Better stories for social media branding
Abstract
As frequently touted in books, articles and presentations, storytelling plays a vital role in social media branding. However, perusal of what is done in the field reveals that social media storytelling remains lacking. This paper revisits literary theory, without getting too technical, to briefly address some storytelling fundamentals. It covers key elements such as themes, settings, characters and plots. It also discusses ancillary considerations such as story openings and endings, length, temporal linearity, episodes, sub-plots, rhythm and syncopation, tension, authenticity and transmedia distribution. In doing so, the paper provides broad guidelines as to how practitioners might improve their social media storytelling, and thereby, their branding.
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Author's Biography
Francisco J. Conejo is a senior marketing instructor and researcher at the University of Colorado — Denver. His research intersects branding, psychology and entrepreneurship, and has been published in outlets such as the Journal of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Journal of Macromarketing, Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, Journal of International Marketing Strategy, Journal of Sport and Tourism and the International Journal of Business and Management, among others. He has been teaching digital marketing since the early 2000s. Before entering academia, he worked extensively in industry, marketing consumer goods and services across diverse categories. He keeps connected to industry via marketing consultancies.
