Short-Form Storytelling Content 101: Why Less Detail Makes Storytelling Marketing More Interesting
A counterintuitive truth that will make you a better storyteller is something you won’t see on the typical post about storytelling content marketing.
That’s because most storytelling content marketing advice you see online is borrowed from the literary world.
But storytelling marketing is not the same as storytelling in books or movies.
The hero's journey is far too long and overly descriptive prose distracts.
Great short-form storytelling marketing has zippy pacing.
It’s a lot to ask from a few sentences.
They have to be as emotionally resonant as they are informative to hit that sweet spot at the intersection of engaging and helpful.
Which is why story packed with too many personal specifics is like a closed door.
It keeps the audience outside, watching your experience instead of feeling it as their own.
Your story becomes engaging in the gaps where people can fill in the blanks with their own experiences, which makes it relevant to them without you having to force it or write more.
Here’s three practical ways to do this in your storytelling content:
1. Be specific about feelings, not Backdrop
Most people: Describe where they where, what time it was, or what they were wearing—thinking it makes a story more vivid.
You (a future master storyteller): Knows those details only matter if they help the audience feel something.
Instead of going hog describing the setting, describe the emotional impact:
Not: “I was in a coffee shop at 8 AM, wearing a red sweater.”
Swap For “I wrapped my hands around my coffee like it was the only thing keeping me steady.”
2. Anchor Your Story In A Universal Theme
To make a personal story meaningful to others, it needs to tap into something they’ve felt, too.
The easiest way to do this is to tie your story to a universal theme, which is a central idea, message, or insight in a story that resonates with people across different cultures and time periods because it addresses shared human experiences, emotions, or fundamental truths. Think:
• Feeling like an outsider
•Confusion, then clarity
•Rejection as redirection
Stories are universal truths told through individual experiences.
Remember that and your stories will resonate even when you’re the main character.
3. Don’t Preach A Lesson. Let them find their own.
Similar to having a universal theme, a lesson that’s open to interpretation helps your reader picture themselves in the story.
Moreover, it helps them see how your storytelling applies to their lives, which makes you a memorable messenger and increases the odds they’ll read your future content.
Not: “And that’s how I finally learned to trust myself.”
Swap For: “I wish I could say I had all the answers. But maybe trust isn’t knowing how it will work out—it’s knowing you have your back no matter how it turns out.”
The second version leaves room for the reader to connect the dots so it applies to them.
The moment a story becomes engaging is when it stops being yours and starts feeling like theirs.
Less Is More in Short-Form Storytelling
Brevity is your friend in sales and social media storytelling.
Because it’s not just grabbing attention, it’s focusing attention on the message you want to convey.
I go into this in actionable detail on the Unconventional Leaders podcast.
We discuss:
Identifying stories worth reading
The #1 killer of good stories
Why the hero’s journey is 💩 for social media storytelling, and what to do instead.
Give it a listen here, and let me know what story ideas it inspires.
Thanks for reading,
Cyndi
