The Power of Stories in the Digital Age
Communication has never been so crucial as it is today because so much of our world is changing. We are saturated with messages, and the amount of information available to each of us continues to grow at an increasing rate. You have important information to communicate as a company, but it is getting harder than ever to cut through the noise.
And so, the key to understanding effective communication is in an understanding of how our brain works.
Humans Process Visual Data Better.
The brain is wired to process visual imagery and information. When we look at how the brain retains information, words are processed by our short-term memory, whereas visuals go directly into our long-term memory, where they are imprinted.
- 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and we process visuals faster.
- It takes only 13 milliseconds for the human brain to process an image.
- 80% of people remember what they see, compared to 10% what they hear and 20% of what they read.
The key is to present information in a way that appeals to the visual mind.
On the other hand, when we communicate information, our job is to move from complex to simple. The brain is more naturally wired to engage with the human, with the relatable, with a story, a Simple Story. On functional MRI scans, many different areas of the brain light up when someone is listening to a narrative. Listening to a good story lights up the same part of the brain as when one experiences pleasure. Stories, therefore, excite neurons that make dopamine. This affects emotions, movements and sensations of pleasure and pain.
The Four I’s of Digital Storytelling
We spoke about visuals in communication and the power of a story, but what makes an engaging story?
Let’s explore...
An engaging story creates interest; they maintain our attention; we want to see what it’s about and keep reading or watching. Particularly in the digital world, there is a ton of information and texts available to audiences; your story needs to stand out and hook them in.
In order to stand out, think about your audience, who wants to hear your story? What is of interest to them? Thinking through your target market and buyer persona will get you acquainted with who might be viewing or listening to your story. It will also provide crucial direction as you build out the foundation of your story.
Great stories communicate meaning; they have clear structure and purpose. The purpose is the “why” of your story. What is the reason you’re telling your story?
When the purpose of your story is clear it inspires people into action. Without purpose, it is difficult to draw people to what you have to say. To ensure your customer understands the why at the core of your story, you want to carefully curate the information you present so that everything is clear and they aren’t left confused.
Our minds favour transmitting information when that information involves us in some way. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if the reader can relate to the specific situation that is presented; what matters is that is makes them feel. An engaging story should provoke a feeling or emotion.
Most importantly, great stories inspire us. So whether you are trying to get a viewer to look at the world through a different lens or trying to get someone to buy a product from your business, you want to inspire them in some way.
Visual Storytelling
We know that even though the brain can understand and communicate complex data, people like to engage with information displayed in fun and visual ways. So data and visuals today must inspire us and connect us both with the eyes of our brain and the eyes of our heart. Visual storytelling creates a more engaging story and appeals to the first I of storytelling – Interest.
A visual narrative has 3 main components:
It has colour. Colour is an essential tool in storytelling, having the power to instantly set a tone and mood. In many ways, we associate colours with concepts or feelings. For example, pink symbolizes romance, love, friendship, white represents innocence and purity, orange symbolizes lust and fire.
It has picture. Pictures are a great way to convey your message quickly to an audience without the need to read through a lot of text. In addition, pictures can add an exciting and eye-catching element to enhance your story.
It has movement. By adding movement to a scene, you can significantly enhance the motion of the characters. This simple act can draw your audience deeper into the narrative and improve the effectiveness of your story.
What’s your Story?
Having a well-defined and communicated brand story is essential in helping to differentiate your company from the competition. Consumers need to be able to connect with you on an emotional level. They want to relate to the brand that they choose, which is where your story comes into play.
At Simple Story, we take what might be complex information, analyze it, research it, and communicate it clearly, compellingly and concisely with visuals. We believe that video is at its best when it tells a story. That is how it can have an impact and how it can spread.
We know that your brand has an important story to tell. By adding video to your story, you can tell it with visuals while maintaining the meaning of that story, cutting through the technologically integrated times we live in.
Our process follows the 4 I’s of storytelling. Our team begins by diving into your company, learning about your target audience, your vision and the feeling you want your audience to walk away with. We then act as your story architects, pulling together your story elements like your why and your value before simplifying and delivering that story through video. The story we craft creates the emotional undertone that will make viewers want to follow through on the call to action.
Let us help you craft a story that captivates, resonates and converts. Learn more by setting up a discovery call with one of our video strategists.