Well-known author of 19 best selling non-fiction books Seth Godin knows a thing or two about writing. He reckons we scan 10 words the first time we read a page, post, ad or memo. He recommends highlighting the 10 most important words of the 1000 (or 100 or whatever) words you originally write. Then start … Continue reading We scan a page and see 10 words
Category Archives: one central truth
Fiction is wonderful. Not only does it allow us to imagine we’re in a different world, era and situation, it enables us to safely become aware of different ways of thinking. When we’re reading or watching fiction, we know it is a made up story – even if it might be based on something real … Continue reading Why the most powerful element in storytelling is the truth
We’re a self-interested species, and we’re driven by story. As much as we might care about others, it’s our own now and future which more concerns us. The lens with which we view any advertisement or offer is naturally biased towards what we see is in it for us. What might be non-interest today could … Continue reading Why you should make your story appealing, succinct and problem-solving
As much as we like to think we’re rational, coolly evaluative creatures, at our heart, we’re ruled by our heart. It is what we feel that counts. Sure, we’ll justify decisions we make, pointing out why something’s features and benefits are useful to us. But that’s after the intuitive gut-response. This comes first. This heart…felt, … Continue reading How does your story make someone feel?
Adding words is easy. But more words don’t necessarily add to more clarity. As the Occam’s Razor principle implies, you should use as few words as possible to explain – and no more. More words = confusion. More words are likely to be filler fluff. More words = potential to lose your reader or viewer … Continue reading Anyone can add words, few can remove them
Advertising is often the art, or deception, of putting a gloss on what we do. That is, trying to make a product or service bigger, or better sounding, than it really is. There’s an inherent danger in this approach. In the same way that if you tell a lie, you then have to remember what … Continue reading Tell an authentic story, not an imaginary one
We’re all complex. And our individual businesses usually do many things. Try telling that to a stranger though, and watch their eyes glaze over. That’s because we all crave understanding, immediately. Sure, later on you might expand the small list of problems you solve. But initially, at a cocktail party or as the first thing … Continue reading No really, what’s your business’s one thing
Is ‘everyone’ your target market? Extremely unlikely is the answer – unless you’ve found a way to sell happiness! Even then there’s likely to be people who are content to be grumpy. So, given that everyone is not your customers, having a clear idea of who they are makes your messaging much more definable. Whether … Continue reading Why you’re a mug to try to appeal to everyone
It’s all too easy to complicate the plan(s) we have for our business. ‘Strategy’ can often devolve to a knotty mishmash of ‘goin to’. For many people though, a clear statement, in your first story, of who you are, what you do and why you do it – is also a very succinct business master … Continue reading Your story is your strategy, your strategy is your story
The carpenter’s dictum of “measure twice, cut once” is both a time and resource saver. It’s very difficult to add to a length of cut-too-short timber. The same ‘consideration’ aspect applies to nailing your first most important story. It’s all too easy to rush, and accept the first (what initially may seem like good) words … Continue reading Measure twice, cut once