Comedy, screenwriting, and the art of business storytelling
A comedian and CEO walk into a bar.
Comedians and screenwriters are the world's best storytellers.
On the other end of the spectrum? Toddlers, drunk people, and most B2B marketers.
Surely we can find some middle ground?
Last week I talked a comedy screenwriter who moonlights as a B2B content marketer.
Here's what he taught me about better business storytelling:
🔑 Good writing is easy. Having something to say is hard.
Anyone can learn how to use proper grammar and sentence structure. But do you have something interesting to say?
If you're struggling with writer's block, you might just be suffering from lack of material.
🔑 Messaging = Storytelling
All stories send a message:
- Good vs. evil
- The power of perseverance
- True love is worth the heartache
The opposite is also true: All messaging is storytelling.
Identify your message, then build a story around it.
🔑 Clear storytelling (aka messaging) is more important than good mechanics
You can be a clumsy writer, but it doesn't matter if your message is clear and memorable.
Star Wars movies have terrible dialogue, but the story is so good that people don't mind.
Before working on your writing mechanics, learn how to make your messages clear and simple.
🔑 Share your story constantly
In business and branding, the key is consistency. Share your messaging over and over and over again.
Just as you're getting sick of hearing yourself, your message will finally start to sink in.
🔑 Same message. Different stories.
But you can't just repeat the same story in the same way. People will start to tune out.
Figure out how to deliver the same message with different stories.
Think of the Geico commercials. They've made hundreds of ads around their simple, stupidly memorable slogan. That's your goal.
🔑 The goal of marketing
The goal of marketing is to teach your audience to desire your product, thus making sales irrelevant.
Stories are the best way to teach and encode that desire.
🔑 Keep your ego out of it
Storytelling is hard, whether you're a screenwriter or CEO.
It's even harder when you identify personally with your work.
Keep your ego out of it. Think of your writing as a product. The market will decide what works and what doesn't.
Learn to be ok with that and move on.
🔑 Play to your strengths
Some screenwriters are great at long dramas.
Other excel at short-form animated comedies.
Whatever your strength, find it and stick to it.
In business writing, this means find your medium. Is it Twitter? Email newsletter? Blog? Book? Podcast?
This also means find your voice. If you're funny, be funny. Be yourself.
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So next time you watch a movie or TV show, don't just indulge mindlessly. Remember, you're watching master storytellers at work. Watch how they set up scenes, maintain tension, and craft lusciously satisfying endings.
We would all benefit from better business storytelling. Do your part. Be yourself.