(This article was originally posted in Boost.re’s official blog)
How to create remarkable stories for your (personal) brand
When you think about your favorite TV show or movie, have you ever felt like you were living it? Perhaps even losing sleep because the main character is in trouble and doesn’t know what to do next?
That’s the power of stories, our brains do not register the difference, we can be tricked into believing that what we see in a screen is in fact reality.
In fact, nowadays, we might even prefer “to live” what we see on a screen, after all it is “less boring.”
Creating stories is an amazing opportunity to Boost your (personal) brand.
Think about this, we’re still in the times where one can become Internet famous by writing a blog post and putting it in front of the right eyes.
The secret being: you have to remain astounding!
The key elements of a story
A good story always has “a character in pursuit of a goal in the face of some challenge or obstacle.”
The key here is the challenge, if your character does not suffer or have to defeat something, your story will probably be flat and boring.
That is why a lot of “corporate” copyright is dull. They’re always afraid of showing any weaknesses, anything that might send the wrong message. Hence, they miss the opportunity of creating great stories.
People want infotainment, not flat information.
Information is cheap and plentiful; information wrapped in a story, however, is special.
So, don’t be afraid to put yourself or your brand in front of new challenges, or talk about how you once touched rock-bottom and how you managed to get up again and beat the odds. Be human, humans love that.
Remember: Everyone loves an underdog story!
You don’t have to write stories, you have to “create” them
Did you notice that the headline of this article has the word “create” and not “write”?
This is because the idea is not just to write a blog, shoot a video, design an infographic with a story. The idea is that you become the story.
If you are able to live the story you want to tell, the people you’re telling it to are more likely to believe it because you’ll get all the details right.
Get out of your comfort zone, “be different” if you will, the idea is that you live the story is if it was being presented to an audience at all times, and they are living it with you. Become a purple cow.
Storytelling in action
I’m always amazed with AirBnB’s ability to storytell. If you’re familiar with the startup world, you probably have heard a lot of stories from AirBnB’s cofounders: the Obama O’s story, their trip to New York that ended in recruiting professional photographers, the Craig’s list growth hack…
If you hear the co founders tell any of these story, you’ll notice that they use the exact same words over and over again. The stories are told time and time again … they became the story.
The bottom line
Live everyday as if you were writing down your own story for the world to know. Share those experiences with anyone that is willing to listen, and especially those who will spread your story.
Don’t be afraid to share your defeats, the times you failed and the ones you learned from. Those moments will help with your ‘character’ and will lead to empathy with your listeners, even when your talking from a “company” perspective.
Once you have something to tell, boost your stories to put it in front of the right eyes, and make your (personal) brand go internet famous.
