social storytelling: the next wave of engagement

Social Storytelling Workbook The Next Wave of Engagement Presented by Mark Williams and Carri Bugbee SXSW March 11, 2013

Document Title Confidential | March 11, 2013 LiveWorld

WORKBOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS

WORKBOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................... 2

SOCIAL STORY CHECKLIST ................................................................................. 3

WORKSHEET #1: CRAFTING YOUR BRAND STORY ......................................... 4

WORKSHEET 2: DEVELOPING BUSINESS OBJECTIVES .................................. 5

WORKSHEET 3: CUSTOMERS AS CHARACTERS ............................................. 7

Main Character/Primary Customer(s) .................................................................................... 7

Detailed Character Description Worksheet ........................................................................... 8

WORKSHEET 4: FINDING YOUR BRAND TONE & VOICE .................................. 9

Personifying the Brand – Social Media is a Party. ............................................................... 9

WORKSHEET 5: CONTENT CALENDAR AS STORY ARC ................................ 10

Seasonal, Sales and Life Events .......................................................................................... 10

Annual Event Calendar At-A-Glance ................................................................................... 12

WORKSHEET 6: START THE STORY AND KEEP IT GOING ............................ 13

Story Starters and Rules for Scripted Improv .................................................................... 13

WORKSHEET 7: SOCIAL CHANNELS AS GENRES .......................................... 15


Social Story Checklist

o Who is the main character that we can identify with? 1. Is the character real, fictional, or a customer profile?

2. Why will we identify with him or her? (Inspire, Aspire, Entertain, Inform)

o Context for the story: Place, Time Restrictions, and Relationships

1. Where does the story happen and what time restrictions spur action?

2. Brand to customer? Peer to peer? Customer to product? Customer to lifestyle?

o Challenge to Overcome:

o How does the story end?

o Who is the intended audience?

o How are you going to encourage interaction? (Channels/media)

o Why will people interact? (Express themselves, Make friends, Gain attention, Status):

o What is your response plan? (How often will you respond to different prompts?)

o What are we (the brand) giving that is of value? (What does the audience get out

this?)

o Why will people share this? (Express themselves, Make friends, Gain attention, Status)


Worksheet #1: Crafting Your Brand Story

1. What are your strategic objectives? (Branding, Transaction, Engagement, Education, Rebranding)

2. How will you use social to fulfill the objectives? (Express, Connect, Attention, Status)

3. How will you measure success? (KPIs)

4. Whose voice tells the story? (POV: Customer, Brand, Blend of both, 3rd person)

5. Describe the characters in your brand story. Who is the star and who plays supporting roles? (Customer/Brand profiles)

6. What problem does your brand solve for your customers? (Character objectives) Am I special? Am I Good or Bad? Am I Beautiful? Smart? Safe? In control of Life?

7. What challenges to their needs and wants do your customers face? (Character obstacles)

8. Which social channel(s) will you use to tell and amplify your story – and why? (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.)

9. How does the story begin and how will you keep it going? (How frequently will you update?)

10. How does the story end?


Worksheet 2: Developing Business Objectives 1. Business Objectives (Rank each by % of priority of attention.)

• Brand Awareness ____________ • Transaction (sales, registrations, promo codes, etc.) ____________ • Engagement (customer feedback, ideation):__________ • Education (downloads, product info): _____________ • Re-branding (re-brand, alternative uses of product): _______________

2. Objectives KPIs - How will you know your effect on the audience? Pick 2-3 KPIs for each

strategic objective and your target: (Story analogy: Plan for laughs, chuckles, gasps, ahhhs, etc.)

3. Business Strategies - How do you hope to achieve selling more product, earning more

market share, share of voice, etc. Goals can be broad or very specific.

1. Objective (sample): Increase market share among single females 18 – 34 2. Objective (sample): Increase share of Hispanic market 3. Objective (sample): Be most authentic brand in our industry

4. Business Objective KPIs - How will you know when you have reached your objectives? Pick

2-3 KPIs for each business objective and your target.

Objective KPI #1 Goal KPI #2 Goal KPI #3 Goal

Increase market share women 18-24

Engagement rates

Increase engagement from 8% to 12% on FB

Share of voice Positive mention

by 3-4 key influencers

Sales revenue

Increase sales to group by 5%

Objective KPI #1 Goal KPI #2 Goal KPI #3 Goal Brand

Awareness

Transaction

Engagement

Education

Re-branding


5. Tactical Objectives – What will you do to support your business objectives, and how will they benefit your customer? (Check against your customer profiles, and their wants and needs.) Objective #1 Tactical/Creative Brainstorm (Increase market share among 18-24 female) Idea 1: Customer benefit: Idea 2: Customer benefit: Objective #2 Tactical Brainstorm Idea 1: Customer benefit: Idea 2: Customer benefit: Objective #3 Tactical Brainstorm Idea 1: Customer benefit: Idea 2: Customer benefit:


