What do The Matrix, Star Wars Episode IV, Gladiator, The Lion King and Avatar have in common? They are all fundamentally the same story! All of them contain the same elements of the monomyth, a hero story arch that has used for thousands of years. You can apply this to you marketing strategy to create stories that help consumers, and help them gain an affiliation to your products.

1. STORY TELLING
What it Means for Your Marketing
How to Sell It

2. About Me…
I’m James Carson
I run a Content Strategy consultancy.
I work with publishers, brands and agencies.
I offer services in Content Strategy & Planning /
Relaunches / Social Media / SEO STRATEGY
@mrjamescarson
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/jacarson85
www.carsoncontent.com

3. Story Telling…
MARKETING
…is this a joke?

4. What Do These Films…
…Have in Common?

5. A young and often naïve individual…
Whose life seems on a defined path…

6. Encounters something unexpected…

7. Which forces his life into the unknown…

8. A mentor shows him the ways of this unknown

9. There are a series of new challenges…

10. They overcome a final ‘boss’ and win…

11. They are absolved and reborn…

12. A young and often naïve individual
Encounters something unexpected
Which forces his life into the unknown
A mentor shows him the ways of this unknown
There are a series of new challenges
The hero meets a final ‘boss’ and wins
He gains absolution or reward

13. Pixar’s 21 Story Rules #4
Once upon a time there was ___. Every
day, ___. One day ___. Because of
that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until
finally ___.

14. That’s What These Films…
…Have in Common

15. These Narratives Transcend Time
And Nations

16. The Monomyth

17. Alright Shakespeare…
WTF DOES THIS HAVE TO DO…
WITH MARKETING?!?

18. QUITE A LOT
I THINK

19. What Do These Books…
…Have in Common?

20. ADVERTISING IS
DEAD

21. IT’S THE COMING OF AGE OF
CONTENT MARKETING
THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES

22. My name is not…
MAXIMUS
DECIMUS
MERIDIUS
I am not the Commander of the Armies to the North

23. MY STOCK PHOTO IS WHAT CAME UP
ON GOOGLE IMAGES FOR “SALES REP”
AND MY COMPANY IS REALLY BORING

24. Is It?
260 EPISODES
20 SEASONS
130 HOURS

25. SELLING MARKETING SOFTWARE

26. JIM IS BORED
A 28 year old marketer living in
Leeds, working for an e-commerce
mattress supplier
Company of 30, works in a team of
3 and is the middle in line
Feels he spends too much time on
reporting, not enough time on
marketing

27. Lack of company understanding of data renders the reporting meaningless
?
He only has excel to produce reports, and has had no formal training

28. Persona Behaviour
• Uses Twitter sparingly.
• Often on Facebook during work hours. 3-5 hours a week.
• Occasionally reads blogs, but doesn’t subscribe to any.
• Likes football and going out on weekends.
• Unsure of work future and does not have big aspirations.

29. HOW DO WE SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE JIM’S?
We should set up a blog,
and a Twitter, and a
Pinterest, and an
Instagram!!!

30. Interrupt And Act As The Mentor
HEY LOOK, NO ADS!
HE’S ON HERE A LOT
Advertise tutorials & alternatives
Survey his problems
Offer him rewards

31. Explain Your Solution
Get Him Subscribed

32. Challenges This solution would
solve my problems,
BUT I don’t know if
my bosses would buy
into it.
DELIVER INFORMATION: It’s just another
Getting management buy in for our solution
tool, there’s no
How to get everyone using our solution real reason for
anyone to look at
it…

33. Help him build the case Overcome the boss

34. I understand these
much better than
boring reports!
I can get a snapshot of
key metrics without
asking anyone!

35. FROM…
TO…

36. What’s The ROI On That?
AWARENESS
CONSIDERATION
CONVERSION
LOYALTY
ADVOCACY

37. NOTHING NEW HERE
The Investment Return Relationship
INVESTMENT Action Reaction Nonfinancial Impact
FINANCIAL
IMPACT

38. Don’t Sell Tactics Let’s do some
infographics!
CONSIDERATION

39. This Doesn’t Happen Much
I want an
iPad stylus…
Woohoo!

40. A Story About What I Did…
I want an iPad stylus
but know nothing
about them
There’s always too
much choice online…
I need to talk to
someone…

41. Bricks and Mortar…
The Apple Store will
sell them… Sorry we don’t sell them, but
Selfridges do…

42. £30… they’ll
be cheaper
online

43. Hmmm…. Too
much choice
Okay… now I
know what to
get…

44. We Rarely Behave Like This
I want ££
something… Search
Conversion
So I’d Rather Not Sell That Way…

45. Sell A Vision
AWARENESS
10% INCREASE IN AD SPEND TO DELIVER
15% PAID TRAFFIC INCREASE
100% INCREASE IN ORGANIC
CONSIDERATION WEBSITE TRAFFIC IN 3
MONTHS
CONVERSION 50% INCREASE IN BASIC
SUBSCRIPTION CONVERSION
25% INCREASE IN ADVANCED
LOYALTY SUBSCRIPTION CONVERSION
CREATION OF MEASURED ADVOCACY
ADVOCACY
PROGRAM (30 BRAND AMBASSADORS)

46. And Strategy For The Vision
AWARENESS
FACEBOOK AND
GOOGLE ADS SETUP
AND MANAGEMENT
SALES CALL
WHITE PAPER
ONLINE CHAT
CONSIDERATION
ARTICLES
WHITE PAPER
UX IMPROVEMENT CONVERSION
SUPPORT THE SALES PROCESS
LOYALTY
REWARDS FOR RENEWAL
COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT ADVOCACY

47. The Monomyth

48. THIS DOG IS THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD
HE JUST HAS SOME NEW TRICKS

49. THANK YOU
ASK ME ANYTHING (WELL, NOT ‘ANYTHING’)