How Science Can Help Storytelling: A Complete Lowdown
Everyone knows that reading a good novel or watch your favorite movie is much more relaxing than cramming for exams. But let’s look at a different scenario: If given an option, would you rather go to a TED Talk or sit through a presentation? To level things further, let’s assume that the topic for the talk and the presentation is the same.
So, what did you choose?
Most people will go for the TED Talk, simply because it is more interesting (to the ones that argue that the presentation is more concise — it is, but it is still boring).
When you’re reading a novel or listening to someone tell a story, you feel like you’re transported to another place, a place where the events of the story are actually happening. It feels like magic.
But it’s not actually magic. So what is it?
The Science Behind Storytelling
So far, you’ve probably realized that storytelling is far more interesting (and effective) than the ‘bullet point method’ where you simply note down information and facts.
But why do stories have such an impact on us?
Well, because of science, obviously.
Yes, you read it right; science plays a major part in why we love stories so much! Here’s how:
Neural Coupling
Have you seen the movie Inception? The plot is basically that the protagonist goes into people’s dreams and plants ideas in their subconscious so that when they wake up, the person will “come up” with the idea (that the protagonist planted) thinking it’s their own.
Sounds too sci-fi?
Well, it isn’t, in fact that is exactly what storytelling has the power to do. Not the part where you go into another person’s dream but the part where you plant ideas in their subconscious mind without them realizing. It is a process called neural coupling.
When you hear an engaging story, this process kicks in and the listener or reader turns the story into their own ideas by allowing them to relate it to their own experiences.
Dopamine
When you experience an emotionally-charged event, our brain releases dopamine into our system. This makes it easier for us to remember the event with more accuracy; which is why you tend to remember vivid details from your favorite novel better than the facts you cram in before exams.
Mirror Neurons
If you ever catch yourself hissing in pain when you see someone get hurt or feeling secondhand embarrassment when someone else is doing something cringe-worthy, know that it’s because of something called ‘mirror neurons’; this is also what makes storytelling such a powerful tool in marketing.
When you listen to a well-told story, you experience brain activity that is similar to not only others listening to the same thing but the speaker as well.
Cortex Activity
To process facts, our brain activates 2 parts: the Broca’s and Wernicke’s area. But when listening to a story, the brain activates many more areas like the auditory, visual, olfactory, and somatosensory cortex and even the frontal cortex, which is kind of like our conscience.
When you say “the dancer’s movements were smooth as silk” the listener’s sensory cortex is activated; describing scenery vividly helps the listener visualize it better and feel like they are actually there thanks to the visual cortex at work.
A good way to take maximum advantage of cortex activity is to incorporate metaphors into your story. Too many metaphors will make it too obvious and too few will go unnoticed, both taking the magic away from the words; which is why you need to be clever and subtle about it.
Of Evolution and Storytelling
Have you ever sat in the back of a car watching as people pass by and started making small stories about them without even realizing you’re doing it?
Evolution has wired our brains for storytelling.
From buying groceries to missing someone, we think in narratives all day. Whatever we experience, whoever we meet, we like forming a story around it and relating it to our personal experiences.
Humans, by nature, think in terms of cause and effect, and any story, if broken down to the simplest form, is a connection between the two.
And that is exactly why we react to stories better than we react to facts.
How to Properly Wield the Power of Storytelling
Aristotle may have been a great philosopher, but a storyteller he is not. Which is why his “Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them” trick won’t work in storytelling. Here’s what will work (with stats to back it up):
- Less is More: The average US citizen consumes around 10,500 digital words, which means your audience doesn’t have the time to read big paragraphs on social media. So keep your content and create eye-catching titles for it.
- Show, Don’t Tell: Our brain processes images 60 times faster than it does words. Using images in your content will add to its allure.
- Easy to Follow: 92% consumers want brands to give them ads that feel like stories. So deliver content that is liner and follows a clear narrative.
- Avoid Overused Words: it’s been found that words and phrases like ‘a rough day’ have been so overused that they’ve lost their hold on our minds; we merely see them as empty words and they don’t elicit emotions from us. So avoid using such overused words and find replacements that do work.
The Ultimate Formula for Smarter Content
70% customers say content marketing makes them feel closer to the brand, which gets 3 times as many leads at 62% less cost than traditional marketing.
To garner the best results, you fundamentally need three things: quality content, proper means of distribution, and re-targeting.
- Quality Content: Quality is a balance between working with what you have and collaborating with the right people. 42% marketers start whatever existing assets and talent they already have and use outsourced help for specialized skills like writing or designing.
- Means of Distribution: Once you’ve figured out your content, you need to work out who you want to share the content with and decide the best ways to share it. Consider using channel objectives, key metrics for success, and an overarching editorial calendar o help guide your plan.
- Re-targeting: Re-targeting, a paid search marketing strategy, allows you to get in touch with those of your target audience that are already interested in your business. If used right, this tool can help increase brand recognition and encourages repeated site visits.
Humans are natural storytellers. From the “you won’t believe what just happened…” you declare to your friends to the “once upon a time…” we tell kids, we love sharing stories; perhaps the only thing we love more is to listen to stories. All you have to do is harness the storyteller inside you, brush up on your skills, use a few techniques and your brand will soar to success in no time!
But, if you still need our help, we are all ears!
