Step 2: People will then remark upon what you said, did, or shared.
Step 3: Count all the remarks and gloat over how many you have.
You can observe how remarks relate to remarkability in the professional flow chart below: That’s all there is to it! Note that combining kittens (always remarkable–did you know there are THREE kittens just in this post?) with a flowchart (multiplies expert points by 300%) creates a highly remarkable presentation.
It’s been 3 months since United Airlines was dragged into social media. There are hundreds of social media sites a big brand could use to connect with customers. Twitter, as the real-time queen of social media, is a good place to look for evidence of social media savvy and evolution.
“Twanksgiving Tware” says a lot about where United is with their understanding of how Twitter works. I feel for them like I feel for the baby boomer who uses ancient surfer lingo in attempts to connect with today’s youth. It’s awkward.
And what about the page design? If United Airlines offered deals on deep-sea expeditions through their Twitter page, the gradient would make sense. The logo hesitantly bobs above the heavily-cropped portion of an airplane. If you breathe deeply, you get a hint of mothballs as you
There’s an entire set of photos lovingly posted to Flickr by employees at the 87th & Sunset Starbucks location in Miami Florida. Here’s a sample:
The reason for the photos of customers? (view them here) To quote the poster:
We get a lot of skanky hoe types around these parts; it is Miami.
The rest of the photo set isn’t much better. Beneath a photo of a badly-parked SUV:
I took this photo for all the people who think the stereotype of SUV-driving soccermoms who have no regard for their fellow human is a stereotype at all. Believe me, I work at Starbucks. I see them every day.
Classy move, Starbucks.
Starbucks has a bunch of Twitter followers but very little in the way of an aggressively vibrant social media presence. Searching major social media platforms and solving issues that tarnish your brand is one of the most important parts of a corporate social media effort.
You value quantity over quality – You don’t care what it tastes like, you just want plenty of it for cheap! You love social media! Clicks, comments, followers, links…as long as you’re getting more you don’t care about value-added interactions. You post every day to your blog but rarely take time for basic editing. You friend/follow back everybody who finds you because, hey, more is better! You’re all about the party, arentcha!
You prefer to keep things “in the family” - After all, you already know you get along because you grew up in the same house, right? No need for new ideas under your grungy thinking cap. You’ve already got lots of great ideas that you know are good because the people on your blogroll say so! Whenever anybody challenges your ideas, you’re not scared! You’ve got all your vaguely-related friends to defend your honor. Some would say that your community is intellectually inbred and that you’ve simply built an electronic echo chamber. They’d be wrong though because you’re creating something beautiful…just like you!
You don’t believe in evolution – We’re not talking about an incomprehensible life-force bringing order to the cosmos here. We’re talking simple change taking place over a certain period of time and you want none of it. Twitter started out fine and you aim to keep it just so. You want everybody to see everybody’s @replies. You want Facebook to give Friendfeed back. You see signs of The End in every major platform change or business transaction. Don’t worry. We believe you. Well, it seems like we do. We don’t want to get in an argument over it because we know you’ll win.
The facts are in. Teens don’t tweet. But why, wonder millions already afflicted by Twitter, are so many youngsters immune to the plague? I did a bit of market research (read: spent time with my 17 year-old brother and his friends) and unearthed some surprising results. Here, in the words of those blessed with the power to spurn the blue bird’s beak, why teens don’t tweet:
Here’s an extraordinary advertisement that tells one girl’s story: [video]
Do you identify with her story in some way? I did. Struggle, disappointment, rejection, and eventual triumph in spite of great odds are things we can all relate to. There are many times when I’ve felt I lacked the talent, equipment, and experience to make something beautiful happen. I know what it feels like to walk onto a stage, uncertain of the outcome, and experience the joy of having everything turn out okay. (I’ve never had a chance to do the hair-tossing bit though. Not enough hair.)
If a shampoo company finds value in advertising that isn’t directly about shampoo, is it possible that you might find value in telling stories that aren’t about you? I think so.
It’s not enough to just grab any old story and tell it. You need to find a story that resonates with a message you want your brand to be known for. In Pantene’s case, they told a story that shares a message of shining strength in the face of unfriendly circumstances. Is it a bit of a stretch to say that a shampoo might give your hair shining strength in spite of adverse conditions? I don’t think so. It’s a pretty good match, in fact. That’s why the ad works.
