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Social Media Storytelling Formulas: 11 Quick-Fire Ways to Create Your Stories
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Three-Act storytelling structure
One of the oldest and most straightforward storytelling formulas:
- Setup: Set the scene and introduce the character(s)
- Confrontation or “Rising action” : Present a problem and build up the tension
- Resolution: Resolve the problem
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Five-Act storytelling structure
Also known as Freytag’s Pyramid:
- Exposition: Introduce important background information
- Rising action: Tell a series of events to build up to the climax
- Climax: Turn the story around (usually the most exciting part of the story)
- Falling action: Continue the action from the climax
- Dénouement: Ending the story with a resolution.
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Before – After – Bridge storytelling formula
- Before: Describe the world with Problem A.
- After: Imagine what it’d be like having Problem A solved.
- Bridge: Here’s how to get there.
Set the stage of a problem that your target audience is likely to experience ( a problem that your company solves). Describe a world where that problem didn’t exist. Explain how to get there or present the solution (i.e. your product or service).
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Problem – Agitate – Solve storytelling formula
- Problem: Present a problem
- Agitate: Agitate the problem
- Solve: Solve the problem
First, you present a problem. Second, instead of presenting the “After”, you intensify the problem with emotional language. Finally, you solve the problem by offering your product or services.
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Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle
- Why: Why the company exists (Why are you in this business? What motivates you)
- How: How the company fulfills its Why
- What: What the company does to fulfill its Why (i.e. your products and services).
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Dale Carnegie’s Magic Formula for storytelling
- Incident: Share a relevant, personal experience, to grab your audience’s attention.
- Action: Describe the specific action taken to solve or prevent a problem, showing that a change was needed.
- Benefit: State the benefits of the action/change.
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Dave Lieber’s V storytelling formula
- Introduce the character;
- Bring the story to its lowest point;
- Turn it around and finish with a happy ending.
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Star – Chain – Hook storytelling formula
- Star: An attention-getting, positive opening
- Chain: A series of convincing facts, benefits, and reasons
- Hook: A powerful call-to-action.
The star grabs your audience’s attention. The chain turns your audience’s attention into a desire. The hook gives them something actionable to fulfill their desire.
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The Story Spine: Pixar’s award-winning formula
The idea is to introduce a character or a group of character, describe their usual routine, present a twist that disrupts their daily lives, explain how they overcome it, and celebrate!
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The Hero’s Journey storytelling formula
- Departure: A hero receives a call to go on an adventure, receives advice from a mentor, and heads out on her journey.
- Initiation: The hero meets a series of challenges but eventually completes the mission.
- Return: The hero returns and helps others with her new found power or treasure.
This formula is used by many of the greatest storytellers including George Lucas for his Star Wars films!
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Nancy Duarte’s secret structure of great talks
- What is: The status quo
- What could be: The future that could be possible
Go back and forth between the two and end off with a …
- New bliss: The wonderful future with your idea/product/service adopted.
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Pixar’s Plotting Techniques For Structure And Purpose
The Story Spine structure: Once upon a time there was [blank]. Every day, [blank]. One day [blank]. Because of that, [blank]. Until finally [bank].
A story’s purpose: find why you want to tell this story, what belief of yours fueled that story, what does it teach and its purpose. Stories with a purpose that you are passionate about have a bigger impact.
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Key Ideas
“The most powerful person in the world is the story teller. The storyteller sets the vision, values and agenda of ..."
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Storytelling Is Everything
Whether it's telling inspiring stories to customers or delivering a presentation to executives and the board of directors, being a good storyteller helps us make the leap from Good to Great.
Product managers and designers can benefit tremendously by great storytelling, and so can anyone who is working with product design.
Purpose
Instead of selling products, we need to focus on their purpose and what good it does for the end-user. Focus on the need of the customer and design the product around it.
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Key Ideas
Storytelling is...
Why we tell stories
- Stories solidify abstract concepts and simplify complex messages;
- Stories bring people together: stories connect us through the way we feel and respond to them;
- Stories inspire and motivate, by tapping into people’s emotions and baring both the good and bad.
Good stories are …
- Entertaining. Good stories keep the reader engaged and interested in what’s coming next.
- Educational. Good stories spark curiosity and add to the reader’s knowledge bank.
- Universal. Good stories are relatable to all readers and tap into emotions and experiences that most people undergo.
- Organized. Good stories follow a succinct organization that helps convey the core message and helps readers absorb it.
- Memorable. Whether through inspiration, scandal, or humor, good stories stick in the reader’s mind.