Happy Second Full Week of a Disgustingly Hot and Humid August!
So, did you go see a movie you enjoyed over the weekend?
Or read a book you couldn't put down?
Or listen to a podcast that had you walking an extra 30 minutes just so you could finish it?
If you did, what was it that kept you engaged? Here's are some of the reasons I'm guessing you'd give me:
- It was interesting.
- It was fun.
- It made me laugh.
- It made me cry.
There are a ton of other reasons to include in this list, but the one that REALLY keeps us engaged with any type of story is this:
CONFLICT
Without conflict, it doesn't matter how much we like the characters or setting or style or anything else. None of these things are enough to keep us reading, watching or listening.
Why?
Because there's no one to cheer for.
There's no one to dislike.
There are no stakes.
There's nothing at risk.
So, all we're left with is beautiful prose or cool special effects or interesting characters who don't really seem to have any purpose at all.
What we don't have is a story.
Let's take Avengers: Endgame (or Infinity War or any of the other gazillion Marvel Cinematic Universe movies — which I love).
It was cool seeing all of the Avengers assemble. Personally, I'm firmly in the Tony Stark/Ironman camp — but all of the Avengers are great.
As much as I loved the Avengers story arc, though, if these superheros hadn't been on a shared quest — in this case, to stop Thanos from destroying half of all living things in the entire universe — it would've gotten pretty boring pretty quickly.
I mean, it's fun watching Ironman fly around or Bruce Banner morph into the Hulk or Thor play boomerang with his super heavy hammer. However, a little of that goes a long way. It's cool — but it's not a story.
Instead, the conflict that exists from start to finish is the story. It's about the Avengers (our protagonists) having a shared goal of eliminating the threat of Thanos (the antagonist). It's about the journey they take to achieve this goal — including all of the challenges they face along the way. It's about us wanting the Avengers to win and Thanos to lose.
It's this conflict that keeps us watching. We're emotionally invested in the outcome and we'll follow the Avengers' quest until the very end(game).
Reader, Your Brand Needs a Thanos
Conflict isn't just needed in fictional stories. It's needed in EVERY type of story — including the stories you tell to about your products, your services and your brand.
For example, if your business provides a closet organizing service, the "Thanos" you're fighting on behalf of your customers might be any or all of the following:
- A feeling of overwhelm every time they open their closet door.
- The daily struggle of finding something to wear because ever piece of clothing they have has been thrown into one of many random piles.
- The dread of their mother-in-law (or, to be fair, father-in-law) thinking they're a complete and utter slob.
Once you identify what your product, service or brand is fighting against (or for), then you can recast your brand into the role of an Avenger and the problem into the role of Thanos.
Going back to our closet organizing business, let's say the villain it's fighting is the sense of overwhelm and stress that a potential customer feels whenever they're running late for work or an event because they can't find what they're looking for in that disaster of a closet.
The closet organizing business needs to showcase its understanding of this pain point and then show potential customers exactly how it'll vanquish it. And it should also point out how great the potential customer will feel when their messy closet has been tranformed into a clothing wonderland. (Okay — I admit that's probably pushing things a bit. But, you get it, right?)
This is FAR more interesting and engaging than simply saying, "We'll come to your home and organize your closet." That's a statement — not a story.
Find the Thanos your business is going up against and then hone in on the conflict between whatever or whoever that might be and the solution you offer. When it comes to using storytelling to set your business apart in ways that get noticed, be an Avenger.
Need some help finding your Thanos? Wondering how to create stories for your business that keep your audience engaged? Then, let's work together during a 90-minute Content Spark Session!
