May the Muse be with you

Nowadays, Content is King and storytelling is its means to success — but what does that mean for us marketers? Learn how to take your storytelling skills to the next level with MUSE.

Katharina Zwickl
Jul 27, 2017 · 4 min read

We can probably all agree on this: The focus on quality content has never been higher than it is today. While this is a great opportunity for marketers to reach their audience on a much deeper, emotional level (more on that in my blog post about the Power of Storytelling), there is also one simple problem: We are ill equipped to deal with the challenges and opportunities of today’s online universe from an educational perspective.

Wanted: Well-tried concepts for online marketing

We have to face one simple truth: The principles of successful marketing that we all mastered during our time at university lost some of their relevancy. Don’t get me wrong — they are still a good backbone but they are by no means sufficient to be successful in the current marketing environment. In my opinion, there is too much learning on the job involved for young marketers who want to be successful in the online world nowadays. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but it also means that there is a lack of standardised processes available that provide consistency and structure. It means that it takes young professionals unnecessarily long to catch up to their more experienced peers.

One step at a time or structure matters — especially in stories

It is, therefore, time for us to break with convention and find new approaches that will turn into the marketing obviousness of a new generation. But where to start? Today, I’d like to share one concept with you which can help you solve one important challenge: Great content needs great stories. That’s of course easier said than done. Luckily, there is a well-tried recipe that you can follow in order to get your stories right. Every time. The MUSE process.

Ask yourself this: What’s the difference between pieces of content that just leave us fully satisfied and those leaving a foul taste in our mouth? Usually it is all about the structure that is carefully worked into the story you want to tell. You may not believe it, but it can make all the difference. And the good news is: There are a few simple rules that you have to follow in order to create emotionally rich and engaging pieces of content.

The secret formula for telling stories that engage

The MUSE process was originally developed for the film industry. That should come as no surprise as it is likely the one industry where stories are critiqued in the most rigorous way. But what does that mean for you? Well, you can fall back on a standardised and tested concept that will ensure that your story is presented in the optimal way.

Storytelling process by ©MUSE Storytelling

The formula is easy: Keep your beginning and ending short — both of them should not exceed 25% each of the overall plot. After you’ve introduced your characters and provided some context, you should finally introduce the conflict of the “hero”. Keep in mind that there are 6 main categories of conflicts that your character can face: Man vs. Man, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Spirituality, Man vs. Nature, and finally Man vs. Machine. Make sure to be very aware as of which category your story will cover.

The middle part of your story should relate 2–4 significant milestones and/or setbacks in the journey of your main character. Once you’ve told about ¾ of your story, you should offer a resolution for your character: Describe how the journey of your character cumulated and how he or she has changed or grown in the process.

Prerequisites for a good plot

If you get the plot right, you’ve already won big. However, there are a few other aspects that you have to carefully plan and be aware of with regards to the story you want to tell: Who is the main character of your story? What’s his or her desire, uniqueness and complexity? Where will your story take place? And — from a marketing perspective most importantly — what’s the purpose of the story? What do you want to leave your audience with?

Once you’ve covered all those questions and followed the MUSE Storytelling process introduced above, it should be a simple task to write stories your audience will care for.

Yes, you can study content management

By the way, there is one study programme that is embracing the importance of content management: The master’s degree programme “Content Strategy” at FH Joanneum, Austria. I’m currently in the middle of the programme and we’ve recently got our teeth into the topic of storytelling in the course “Cross-Media Storytelling” with Hubert Weitzer.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade