Five Ways To Be A Good Storyteller

Hi lovely peeps.

Last time, we discussed the importance of sharing your story as a business person or content creator – whether you’re a blogger, YouTuber, podcaster or filmmaker. If you haven’t yet read that blog post, what are you waiting for? Click here to read. 

Today, I am going to share five ways to be a good storyteller. So bloggers, vloggers and podcasters. Buckle up, this is for you!

Five Ways To Be A Good Storyteller

1. About page – Exactly what it says on the tin, and if you have a website then an ‘about page’ is essential. It’s a page on your website which details information about the person or team behind the brand. You can also add as little or as much additional information such as your brand’s origins, your brand values and mission statement and your day to day operations. What is great about this, is that it’s the easiest way to introduce who you are to your audience with little effort. It doesn’t require lots of creativity and can be put together quite quickly. Your About page is a huge part of your brand. I explain in lots more detail about how your words affect your brand here.

 

2. FAQs/ Life Updates  – I watch a lot of YouTube, and one thing that I particularly enjoy watching are life updates, Q&As, and ’10, 20 or 30 facts about me’ videos. As a blogger, you can also produce this in written format. The advantage of producing content like this is that, it’s usually a direct response to your audience’s most pressing questions, so you can rest assured that you won’t be creating it in vain. People will definitely read or watch it once you post it.

The last life update I wrote was around a year and a half ago, and for a long time, it was one of my most popular posts.

 

 

3. Newsletters – Having a newsletter that people can subscribe to is a great way to let them in on your “behind the scenes”. Newsletters allow you to momentarily step away from your usual tone of voice and get more personal with your audience; you can share a cause close to your heart,  be more transparent about your thought and feelings, or even offer discounts and sell directly to your target audience.

I typically use my newsletter to offer my opinion on current trends, redirect my readers to specific blog posts and alert them to my current offers.

 

4. Social Media – This can be executed in many ways, depending on the medium you are using. Taking nice photos for Instagram, and writing a nice caption which tells a short story behind the photo is one way. The power of a good caption should never be underestimated.

Platforms like Twitter also allow you to join in on topics outside of your niche. The discussions you get involved in the most will give your audience a hint on what means the most to you. Micro vlogging tools such as Instgram Stories, Reels and IGTV is another way to let your personality shine.

Speaking of Stories, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and now Youtube all have this feature. If you’re wondering what its function is, the clue is in the name, so use it!

Newer tools such as Clubhouse and TikTok should not be slept on either!

 

Every so often I think about what Deena and Curtis Taylor Jnr. did to Effie White. #dreamgirls

— Madeline (@madelinewblogs) January 7, 2020

 

5.  Videos – Now, speaking of social media, let’s talk about video, which I believe will be the holy grail when it comes to using storytelling as a means of connecting with your audience. Social media sites such as TikTok have gained traction, especially with younger audiences whilst OG sites like YouTube continue to gain popularity. Meanwhile, Instagram continues to invest in video sharing features.

 

Hmmm…I am looking at this list and thinking, “Madeline, you should probably follow some of your own advice!” Oh well. I hope these five ways to be a good storyteller helps nonetheless!

Whichever way you choose to “tell your story”, remember that doing business and sharing content is all about connecting with people. No matter how much technology has progressed, as humans, we are still social beings with a need to interact with each other.

Again, if you have not read my last blog post, you can do so here. If you’d like to get serious about being a good storyteller as a writer, along with other copywriting techniques, then you need to see this!

Can you add to my list? Are you a blogger, or content creator of any kind? In what other ways do you share your story?