What Makes A Compelling Story Different?
Nothing is as strong a sales persuader as a compelling story. Two time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof has a new book out (co-authored by his wife and fellow Big Think expert Sheryl WuDunn) called A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity. Kristof describes it as a sort of “how to” for making a lasting impact on the world. I read it as an instruction manual on how to tell a compelling story. In their new book, one of Kristof and WuDunn’s main focuses was on the connections between individuals that make people want to contribute to a cause. The elements that make a story personal, and compelling are the ones that open people’s pocketbooks today for non-profits:
“You know this arose for me, this research arose when I was writing for my column for The New York Times about Darfur back in 2004. And I was going to villages that had been burned out, talking to people who were survivors of massacres and it was frustrating me that I couldn’t get people to pay more attention to this. Meanwhile at that very same time here in New York City there was a red tailed hawk called Pale Male that had been kicked out of its nest in Central Park and New York was all up in arms about this homeless hawk. And I thought how is it that I can’t generate as much passion about hundreds of thousands of people being slaughtered as people feel for this hawk.”
Lets have some fun, and create a new marketing term. We’ll give it a unique name. We’ll call this new marketing term Hybritography, and the new profession that of a Hybritographer. Hybritography is created by Hybrid Storytellers using edited multi media sources to craft compelling stories that move consumers to take an action. More than a still photojournalist, but incorporating most of those skills, a Hybritographer takes it a step further capturing the raw story using stills, video, audio, graphics, type and design all working together. Hybritographers ferret out what the best possible stories are, and develop them into compelling using their Hybritography techniques. Compelling stories that people can’t help but relate to. Stories with emotion.
Hybritographers work with clients to help clients decide which stories should be worked up and how best to get them told. Not every story will connect with an audience. No story without care and attention to how it is told. The Hybritographer’s roll is to bring clients options they never had before. Most clients will need help to craft a more interesting tale for their local audience. The Hybritographer’s job is to tell a compelling story that will accelerate their business growth using Video, Social Networks, and Inbound Marketing SEO. These are all powerful tools for the 21st Century marketing basket, but not easily accessed by a typical small business without help.
When combined as Hybrid content, these client stories can become effective conversion tools, from sourcing the original leads to triggering the actual conversion or sale as a “multi-channel funnel on a page.” Telling a compelling story sells a lot of product, whatever the particular product category. Using a compelling story, a Hybritographer can take the viewer by the hand from top of funnel across an entire conversion path in one longform, personalized article. I’d call that a pretty compelling marketing story, wouldn’t you?
New tools for a new breed of hybrid photographer/marketer, a Hybritographer. Go out today and create a compelling hybrid story!
Please rate this story, and share it with your compelling storytelling #hybritographer amigos! ;=) [ratings]
