{"id":1103,"date":"2010-08-13T02:39:12","date_gmt":"2010-08-13T02:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/?p=1103"},"modified":"2010-08-13T02:46:08","modified_gmt":"2010-08-13T02:46:08","slug":"cut-through-the-marketing-clutter-with-storytelling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/2010\/08\/cut-through-the-marketing-clutter-with-storytelling\/","title":{"rendered":"Cut through the marketing clutter with storytelling"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\u201cOh come on!\u201d the upscale fashion retailer said. He thrust his pointed finger toward to the daily newspaper spread out next to his cash register. \u201cLook here, here, and here,\u201d he continued as he pointed to three different ads by three different \u201cbig box\u201d clothing retailers or discounters. \u201cHow many ads do I have to buy to get noticed? There\u2019s just so much clutter,\u201d he said while he smashed the paper into a tight crumpled ball and crammed it into the trashcan.<\/p>\n

The Problem<\/strong><\/p>\n

The retailer\u2019s problem is the same problem facing businesses of every size. Nate Elliott, analyst for the vaunted research firm Forrester, recently turned his research prowess towards the problem. In his blog post announcing his current research project, he asked, \u201cHow can marketers overcome social clutter<\/a>?\u201d He asked readers, \u201cDo you feel it\u2019s getting harder or easier for marketers to get a message to users through social media?\u201d Readers responded with an overwhelming, \u201charder!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Villain<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s define this villain called Clutter. Who is this black-hatted character bringing companies large and small to their knees?<\/p>\n

To air traffic controllers and others who read radars, clutter is \u201ca term for unwanted echoes\u2026[that] can cause serious performance issues\u2026\u201d That\u2019s a definition marketers can visualize, too. You\u2019ll hear communications professionals talk about the \u201csignal to noise ratio.\u201d Everything that\u2019s not signal, is noise\u2014unwanted echoes, clutter.<\/p>\n

The Faux Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many marketers attempt to overcome Clutter by buying more ad space or airtime, sending out more direct mail pieces, making more cold calls, posting more tweets or updates. Instead of killing Clutter, they feed the sneaky villain.<\/p>\n

The Hero<\/strong><\/p>\n

Squaring off against Clutter is our white-hatted Storyteller. The Storyteller is effective not just because of what he does, but also because of who he is. Through three key relationships he\u2019s empowered to act effectively, slicing through Clutter and delivering wanted signal.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The storyteller\u2019s relationship to the story: The Storyteller believes The Story is a gift that\u2019s been given to him and a gift that increases in value as it is given away.<\/li>\n
  2. The storyteller\u2019s relationship to himself: The Storyteller is focused on The Story and minimizes self in order to present the story free of personal interference.<\/li>\n
  3. The storyteller\u2019s relationship to the audience: The Storyteller focuses on the audience and their experience of The Story. He is committed to communicating The Story to enable the audience to not only live The Story for themselves but also to co-create its meaning.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The mindset, or heart, of the Storyteller prepares him to take action to cut through Clutter.<\/p>\n

    Essential Elements<\/strong>
    \nFirst, you need to know your own core story. Your core story is a narrative example of:<\/p>\n