Marli Mesibov - What's in a Story?

What’s In a Story?
Web Expo 2013
#webexpo
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My Story

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I wanted to be a writer
when I was little.

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The Ant and the Grasshopper

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In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper
was hopping about, chirping and singing to
its heart's content.

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An Ant passed by, bearing along with great
toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

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"Why not come and chat with me," said the
Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling
in that way?"

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"I am helping to lay up food for the winter,"
said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the
same."

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"Why bother about winter?" said the
Grasshopper; "We have got plenty of food at
present." But the Ant went on its way and
continued its toil.

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When the winter came the Grasshopper had
no food and found itself dying of hunger while it saw the ants distributing every day
corn and grain from
the stores they had
collected in
the summer.

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Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to
prepare for days of need.

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Stories are memorable

A World of Grasshoppers

2000: Average attention
span of 12 seconds.

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2012: Average attention
span of 8 seconds.

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A World of Grasshoppers

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Size matters not

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In many cases,
long copy has proven
more effective than
short copy.

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The Long and the Short of it

It didn’t work because
the content was
longer.
It worked because the
content was better.

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Stories are engaging

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“In reality, you cannot
have a page that’s too
long – only one that’s
too boring.”
- Conversion Rate Experts

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“Sit on a hot stove for a
minute and it seems like an
hour. Sit next to a pretty girl
for an hour, and it seems
like a minute. That’s
relativity.” –Albert Einstein

You are here

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The Ant and the Grasshopper

2. Sometimes we need to do
things that aren’t very fun.
3. Plan ahead, like the ant,
and you won’t starve.

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1. Hard work pays off.

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Stories are Meaningful

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"Fiction, because it is not
about somebody who actually
lived in the real world,
always has the possibility of
being about ourself.”
- Orson Scott Card

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Stories are meaningful

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Hard work pays off.

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The grasshopper
learned that hard work
pays off.

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Seeing the ant’s
happiness, the
grasshopper learned
that hard work pays off.

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After playing all summer
and nearly starving, and
seeing the ant’s
happiness, the
grasshopper learned that
hard work pays off.

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Stories are Memorable

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Basecamp organizes
projects.

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For thousands of
companies, Basecamp
organizes projects.

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When they need it, for
thousands of
companies, Basecamp
organizes projects.

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Like a mountaineer’s
Sherpa when they need
it, for thousands of
companies, Basecamp
organizes projects.

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Why do stories stick?

History of Storytelling
Storytelling
Oral traditions
Fairy tales

Visions and Prophesies

Myths and Legends
Connection
Creative direction
Lessons
Marketing
Education
Text and visuals
Branding
Communication
Content Strategy

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Fables

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• Explains the
origin of women.
• Explains personality
attributes.

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• Explains why bad
things happen.
• Explains hope.

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• Storytelling as
a peace
offering.

• Storytelling as
a means of
engagement.

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• Storytelling is
influential.

• Storytelling is
memorable.

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Emadeddin Baghi
Iranian Author

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“People need stories
more than bread itself.
They tell us how to live,
and why.”
–Arabian Nights

Content Creators

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Storytelling

Content Creators

• Research
• Establish the story
• Add details
• Distribute

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We tell stories that can be READ. We:

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Research

It’s EVERYONE’s job!

Research

• Have conversations, not interviews

• Pay attention to vocabulary
• Identify patterns

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• Good research = personalized
content!

The point of questions is
to hear what users have
to say. Their vocabulary is
just as important as their
answers.

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Research

Share your own stories
– but only a few.
Remember the main
focus is on the user.

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Research

Identify patterns.
Patterns are more
valuable than outliers.

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Research

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Establish the Story

Establish the Story

Middle: She meets the wolf, who
eats her and her grandmother.
End: The huntsman kills the wolf,
and Red Riding Hood lives happily
ever after with her grandmother.

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Beginning: Little Red Riding Hood
wants to visit her grandmother.

Establish the Story

Middle: Joe buys the new Moto X
phone. He can work anywhere!
End: Joe leaves the office early, to
take his family on a picnic. They live
happily ever after.

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Beginning: Joe wants to spend
more time with his family.

Establish the Story

Middle: On her recipe website, the
chicken recipes are bookmarked.
End: Sally makes a wonderful
dinner, repairing her relationship
with her mother-in-law.

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Beginning: Sally needs a recipe to
make chicken.

Add Details

Strangers  bears  a family
A story  a whole world

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A person  a girl  Goldilocks

Distribute
• First, learn where the audience is.
• Participate in their conversations.
• Advertise your product or service
where it helps.

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• The goal: engage with the audience.

It doesn’t matter where
you market your content, so
long as you go where your
audience spends time.

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Distribute

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Create a story
Personalize a story
Use different mediums
Interact with your audience
Trust

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Next Steps

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1. Create a story, and
build the brand around
that story. Tell a story
that shows the value of
your product.

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2. Personalize the story
to your target
audience, based on
what you learn from
what they say.

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3. Use different
mediums to help grow
the story. Go to the
places where your
users hang out.

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4. Interact with your
audience. Bring them
your content, and help
them understand all of
its value.

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5. Trust the story to
pull in the audience.

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Thank you!

Marli Mesibov
marli.us
@marsinthestars

Marli Mesibov - What's in a Story?

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