The Science of Storytelling: A #CMWorld Chat with Joe Lazauskas

Scientists have found good stories produce oxytocin in our brains. So how can marketers take advantage of this? To find the answer, we went straight to Contently Executive Editor and Director of Content Strategy Joe Lazauskas. Joe is the co-author of the book, The Storytelling Edge. He joined us for a recent #CMWorld Twitter chat. What follows is a brief recap. For more tweets from the discussion, visit our Twitter Moment.

Why are people so cognitively responsive to stories?

Our brains actually light up fivefold when we hear good stories, and release an empathy drug called Oxytocin. As a result, we remember information better from stories and also build connections w the people that tell us those stories. #cmworld

— Joe Lazauskas (@JoeLazauskas) February 27, 2018

A1: Stories tug at our heartstrings. We relate to things that happen to people like ourselves.

Marketers can use that to build a relationship with their audience. And make them return for more relatable stories. #CMWorld

— Narmadhaa (@s_narmadhaa) February 27, 2018

A1: Because we were told bedtime stories when we were younger so we were fond of stories. Marketers should interwoven stories into their brands and services to resonates with customers. #CMWorld https://t.co/8CPHsBr10X

— Carlarjenkins (@carlarjenkins) February 27, 2018

Marketers must provoke curiosity while remaining true to its brand message. How can we balance both?

A2: I don’t see why these two should ever be mutually exclusive. Your brand message should include a story that piques interest—that paints a vision of what could be and compels your audience to learn more. Most awesome/ridiculous version:Dollar Shave Club https://t.co/B7PQHAPWmF https://t.co/rxNEfdiHDN

— Joe Lazauskas (@JoeLazauskas) February 27, 2018

A2: Balancing the story and the storyteller (your brand) is the ultimate challenge for marketers. Tell stories your audience wants to hear and make sure to do it in a way that makes sense coming from you/your brand. #CMWorld

— Mike Myers 🤠 (@mikemyers614) February 27, 2018

A2: Find the overlap between topics/messaging that relates to your brand and things your audience cares about. If you’re speaking to the right audience, it shouldn’t be that hard to find. #CMWorld

— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) February 27, 2018

To dive deeper into the science of how stories affect our brains and how that can improve our content, check out “The Storytelling Edge”, a new book by Joe and his co-author Shane Snow.

And if you have a topic suggestion for an upcoming #CMWorld Twitter chat, let us know in the comments below.

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