Learning Social Media: How To Make Your Story More Compelling
Oct 05 2009 
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Everyone loves to hear a good story. Don’t you?
Some people are better at telling them. Others are great listeners. No matter what side of the fence you sit on, we all have a great story that we want to share. Not for selfish gains, but just because it made us feel good. The problem is we don’t think our story is compelling enough to share with the world, hence the hesitation to use social media. We have to stop this type of thinking right now!
Effortlessly Turn A Good Story Into A Compelling Story
So, what’s your story? Being told the story from the “horse’s mouth” compels a lot of people to listen. We don’t want to hear it from the next person. We want to hear it from you, the source. Consider this: people genuinely want to fall in love with you, but not because someone else does.
People love to hear stories of victory and triumph. Of hard work that has paid off through perseverance and faith. Of goals and accomplishments that have been reached and even surpassed beyond belief. Your story is very important to others because it is how inspiration spreads. You just have to believe that you possess the type of inspiration others are looking for.
If you have a story to share, social media is the platform you need to share it on. Stop being fearful of what others will say. Stop doubting that your story is as good as this person or that individual.
You. Are. Different.
People who pay attention to social media are looking for that difference. Tell it to us…then show it!
Start Sharing Your Story Using Social Media
To figure out how to show your differences, you should think of yourself. It sounds selfish but it’s not. Ask yourself the following:
- What stories have you been inspired by?
- What was it about those stories that you connected with?
If you don’t know how to answer these questions, now is the time to start finding out. Are you ever interested in stories that you can’t sympathize or connect with on a personal level? Then don’t use social media in a way that you can’t relate to. You want to do what works for you. Do things you are passionate about, instead of focusing on how to make x amount of dollars from others.
Take a minute to think about how you would connect with yourself. If you can figure that out and put it into action, you’ll have a better grasp on what social media is all about and how to succeed in using it.
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I like the idea I was feeling very poetic then I thought I can't link to anything
Why would you need to link to something?
Your story matters a lot. Everybody has a story to tell. And social media definitely encourages us to tell stories. That's what people find most interesting. But we have to remember that as a storyteller, we're ultimately at the mercy of our audience. They get to interpret and relate to your story however they so choose. And you have to make it worth their while.
So when telling a story – ask yourself, why should anyone else care? How might they relate or identify with what you have to say? Will you make them think, smile, or feel good. Anyone of those three are good places to start. Is your story generative or does it create an energy drain?
The stories that travel best, are those that ultimately have quotient worth spreading. You might get short term traction from a negative story, or some kind of poo poo-ing…but the most viral stories are those that uplift the human spirit…
Well said Michael!
Well said Michael!