the brands), but that doesn’t mean you can’t apply interactive tools or trending list-style stories to your strategy. In addition to Purina, Quinn also highlights Environmental Working Group and Toshiba in this article.
Richard Dickson Talks Mattel’s Transformation
The brand Mattel has been around for quite some time (70 years) and has undergone a plethora of transformations over the course of its long life. Most recently, the brand has turned to an audience-centric storytelling approach that is boosting results. Pundit Mansha Daswani brings the details from Dickson’s keynote speech and subsequent Q&A at MIPTV. This piece is another great example of a brand that’s getting things right (so, take notes, yeah?).
The New Marketing Mantra: Tell Me a Story
thestorytelleragency.com
When I was in school for creative writing, we would occasionally talk about pitch-slam sessions in which a writer proposing an idea would need to not only be able to tell their story in like two minutes (or less) to editors or producers, they’d also need to be able to whip another story out of their back pocket if the other one got shot down (remember that episode of Sex and the City where Carrie proposed the story of a little girl with magic cigarettes to Big’s ex-wife?). Anyway, I digress…that’s not the focus of Michele Shapiro’s incredibly fascinating article on the culture shift in marketing, but it (storytelling and needing to have / share a story) is part of it. Check out this article for the details and to understand how and why, because of storytelling, brands are no longer in control.
Championing Digital Storytelling – It’s Not about You, You, You. Make Your Brand Relevant to the Lives of Your Audience
Mark Lister’s article echoes the essence of Michele Shapiro’s in that the audience is front and center of the brand’s universe now, not the brand itself (sorry, brands). Of course in this piece, Mark focuses on digital storytelling and his tips for the best practice design approaches for a consistent digital storytelling experience. Mobile scrolling, micro-interactions, and card layouts are just a few of those approaches.
Samsung’s Creative Chief Explains Why VR is the ‘Next Frontier of Storytelling’ and How to Advertise It
mailigen.com
Virtual Reality (VR) has gotten its share of press in the past few months starting last year. Everyone seems to concur that VR is about to be a very big deal, so Lauren Johnson’s interview with Samsung’s Creative Chief Officer Jesse Coulter is well worth the read. Coulter describes VR as the next frontier of storytelling and talks about some of the collaborations the media technology producer is involved with. Coulter states that they not only want to show what VR is but also “why it matters”.
Lessons on Viral Marketing from the Content Marketer of the Year
So, Aashish Cooper, winner of Content Marketer of the Year for putting together videos that had over 120 million views gave author Nikhil John some insight on viral marketing. Check out this interview to see what content Aashish feels is best to curate (there’s a five-point checklist!), if uploading to YouTube or Facebook is more effective, and three tools and processes for effective video marketing.
5 New Ways Marketers are Leveraging Location Data in 2016
skyword.com
We all know that location data is being gathered, but what’s it being used for and how? In this piece, Taylor Mallory Holland explores the ways in which marketers are using location data in their mobile content strategies. For example, Whole Foods’ use of geo-conquesting yielded a 4.69 post-click conversion rate while Charlotte Russe’s push notifications boosted app downloads by 295%. Taylor looks at two others, but clearly, the proof is in the geofenced pudding that leveraging location data is the thing to be doing right this minute.
8 Killer Tips for Harnessing the Power of SlideShare
Apparently, SlideShare is the gem of a resource you never knew you absolutely had to have. In this article, Nicki Howell details eight ways you can harness the best-of said resource. SlideShare is great for research, getting attention, storytelling, presentation-sharing, creating an interactive experience, and much more. Check out this article for the rest and to better understand why SlideShare is no longer a “sleeping giant” among content marketing distribution platforms.
6 Content Marketing Resources Brands Should be Aware Of
Steve Olenski kicks this article off with a quick overview of why content marketing rocks (as in, why you should be doing it). To get you started or to help you rebrand or just step up your game, Steve highlights six marketing resources that will help you do just that. In addition to a few others, he zeroes in on Contently, Mediaplanet, and NewsCred.
4 Reasons Why Emotional Storytelling is the Secret to Your Brand’s Success
thestorytelleragency.com
When was the last time you re-read or even recalled a story that didn’t move you? I’m no psychic (but I’ll still charge you $3.99 for a reading if you’re down), but I’m guessing never. Stories that move us, that is to say, that we connect with, are those that we remember; they draw us in and stick with us, which is why emotional storytelling is the secret ingredient to your brand’s success. In this piece, Kathryn Jones targets four specific reasons as to why it’s time for you to get in touch with your emotional storytelling side.
Amy Delcambre is a freelance content and travel writer from Mobile, Alabama with a Master's in Creative Writing. When she's not painting the page with nouns, verbs, and adverbs, she's slaying grammar beasts as a freelance editor and saving the world one sentence fragment at a time teaching university writing classes. In her free time, Amy enjoys cooking, traveling, and testing which plant species best survive prolonged neglect.
Connect with Amy: LinkedIn