5 Ways to Fuel Content People Will Devour

Shhhh! Here’s a secret. The first time I heard the term “cookies” in a business class, my mind instantly went to Cookie Monster. It conjured the classic image of cookie bits flying all over the place. Chalk it up to a childhood of Sesame Street, but back then I had no idea we were talking about small files embedded on a computer that allowed us to customize our engagement or track usage.

Today, cookies are ubiquitous. Most people have at least a glancing understanding of the fact they are being tracked… and that content is being targeted at them. We’ve evolved into a society that simultaneously craves customization while hating intrusion. Quite the dilemma for a modern marketer.

And that’s where Cookie Monster comes back into play.

I kind of like the image of an individual consuming something with such ferocity and passion. Why? It challenges me to remember that the work of an effective brand storyteller is to get audiences to react the same way. We're in the game of creating experiences and sharing narratives worthy of being devoured. Down to the crumbs. We’re trying to embed our work into the minds and hearts of our audience. 

Want to become a better brand storyteller?

• CONSUME MORE: Inspiration is at the heart of telling a good story. And the best way to find that spark of creativity is by constantly re-fueling. A storytelling marketer needs to engage regularly with things that make you think, make you question, make you dream. You need to read from diverse sources, watch vastly different things, talk with all sorts of people, listen to various genres of music or podcasts.

• ENGAGE MORE: Keep your eyes open and your willingness at the ready for new adventures and experiences that will fill you up with the little gems that end up becoming stories or ways of telling stories. 

• LEARN MORE: There’s always a new way to do things, a new approach, a new tool. There are always some new insights, or fresh research, or exciting innovations. Someone is always launching something new, or approaching things a different way, or explaining it in a way you’ve never considered. So pay attention… and learn. Take a class, attend a seminar, participate in discussion groups, read from trusted sources.

• PRACTICE MORE: There’s nothing wrong with working at getting better. The more you practice, the better you hone your abilities. Duh. But to make those creative abilities available on demand… you need to put in the work! For the last 18-months I’ve blocked an hour every day to focus on my writing. Long-form, short-form, snippets, incomplete stuff, multi-part ideas, and more. And even when I don’t want to do it, I write. I’m trying to make my writing muscles stronger… so I practice, practice, practice.

• LIVE MORE: There’s simply no better way of getting better at storytelling than human interactions. It’s when we engage with others that we really start figuring out what is compelling, what tugs at the heart strings, what drives a person from curiosity to interest to action.