Over recent years, one of the things I have enjoyed the most is hearing the stories of entrepreneurs. Their stories aren’t much different than you and I. They start a journey, and they find mentors along the way. On their journey, they are called to solve a problem and through the pain of adversity, they are forged in the fire.
Finally, after the labor and the journey, they solve that problem and begin helping others solve that problem.
These stories are powerful. They make an impact. Using a story in your content can be enough to keep readers engaged. Don’t let people tell you that you have to write super short blog posts. If you are creating narrative-driven content, people will stay focused.
Today we take a look at how you can keep your reader engaged using stories and visuals, tell you how you can track your caffeine with a smart mug, and we share the story of an entrepreneur.
Go ahead and write that long-form blog post. Make it narrative-driven
People have argued for shorter blog posts for quite some time now, largely because of the belief that readers have shorter attention spans, shorter than a goldfish. Maybe that’s not the case.
In this article by Nadjya Ghausi appearing in Entrepreneur discusses whether or not our readers have the attention span of a goldfish, and she’s not talking about the crackers you give your child.
The writer’s company teamed up with a consulting firm to test this idea.
Prezi teamed up with strategic consulting firm Kelton Research to conduct a study to gauge the effectiveness of content and presentations and to better understand how they resonate with business professionals across demographics, including millennials, Generation X and baby boomers. Entrepreneur
What they found was that we learn how to cut through all the noise. Turns out that we can focus on what is relevant to us and something that engages the readers better.
The ultimate way to keep the reader engaged? Well, turns out that stories and visuals make a difference.
Catering to this choosier, modern-day attention span is difficult, but not impossible. But what defines “winning” content that commands a person’s undivided attention today? Based on findings in the State of Attention report, it’s content that features a compelling narrative combined with stimulating visuals and dialogue. Entrepreneur
And, with the entrance of millennials to the workforce, narrative-driven content is more important than before. While readers will read good content, they are often easily distracted. I know I am. It seems we are all overwhelmed by a plethora of content making it easier to be distracted.
Millennials can help businesses adapt their content to a more narrative-driven content strategy. Ultimately, long-term survival depends on this adaptation.
And the sooner that businesses start creating content that’s suited to the way today’s audiences prefer to consume it, the better their chances will be of growing alongside these shifts in behavior. Their long-term survival truly hinges on their ability to evolve their content in tandem with people’s evolving attention spans. Entrepreneur
So, how what steps are you taking to adapt your content strategy to be more narrative driven? While you are thinking about it, grab your favorite cup and pour some coffee.
This smart coffee mug that tracks your caffeine intake
We have smartphones, smart TVs and even have smart homes, but how cool would it be to have a smart mug? Well, the Ember Electronic Mug has come to save the day. Now, if you want to know, you can track the amount of caffeine you take in thanks to a new app update.
Jesus Diaz reports on Fast Company,
The Ember electronic mug–which can automagically maintain your favorite poison at exactly your favorite temperature for as long as there’s liquid inside–has a new superpower: Thanks to an app update, the mug now integrates with Apple Health to keep track of how much caffeine you drink.
In theory, you can see how your caffeine consumption affects your sleep since it claims to work with Apple’s Health tracking apps. The mug has an app for both iOS and Android but is only available with certain devices.
You can learn more about the mug from the product’s website or from this article at Fast Company.
So what do you think? Are you interested in tracking your caffeine consumption when you are completing all-nighter to get a website launched or roll out a new feature?
He went from little monsters to creating the number one meditation app
Hayden Field chronicles the story of entrepreneur Michael Acton Smith from online gaming sensation to a crumbling business. Out of the ashes arose the idea for Calm, the worlds number one mediation app.
Field tells how his first idea about the Moshi Monsters, internet pets, that took the UK by storm. The Moshi Monsters came as his company was teetering on existence. He created the little monsters and his company grew before peeking in 2012.
But by fall 2012, Moshi Monsters had begun to fall apart. To Acton Smith’s shock, the virality that had propelled Moshi Monsters into being the “coolest thing on the playground” was also the principal factor in its demise. Entrepreneur
Ultimately, Acton Smith teamed up with Alex Tew to launch Calm.com. The two set out to launch something that had staying power, unlike an entertainment-based business. With meditation at the core, Calm has grown significantly and is projecting a 2018 revenue of $80 Million.
Wrapping it up
Stories make content better and keep the reader engaged. Entrepreneur stories illustrate how readers stay connected throughout a narrative-driven piece of content. What is your favorite entrepreneurial story?
