If you look back at history, one conclusion is evident, almost all civilizations and religions got grown-up on stories, shared stories which install themselves in the collective unconscious through oral or written transmission. I mean just think about the Bible, Ancient Rome, or the foundation of Israel. Our beliefs, ideologies, and cosmo visions have been shaped by an innovation shared through time, which established strong links with a family, a piece of land, a religion, et cetera. Good stories are a priceless asset, being spontaneously passed through generations as a way of coming to terms with mankind, the universe, or societies. If you need more proof about the value of words, think for a minute about the power of satire, the use of words that ridicule someone or something, a person, a family, a corporation, a government, which in some cases casts a spell which may stick to their name for decades or even centuries. People forget facts, names, faces but we remember stories. We simply relate to humans more than we do to a message or a fact. We care for a narrative where we can find other human beings with us, or our loved ones can identify themselves with. It's like the conversation so many times heard in the business section of newspapers, what will interest readers more? A high brow and cold chronicle on the increase of agricultural prices? Or a story about the effects of the appreciation of wheat in some North African villages? Both stories are necessary of course. Although we depend on the type of media we're talking about and it's audience, you can be pretty sure which one will attract more readers, and which one will stay longer in their memories. Because stories enhance memory, stories with emotions, hookup with our already existing knowledge, and engage with the same parts of our brain which are responsible for the keeping of our memory. Furthermore, stories create neural coupling in our brains. They synchronize the user's brain with a teller's mind. This happens mainly because neurons find the same patterns which ends up connecting them both emotionally. Stories also help to create vivid mental images. Processing stories lights up a larger part of the brain than pure facts, as the brain response to story events as if they were actually happening to the listener, engaging all the sensors and the motor cortex in the brain. Finally, stories have the power to even change the brain's chemistry. Even the simplest one can trigger the release of neurochemicals like cortisol or oxitosin, that heighten our attention and make us more empathic. Happy endings as we know, trigger releases of dopamine that makes us feel optimistic towards the future. So, coming back to one of our favorite arguments, instead of bombarding citizens with messages they don't give a damn about, often people with attention disorders that will be watching TV while using other devices at the same time, why not invite them to be part of something which they're really interested in? It's more complex of course, but infinitely more rewarding. Creating a brand narrative stretches far beyond creating new Facebook pages or Twitter accounts. Paid media creates temporary buzz if it's not sustained by a strong budget over several years. Nothing pays off better than creating good stories to engage our users at a different level. It's tempting to think that new technologies will change marketing forever with some magical metric that consolidates a new business model. But online advertising still doesn't work like the offline one, and technology won't save you or build your cohesion narrative. You must have thinking about the user and often content here or she can bond with, like it happens nowadays in media, although, in some cases we must say unfortunately so. When we say that what's old is new again, we are referring to the power of a good story, and we are referring to the word of mouth, a very old concept. In the end, it comes down to word of mouth with new and much more powerful dissemination tools. Nobody, not even the most traffic oriented sites in the world know for sure what's going to work content-wise. So, start planning your editorial process, and learn step-by-step what works or does not work for your audience. If you give yourself enough time for some trial and error, you'll probably find yourself next year doing things you had not even imagined.