Malcolm Gladwell is a great example of an individual who has created tremendous value for his audience by sharing the stories of others. [see Gladwell's TED presentation on The Story Of Spaghetti Sauce] The Spaghetti Sauce story is a bit long but its message is one of innovation, risk-taking, and tenacious creativity. Gladwell’s personal story has a similar message but he can only tell it so many times before it seems stale and uninteresting. So what does he do? Like the shampoo company, he tells stories that contain elements his audience will recognize and associate with his brand.
Let’s take a look at what happens with each example:
Pantene tells us the story of a brilliant and tough little girl who triumphs in spite of hardship – We engage with that story and identify elements that align with what we already know about the Pantene brand. Instead of telling us how to wash our hair, (which we can’t engage with) Pantene tells us a compelling story with a message we recognize and connect with the shampoo. (In so doing, they find a way to get customers to engage with a shampoo. Interesting, no?)
Gladwell tells us about a man who decided to create different types of spaghetti sauce – We engage with that story and identify parts of the message that seem similar to what we already know of Gladwell. Instead of telling us, “You need to be innovative and energetic in your creativity,” Gladwell engages us with a story about a man we can model ourselves after. Telling a story that isn’t about the storyteller allows an audience to focus on a message instead of worrying about being sold to or the overall take-away of a presentation.
How do you put this concept into action? With 3-4-5:
3 Reasons you should tell stories that aren’t just about you
Because you’re not really that interesting on your own – Even people with lots of money, free time, and a wild past can be boring. In fact, they’re usually quite boring. It’s unlikely that you’re an exception. We’re just too polite to say it to your face.
Because we don’t want to just talk about you – It’s difficult for us to engage in a conversation that is entirely about you. We worry about offending you if we express disagreement or inflating your ego if we sound out a praise.
Because we’d like to think you care about us – When you tell stories that aren’t just about you, we get the feeling that you’re interested in something other than your own personal gain. We like that feeling.
4 Places to find stories
Social media – Twitter, Facebook, and other online social networking sites offer friend-filtered content discovery in real time.
Traditional media – Newspapers, magazines, books, radio, and television (sometimes) present a less frenetic way to discover content. It’s not as fast as social media but you may find that your retention of the stories you do read is much higher. That’s key if you plan on sharing the story later.
The people around you – Every time you interact with another person, you have a chance to add another story to your arsenal. Ask thoughtful questions and people will give you answers. Learn to thoughtfully listen and those same people will share stories you never dreamed you’d hear.
Your imagination – Allegories, parables, and fairy tales have long been used to share a message in an interesting narrative form. If you can’t find a story with a message you like, go ahead and make one up. Just make sure to let your audience know at some point that you concocted the tale!
5 Ways to share stories
In your conversations – Instead of saying, “Here’s what I think,” try sharing a story that imparts your message and follow it up with, “What do you think?” Your story need not be long–and probably shouldn’t be–in order to make a point. Just give a quick summary and ask for a reply. You might be surprised at the positive responses such an approach will garner.
On your blog – Take a break from pumping “me-content” for a few posts of “you-content.” Give your readers a break from your opinions and tell them a story that inspires you or caused you to think.
Through your lifestream – Instead of answering Twitter’s, “what are you doing?” try updating in response to, “what are others doing that inspires you or makes you think?” Take time off from talking about where you are or what photos you just took to share in the world around you. There’s joy to be found in such things.
In your promotions – Planning a marketing blitz? Take a look at your past campaigns and check to see if you’ve already talked too long about the features of your product or service. It might be time to follow the soap companies’ example and share a story.
In your presentations - Watch Gladwell’s presentation on spaghetti sauce and give some thought as to how you might go about incorporating stories into your presentations. If you’ve got a bit of time on your hands, take a stroll around the TED site and keep track of the presenters who use stories about others to make a point. It’s interesting to note how those who do tell stories about others often get the best responses from the audience. Coincidence? Unlikely.
I hope you’ll give it a try!
“If a story is not about the hearer, he will not listen. And here I make a rule—a great and interesting story is about everyone or it will not last.” –John Steinbeck
That’s all there is to it! Note that combining kittens (always remarkable–did you know there are THREE kittens just in this post?) with a flowchart (multiplies expert points by 300%) creates a highly remarkable presentation.
“Twanksgiving Tware” says a lot about where United is with their understanding of how Twitter works. I feel for them like I feel for the baby boomer who uses ancient surfer lingo in attempts to connect with today’s youth. It’s awkward.
The reason for the photos of customers? (
I don’t think we can classify Twitter interactions, no matter how frequently they take place or the information shared through them, as friendship.
