The importance of telling a story
“Human beings have glands, which secrete all sorts of things. But, the human mind secretes stories. We live narratives, that is the only way we know how to experience anything, and it is our glory” – Lawrence Wretchler
In 2013, an IMB study found that only 16% of 1,700 CEO’s were active on social media, only one had their own blog; Richard Branson. Yet social media has now become the number one way to share stories and engage with global audiences. Richard himself, holds the world record for the most LinkedIn followers and with his creative team’s help; publishes over 600 blogs per year. Not bad, for a man who is famously dyslexic. He believes every CEO should be online, engaging with employees and customers, getting instant feedback on the things, which could change their company. It’s an instant platform to listen, sympathise, share and most importantly say thanks.
Take time to tell a story
If you think blog writing is time consuming, compare it to all the things you do, which are time consuming and unproductive. Rather than wasting valuable time procrastinating, why not make use of it and write your ideas down. The trick to writing regularly is making it part of your daily routine; there’s time in the day to eat, drink, wash… So, just add writing to the list. Of course, not everyone is as old-fashioned as pen and paper these days. So, add to the notes section on your smartphone, or even record your ideas as a voice note.
Tell different types of stories
While it’s a popular choice, telling a story doesn’t always have to mean writing blogs, a story can be told in any amount of words, it doesn’t matter if it takes 145 characters or 145,000. Social media has made it easier than ever for people across the world to share their stories. It’s important to find the platform that helps you tell yours. Whether it’s briefly on Twitter and Instagram, or in more detail via Facebook, LinkedIn or WordPress.
“Humans communicate through stories, it’s how we make sense of our surroundings, ourselves and our place in the world.” – Richard Branson
In business, why not turn your pitch into a story? Instead of causing death-by-PowerPoint? Investors buy in to ideas and people, not just numbers. So, it makes sense to explain your ideas in a people-friendly way.
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