Content Marketing: Telling important stories about our alumni, students and instructors

Presenters:Anna Behar-Russell, Director, Marketing, Communications and Outreach,

College of Continuing and Professional Education, CSU Long Beach and

Sharon Ito, Communications and Public Affairs Manager, College of Continuing Education, Sacramento State

• Brands live or die on their ability to enhance human connection.

• Stories are the best way to build connections.• Stories are more convincing than sets of data.• Stories bring the individual and abstract to life.

Why storytelling is important to your brand?

• Crafted strategically, stories will build the memories you want to leave with your potential students.

• “You don’t have to make someone cry. You just have to make them see the story and imagine themselves in it.” -Kindra Hall, storyteller extraordinaire

• Focus your storytelling around important messages and calls to action and you will build memories that incite action in your prospects.

Storytelling Builds Memories

• Think about what you want your audience to do when you start thinking about the story you want to share.

• Stories are a natural fit for marketers because our job is to get people to act on a call to action.

• Make the point of your story drive to your desired outcome and you will motivate your readers much more naturally than you would with a more forced sales pitch or cold message.

Storytelling is a Natural Motivator

• Individuals who feel a connection to your brand are likely to not only be repeat purchasers, but they will probably tell a friend or two.

• They will start experiencing the humans behind your brand for themselves and forge a true, meaningful relationship.

Storytelling Builds Relationships

• Even if your program lacks some “sex appeal” there is a way to make interesting, engaging content.

• Storytelling is an excellent tactic to use for both exciting and dry programs.

• Stories tap into the emotions and motivations that are characteristic of the people in your prospect base.

Storytelling Makes Content Exciting

• features a strong character

• captures emotion • explores tension

A good story… Rodolfo Castillo: 75 Years in the Making

• offers a unique angle• feels relatable• surprises you

A good story… Sealing a Friendship: “Stingers up!”

• Who is the central character?• What transformation took place?• Where did it happen?• When did it happen?• Why did the character change?• How did the process unfold?

Tip: 5W’s + 1H = Moral of the Story

Answer the 5 W’s and 1H

• What is the most interesting part, the thrust of the story?

• How did the central character change?• What will readers want to know?• Why will readers care?• What surprised you? Tip: Condense the thrust of the story to one

sentence. In other words, “Who did what?”

Find the Angle of the Story

• Construct tight sentences.• Use active verbs: “subject-verb-noun” formula.• Cut unnecessary words.• Be descriptive and avoid adjectives: “Show, don’t tell.”• Keep paragraphs short, three sentences or fewer.

Try one sentence.• Surprise the reader.

Tip: Write conversationally in a style that’s approachable.

How to Write a Good Story

1. What is the trigger?2. What is the

transformation?3. What is the life lesson?

“What I know for sure…”

Oprah’s 3-Step Method

• Hey – give me your attention.• You – should care about this story.• See – the nuggets in this story that nobody else knows.• So – tells why the reader should care.

Tip: In other words, “What does this story really mean?” -Bob Dotson NBC Today Show Correspondent

Dotson’s “Hey, You, See, So!”

• Say it simply and directly. • State the big benefit.• Announce exciting news.• Appeal to the “how-to” instinct.• Offer useful information.• Relay an honest and useful testimonial.

- Brian Clark copyblogger.com

How to Write Magnetic Headlines

• Can you tell us about your experience?• When did you enroll?• Why did you enroll?• How did the program change you?• What is the value of taking the program?• What was your experience like?• How were the instructors?• Were you surprised by anything?• If you were to recommend the program, what would you say?• What’s next?

Testimonial Template

The “How” of Storytelling• Hook the audience first, introduce your program second.• Build suspense.• Always bring it back to the human element.• Be sincere.• Know what connects your prospects to you.• Think outside of the box when deciding how to craft your story.• Make your story actionable—what are potential students going

to do because of it?• Don’t forget to make it look good – design is important.

The “How” of Storytelling• Disciplining Content Creation

o Creating editorial calendarso Using project management toolso Developing interview templates and questions

• Defining categories of contento Student stories o Alumni storieso Faculty storieso Industry stories

• Selecting content marketing channels • Defining goals and objectives for each channel based on the target

audience

References• “Aim for the Heart: Write, Shoot, Report and Produce for

TV and Multimedia” by Al Tompkins• “The Storyteller’s Secret: From TED Speakers to Business

Legends, Why Some Ideas Catch On and Others Don’t” by Carmine Gallo

• “Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer” by Roy Peter Clark

• copyblogger blog by Brian Clark• Enchanting Marketing blog by Henneke Duistermaat

Get Your Story On!