Worksheet 3: Customers as Characters Main Character/Primary Customer(s)

Name _____________________________

• Age __________ • Gender ____________ • Marital Status ______________ • Children (number and ages) __________________ • Location (rural, small town, medium, urban) ___________________ • Three adjectives to describe them _____________________________________ • What do they want? _______________________________________________ • What size role do they play in the story? (% of customer base) _________________

• Name _______________________________ • Age __________ • Gender ____________ • Marital Status ______________ • Children (number and ages) __________________ • Location (rural, small town, medium, urban) ___________________ • Three adjectives to describe them _____________________________________ • What do they want?

_____________________________________________________ • What size role do they play in the story? (% of customer base) _________________

• Name _______________________________ • Age __________ • Gender ____________ • Marital Status ______________ • Children (number and ages) __________________ • Location (rural, small town, medium, urban) ___________________ • Three adjectives to describe them _____________________________________ • What do they want?

_____________________________________________________ • What size role do they play in the story? (% of customer base) _________________


Detailed Character Description Worksheet

It’s very helpful to have a very clear picture of your customers as characters, and to know as much about them as possible. This checklist helps draw a character sketch of people your brand will interact with. Fill out one form for each persona, including the brand. Character Profile: (include a photo)

Name: Age/Sex/Location: Education:

Occupation: Responsibilities: Likes About Job or Home life: Dislikes About Job or Home life: Frustrations: Concerns: Customer for How Long: Needs: Wants: Role in Buying Process (decider, user, gatekeeper, advisor): Motivation to Buy: Social Channels Used and Experience in Channel: Optimal Social Times (when is s/he online?)


Worksheet 4: Finding Your Brand Tone & Voice Personifying the Brand – Social Media is a Party

Sometimes you’re the host of the party, and sometimes you’re just another invited guest. The image you portray of your brand might not be what people actually think of you; and likewise, you can change your image by participating in social channels. This is a very customer-centric model of discovery. When “I, your customer, exist in my relationship networks…

1. Who is your Brand to me? (Relationship)

2. Why should we invite your brand along? (What do you bring to the party?)

3. How does the brand empower my network of associates and friends? (What do you

do for me?)

4. How should I introduce you to my friends?

5. What will they tell me about you?

6. What kind of party are you having in your social channel?

7. How do we give recognition or status?


Worksheet 5: Content Calendar As Story Arc Seasonal, Sales, and Life Events

1. Identify the seasonal events that are most influential on your customers.

What are your customer objectives and obstacles around these events? (Example: For a young mom, Thanksgiving might be a stressful time. She wants to gain approval from her and her spouse’s parents, and prove her worthiness by having an amazing Thanksgiving dinner for the entire extended family. Her obstacles might be that she isn’t a great cook, doesn’t know very many recipes, and she has never cooked for 12 people before.)

Main Character 1: Betsy, 28 yo mom Seasonal Event Date(s) Character Objective Obstacle(s)

Event 1 Valentines Day Feb 1-14 Create a happy memory for her daughter Time, resources

Event 2 Mothers Day Event 3 Spring Break Event 4 Thanksgiving

Main Character 2: Brad, 32 yo dad Seasonal Event Date(s) Character Objective Obstacle(s)

Event 1 Valentines Day Feb 1-14 Demonstrate his love for wife Not romantic Event 2 Mothers Day Event 3 Summer Vacation Event 4 Christmas

Main Character 3: Seasonal Event Date(s) Character Objective Obstacle(s)

Event 1 Event 2 Event 3 Event 4


2. Brand Events – What are the most significant events for the brand during the year? What does the customer get from them? What tangible or emotional benefit do they get?

Sales Event Story Theme Date(s) Customer Benefits Customer

Obstacles

Labor Day Season of Change Great prices Taking the family is expensive and

a hassle

CES The Future is Now Trendsetter Can’t get there himself

Christmas Family Traditions Be a great dad and make great memories Too busy to shop

Halloween Express the Real You

Self esteem – show their heroic/naughty/creative

self

Social norms

3. Life Events – What events happen in the lives of your characters/customers that are not necessarily seasonal, but happen in common to us all? What are their benefits and obstacles?

