#SST2014

Turning Your Brand Story Into A

Blog Blockbuster

Matt Charney

@MattCharney

@RecruitingDaily www.recruitingdaily.com

#SST2014 Matt Charney

Matt Charney Executive Editor, Recruiting Daily

• @mattcharney

• @RecruitingBlogs

•

#SST2014

Once Upon A Time…

#SST2014

Act I: Set-Up

The Shaman.

● Shamans acted as stewards of an oral

legacy stretching back since before

writing.

● Around dancing fires, the people

huddled and listened as the Shaman

cast his spell; but his sorcery was

not supernatural – it was

storytelling.

● Without stories, there is no past,

and without a past, there can be no

identity, no destiny, only the

perpetual present, stuck spinning

forever.

#SST2014

Act I: Set-Up

Humans are hardwired for

stories.

● Telling stories defines our talent and

personal brands and shows candidates

and customers:

o What we do.

o What we’ve done.

o What we’ve got the potential to

actually achieve.

● The catch is that our emotions don’t

respond as much to what we say as how

we say it. That means that as in

haute cuisine or high fashion,

presentation really is everything.

#SST2014

Act II: Confrontation

● Besides tech specs, aspiring writers,

whether they know it or not, share

another commonality: Syd Field.

● For better or for worse, the work of

this recently deceased, self-

described storytelling “guru” (before

social made that word pretty much

meaningless) has profoundly impacted

the conventions of contemporary

communications, arguably more than

any one individual since the dawning

of mass media.

● Syd Field taught screenwriters a

formula for storytelling as

straightforward and as simple as the

one shamans back in the day

possessed.

Syd Field.

#SST2014

Act II: Confrontation.

The screenplay.

● A screenplay, as a rule of thumb, consists

of one page for every minute of screen

time, meaning that a two hour movie must be

120 pages.

● It’s no coincidence that most movies have

that uniform length, because those 120

minutes can be perfectly subdivided into

the most basic structural components of a

story: the beginning, the middle, and the

end.

● That three act structure forms the basis of

every successful business presentation,

marketing campaign or sales pitch. It’s a

formula that works, and works consistently.

#SST2014 Act III: Resolution.

Field’s Basic Film Paradigm.

● For many, the story starts far before the action

itself, from the experience of its founder to the

evolution of the marketplace.

● For others, it starts decades after the brand hit

the market, with a relaunch, rebrand or

restructuring.

● Knowing that exact moment a story starts – what’s

known as the inciting incident - is key, because

it’s the baseline from which all action must

inevitably rise.

● It’s only through rising action, the forward

momentum of movement, that a story’s structure is

sustainable.

● For talent brands, every story should start with a

hire and unfold with every day at the office,

establishing a narrative that blends the experiences

of the individual employees.

#SST2014

Act III: Resolution.

Field’s Basic Film Paradigm.

Plot Point #1:

● Is where the world of the story moves from

establishing exposition to the real meat

of the story.

● Think: the moment a company won its first

major customer, went public, or perfected

its product.

● Find that critical instant where your

trajectory completely changed, and you’ll

have the momentum you’ll need to make it

through the end of Act II, where the

confrontation finally reaches its climax.

#SST2014

Act III: Resolution.

Field’s Basic Film Paradigm.

Plot Point #2:

● As Field refers to it, is when the biggest

obstacle is encountered and ultimately,

overcome.

● Plot Point #2 should function as the call

to action for content or a campaign, that

moment where you’ve finally triumphed over

a formidable challenge (personal or

professional), and steer your audience

towards the happily ever after.

#SST2014

Act III: Resolution.

Field’s Basic Film Paradigm.

The Final Act:

In your story, if you’re a business, brand or

blogger, is still being written, so Act 3

has no denouements, no real resolution.

That’s up to sales, recruiting, or whoever

has to close the deal. After all, no story

sells itself. That’s why we made up

marketing.

#SST2014

CONTENT BEST PRACTICES FOR PEOPLE WHO HATE WRITING.

Momentum, a Model and a Point-of-View.

#SST2014

A Point-of-View.

#SST2014

#SST2014

“"Advice is a form of

nostalgia” Baz Lurhman

#SST2014

Looks Like Pac Man

Doesn't look like Pac Man

Where do People get information?

Google

Elsewhere

#SST2014

Looks Like Pac Man

Doesn't look like Pac Man

Percentage of the chart that looks like Pac Man.

#SST2014

#SST2014

“Britney proves that while you cannot polish a turd, you can roll it in glitter.” – LA Times

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Avoid tables with Skirts.

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When everyone else Zigs, Zag.

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If you have to choose between professional or memorable, always choose memorable.

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If you want to be a disruptor, you will need to be comfortable with being disruptive.

#SST2014

Digital without engagement is like golfing with one arm.

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A Model.

A Model.

The only measurable outcome of Marketing is qualified leads.

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I like you

I may want to buy

something from you real soon

time

57% of statistics are made up on the spot.

#SST2014

Don’t chase leads. Build relationships. Can’t improve what you can’t measure.. Only extract as much value as you give. Engagement is everything. Your audience is not an algorighim. Treat customers like adults. Stop patronizing. Digital isn’t about “if.” It’s about “how.”

There’s no silver bullet. Success is subjective.

#SST2014

The end.