Blog Archives
4 Key Storytelling Lessons to Learn From @the3six5
Last September, I had the pleasure of contributing a post to the3six5 project. Since 2010, I’ve tracked the project closely and have fallen into the routine of waking up, rolling over, checking my phone and reading the day’s new post before hopping out of bed. The routine may seem a bit odd to some, but I’m a storytelling nut and these posts often satisfy my yearning for a quick This American Life-esque nugget to kick off my day.
the3six5
If you’ve never checked out the project, I highly encourage you to click above. Recently, I paired it down to three core elements that I think the Project does well to captivate and maintain attention and community with their approach.
1. Photos First
The era of visual sharing is exploding. With so much to explore and share across the Web, images remain a primary asset that people love to share. By requiring every post to incorporate an image, the3six5 forces authors to present something that captures the creative nature of their post while also serving up a strong point of entry to pique interest from readers.
2. Consistency
Where many blogs fail is on the consistency front. At the beginning of each year, the3six5 recruits editors to manage the ed cal throughout the year and ensure that every single day is covered with a new post and author. It’s beyond impressive and of course the project wouldn’t live up to its name if this wasn’t the case. Regardless, it is this consistent nature of one new post a day that keeps people like me intrigued and reading/engaging with the content on a daily basis.
3. Simple, Digestable Format
I love how the team has kept the site incredibly simple through the use of a Posterous blog. Easy backend management and the chosen layout keeps the posts front and center with quick load times.
4. Spontaneity and Emotion
You didn’t think I would forget the content piece did you?
I’m always impressed by the diverse set of voices the editors recruit for a year’s worth of content. When submitting a post, editors request that you truly use the blog as an opportunity to capture the moment of the day and as a unique reflection point for your post topic. The approach pushes authors to dig deep and serves as a proof point that there is a story behind every person, every action, every encounter that we experience on a daily basis. We’re humans and we love human stories.
For me, it’s a constant reminder that each and every day is an adventure in and of itself and that no matter what, we should all aim to treat the next 24 hours as such.
Go. Get in the mix. Tell your friends. There are still plenty of spots to fill for 2012 authors.
We’ll see you around the 3six5.
The Matt Green Super Secret to Great Storytelling
Yes, great storytellers are great writers. They understand narrative structure, setting, how to grab attention, how to humanize and build tension and ultimately, how to bring it all full circle or provide a call to action. In our digital world, great storytellers possess the technical skills to build and manage a blog, shoot photos, record audio, create good videos and maximize use of our favorite social media channels.
That aside, stories first need to be discovered and explored. Great stories also typically require time to evolve and develop in order to properly match a storyteller’s vision. So what’s the super secret to drumming up a great story??
Take a walk and explore.
Step away from the computer. March outside and start walking. Look around. Delve into the details and take note of all the happenings and your surroundings. You’ll be amazed at the plethora of story ideas that you’ll encounter.
Need a lesson in how it’s done right? I was ecstatic this morning to learn that Matt Green (man behind I’m Just Walkin’ who most recently documented his walk across the U.S.) is embarking on a new walking trek exploring every public street in NYC.
When I originally discovered Matt’s blog, I couldn’t help but immediately jump into marketing mode analyzing Matt’s blog template, assessing why he wasn’t utilizing Facebook/Twitter/YouTube to further build community and enrich his story, determining whether he was tying his walk into a larger cause-related effort, jostling back and forth about why shoe and outdoor gear brands hadn’t jumped onboard to sponsor, etc. I quickly caught myself.
After following along for a few days, I came to recognize the purity of Matt’s approach to storytelling as he spent day in and day out capturing the finer details in life that we often overlook or simply never experience. I was drawn in by Matt’s simplistic approach, authentic tone and great photos. Key ingredients frequently found among great storytellers.
For those questioning why Matt ever completed his first walk, give this post a good read. One of Matt’s key takeaways from his journey was proving that despite all the horrible stories we hear about in the media day in and day out – people are inherently good natured. Unfortunately, we’ve learned to shy away from interacting with strangers or exploring new areas based on preconceived notions of danger. As Matt notes:
It’s only when people are isolated from some potential danger that they really begin to fear it in a way that’s totally out of proportion. When we let our expectations of danger make decisions for us, we end up avoiding the very experiences that have the power to change those expectations. In that way, our fear of the world is self-sustaining. We never give ourselves the chance to learn that our fears are baseless, because we isolate ourselves from the situations that can challenge our fears.
Great storytellers step outside their boundaries. They talk to strangers. They explore unfamiliar locations. They look behind the door. They face fears.
While marketers are naturally drawn to the bells and whistles of building community and making a story sing, the truth of the matter is that good stories stand on their own when told in an authentic manner.
In 2012, strive to be a great storyteller. Focus on starting with a great story. Embrace the world and approach one another with initial trust that we’re all good people and most importantly – go take a walk.
p.s. If you are a shoe/outdoor gear brand, may be smart to drop Matt a line as he’s seeking a bit of financial support. Just sayin’.
