Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

"So, how do you tell a story in the digital age that stands out, captures people’s attention and gets them to act, engage with your institution? My favourite story for quite some time now and one I’ve been showing in workshops around the world is the story of the Troy public library."

Ok -- the author here isn't writing anything revolutionary. So you can skim the text. But watch the 2.5 minute video! It's the reason I selected this piece.

 

The video is brilliant -- and a perfect example of how story triggers can make a difference in social causes and social cause marketing.

 

The video is about a library. It is controversial. Now I am a big fan of libraries so I was rooting for it (my personal bias). And the video itself is a really good example of a digital story.

 

I say 'story triggers' because the library used story elements and metaphors that sparked stories within the viewer's/reader's brains. The library did not actually tell a full-blown story yet the public reaction was immediate and powerful.

 

Go watch the video! Then share what you think.

 

This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it ;

[Great example of a smart grassroots advocacy campaign supported by social media ~ Jeff]

The following is a collection of thoughts regarding the concept of a ‘story telling’ image. Rather than an in-depth instructional tutorial, the following is more of a rhetoric that seeks to persuade and inspire you to develop your creativity and to start taking shots that matter; shots that communicate something meaningful to the viewer.

 

Here is what I like about this article -- it reminds us that as we go about our work in the world, there are plenty of places to take photos that can be used as story triggers.

 

If we can stop, pause, take a breath, look around, and approach our world with curiosity and creativity, we will often find photo opportunities that begin to share a story.

 

I make the distinction between a photograph telling a story and one that triggers a story because I think most photos trigger stories. You can see this happening in the examples the author shares. First, the photos need interpretation, which the author does. 2 of the 3 photos shared are about Australia and without the context of the culture and history of Australia the immediate impact of the photos on me sitting here in in the US are minimal. The 3rd photo is intriguing and does get me to interpret the photo on my own and start creating stories about it.

 

The take-aways for us in business? Stop and see what is around you, notice opportunities in your work for taking photos, get creative, and snap images that you can use as story triggers to share with the world about your work.

 

There are some nice additional insights here to get your creative juices flowing, so don't miss reading the rest of this post!

 

Thank you Giuseppe Mauriello for finding this article!

 

This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it ;