The Storytelling Edge

Book description

A terrific and timely book that makes a compelling case for fundamentally rethinking how your business communicates. Recommended!

 -Jay Baer, founder of Convince & Convert and author of Hug Your Haters

 Once upon a time, storytelling was confused with talking at people. Not anymore. Shane and Joe are your narrators in a journey that will transform how you talk to other human beings to be more believable, relevant, compelling and unforgettable.

 -Brian Solis, experience architect, digital anthropologist, best-selling author

 
Shane Snow and Joe Lazauskas spend the overwhelming majority of their time thinking, writing, and theorizing about brand storytelling - so you don't have to. They're smart and they know this topic inside out (and sideways). Read their book. While I can't guarantee you'll rise to Shane and Joe's ridiculously obsessive level, you will be infinitely better prepared to tell your own brand's story. Promise!

 -Rebecca Lieb,Analyst, Author & Advisor

 
“The Contently team understands the power of story, and how to craft and spread a great narrative, like no other. In an era where brand, design, and mission are a competitive advantage for every business, Contently underscores the importance of stories and how they transform companies and industries.”

 -Scott Belsky, Entrepreneur, Investor, & Author (Founder of Behance, bestselling author of Making Ideas Happen)

 

I can't think of a better way to illustrate the power of story telling than by telling great stories. This book should be required reading not just by those with content in their titles, but by anyone in Marketing AND Sales. Then, when you're done, give it to your CEO to read... but make sure you get it back, because I guarantee you'll refer to it more than once.

 

-Shawna Dennis, Senior Marketing Leader


Neuroscience, algorithms, illustrations, personal anecdotes and good, old-fashioned empathy: This entertaining and informative tome journeys to the core of how we communicate and pushes us, as marketers and humans, to do it better, "speeding the reader through" and leaving us wanting more.

 -Ann Hynek, VP of global content marketing at Morgan Stanley

 

 Transform your business through the power of storytelling.

Content strategists Joe Lazauskas and Shane Snow offer an insider’s guide to transforming your business—and all the relationships that matter to it—through the art and science of telling great stories.

Smart businesses today understand the need to use stories to better connect with the people they care about. But few know how to do it well. In The Storytelling Edge, the strategy minds behind Contently, the world renowned content marketing technology company, reveal their secrets that have helped award-winning brands to build relationships with millions of advocates and customers.

Join as they dive into the neuroscience of storytelling, the elements of powerful stories, and methodologies to grow businesses through engaging and accountable content.

With The Storytelling Edge you will discover how leaders and workers can craft the powerful stories that not only build brands and engage customers, but also build relationships and make people care—in work and in life.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Endorsements
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. About the Authors
  8. Introduction
    1. Stories Matter
    2. Businesses Need to Tell Good Stories
    3. Workers and Leaders Need to Tell Good Stories
    4. Who Are We?
    5. Why This Book?
  9. Chapter 1: The Power of Story
    1. Jacques and the Beggar
    2. And Now for Shane's Favorite Ryan Gosling Story
    3. Our Brains Are Built for Story
    4. Stories Help Us Remember
    5. Stories Generate Empathy—at the Chemical Level
    6. Stories Bring Us Together
    7. With Great Power…
  10. Chapter 2: The Elements of Great Storytelling
    1. Element 1: Relatability
    2. Element 2: Novelty
    3. What Movie Popularity Data Tell Us about Novelty
    4. Element 3: Tension
    5. Element 4: Fluency
  11. Chapter 3: Honing Your Storytelling Chops
    1. Universal Storytelling Frameworks
    2. The Ben Franklin Method for Improving Story Skills
    3. The Sludge Report
  12. Chapter 4: Transforming Business with Storytelling
    1. How Stories Make Products and Services Better
    2. Stories Make Advertising Better
    3. Stories Make Your Sales Conversions Better
    4. Stories Make Your Hiring Process Better
    5. Stories Build Your Brand
    6. How We Built the Most Influential Content Strategy Blog on Earth
    7. #1: Committing to a Mission
    8. #2: Getting Smart about Audience
    9. #3: Establishing a Strategic Methodology
  13. Chapter 5: The Killer Formula for Building an Audience
    1. The CCO Pattern: Create, Connect, Optimize
    2. Connect: The Storytelling Bull's-Eye
    3. Create: The Story Funnel-Matrix
    4. Optimize: Cranking the Efficiency
  14. Chapter 6: The Brand Newsroom
    1. The Talent Race
    2. The Virtual Newsroom
    3. What Type of Newsroom Do You Prefer?
  15. Chapter 7: The Future of Brand Storytelling
    1. #1: Breakthrough Quality Storytelling
    2. #2: Rigorously Strategic
    3. #3: Tech-Enabled and Data-Optimized
    4. The Content Decision Engine
    5. The Content Operating Wheel
    6. Strategy
    7. Plan
    8. Create
    9. Activate
    10. Optimize
  16. Chapter 8: The Storytelling Habit
    1. Selling Storytelling Inside Your Organization
    2. A Culture of Storytelling
    3. May the Story Force Be with You
  17. Index
  18. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: The Storytelling Edge
  • Author(s): Shane Snow, Joe Lazauskas
  • Release date: February 2018
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781119483359