Character Life Event Date(s) Character Objective Obstacle(s)

Betsy Weddings Spring/Summer Create a fairy tale Logistics, schedule, expense

Brad Military Service Memorial Day, Veterans Day +/- 2 weeks

Recall pride, sense of duty, show patriotism, sense of community

Forgotten or ignored past

Character 3 Spring break Late

March/Early April

Create great memories and friendships

Expense, choosing destination/experience

Character 4


Annual Event Calendar At-A-Glance

Month Holiday/Event/Theme Main Character(s) Story Objective(s)

Jan Clearance Sale Becky Resolve to be a smart mom

Feb Valentines Day Becky Brad

Becky – pass on romantic traditions to kids

Brad – prove your love

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec


Worksheet 6: Start The Story And Keep It Going Story Starters and Rules for Scripted Improv

1. Ask questions to Get Story Idea.

These set the conditions for the story to follow. For any story you tell, you need:

a. Location/environment b. Character objectives c. Relationship between people (could be between brand and customers) d. Conflict e. Time limits

This is easily done on Facebook, Twitter, and most social media channels. This technique can be used as a process of discovery to create/develop campaigns, AND be used as a check-in during a campaign to adjust the story according to interest and KPIs. Asking Who Is, Why, and Fill-in-the-Blank questions are great story-starters, and check-ins to either escalate the story, or take it in another direction.

2. AGREE and say YES, AND…

Listen to what the other characters are saying and use their comments in Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc., to inform your next communication. Sometimes this means using an individual customer comment that is clever, sometimes it means using analytics to determine “most of our customers say…” Do not block or deny what your customers are saying. You cannot possibly defend yourself or change anyone’s mind online anyway. But you can play with them and engage by saying yes. (You CAN be selective and ignore some things, unless the noise becomes overwhelming.)

3. Give Up Control. You know where YOU want the story to go, but the story that is being told may not be the story you wanted to tell. That’s okay. You don’t have to know how the story is going to end (even though we set objectives at the beginning). No matter what happens, the story WILL end and you will have gained something valuable, one way or another.


FLOW with the story. If you’re listening, saying “yes, and…”, and incorporating what is being said into the narrative, you will learn, influence, and most importantly, truly engage with your customers. They will continue to engage with you as long as the story is compelling.

4. Fail Big! Be bold in your ideas and execution. You cannot be GREAT (and memorable) if you’re not bold and shooting for a Big Win. There is nothing worse than a boring, pointless story; customers get tuned out and make you irrelevant. Even a big failure in telling your story will get you talked about. That will humanize you and endear you to some, and turn others away, AND it will gain you attention for you NEXT story. People will be eager to see how you recover from a failure and you can develop DEEPER loyalty by recovering from a failure. You just can’t fail 3X’s in a row.

5. Make Statements. Give your characters something to respond to and work with! Most brands try not to offend their customers, and that’s understandable. In doing so, they don’t advance the story, and don’t show any personality or connection with their customers, characters and audience — they are BORING. Which of these do you think will provoke a response and invite people to tell a personal story? 1. People are messy. 2. Who’s the messiest person in your house? 3. Men are so MESSY!

6. There Are No Mistakes — Only Opportunities.

The whole point of a story is to entertain, inform, or inspire. We (audience and brand) LEARN from mistakes. Many people are entertained by finding mistakes embrace them. You just gave them an opportunity to show how smart they are!

7. Reincorporate! When something works, keep using it until it no longer works. Remember the rule of 3 for comedy: set-up, anticipation, pay-off.


Worksheet 7: Social Channels As Genres Social Channels are both a distribution path and a storytelling device. There are best practices/rules in using each channel, similar to conventions used in story genres. While we focus on online channels here, don’t forget to ALSO include print, TV, radio, other marketing. 1. Channel: Facebook Strengths: Big audience potential, multi-media storytelling, multiple integration points — can connect customers offline and online (events, check-ins, deals, encourage real-world relationships), threaded conversations, robust advertising platform, based on symmetrical relationships Limitations: Story Engagement Frequency: Best Practices: 2. Channel: Twitter Strengths: Discovery (people curious about the unknown), hashtags/tagging conversation, trends, brevity, becoming multimedia; organic, paid Limitations: Story Engagement Frequency: Best Practices: 3. Channel: Pinterest Strengths: Heavily female, aspirational content, visual identity, more topic oriented than individual oriented, pop-culture, fashion, build Limitations:


Story Engagement Frequency: Best Practices: 4. Channel: Instagram Strengths: Visual, creative, playful Limitations: Story Engagement Frequency: Best Practices: 5. Channel: Linked In Strengths: Limitations: Story Engagement Frequency: Best Practices: 6. Channel: YouTube (other video channels) Strengths: Limitations: Story Engagement Frequency: Best Practices: 7. Channel: Blogs Strengths: Limitations:


Story Engagement Frequency: Best Practices: 8. Channel: Mobile Apps Strengths: Limitations: Story Engagement Frequency: Best Practices: 10. Channel: Social Samba/Storytelling Strengths: Limitations: Story Engagement Frequency: Best Practices: 11. Channel: Owned Communities Best Used For: Limitations: Optimal Post Frequency: Best Practices: