SD #24: How to Win More Brain Real Estate
Dec 10, 2022
How Can You Win More Brain Real Estate In a Competitive Marketplace and Why Do You Need To?
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Read Time: 6.0 minutes
In a story, you not only weave a lot of information into the telling but you also arouse your listener's emotion and energy.
— Robert McKee, The Power of Story
If you want to be successful in a noisy and competitive marketplace, you've got to find a way to capture attention. But capturing attention is not enough. You need to find a way to convert that attention into action. Sounds like a lot of hard work, right? Well, it just got easier with storytelling.
What’s the Tip?
Using story in your business content takes your audience from simply receiving information to being inspired to take action. Here's why:
- Facts and figures activate up to two regions of the human brain (Broca’s and Wernike’s areas). Those two regions have to do with language—both understanding it and using it.
- Stories, on the other hand, activate those same two regions of the brain, PLUS multiple senses in the brain: motor, auditory, olfactory, somatosensory and visual. When these parts of the brain are activated, emotional responses go up. And people buy on emotion!
Simply put, stories take up more brain real estate and signal people to respond in some way. When you create content that tells a story, you are less likely to lose your audience's attention to distraction. Check out this article to learn more!
How Do You Use It?
When you're creating content for your business, make sure you go beyond the point of simply sharing information (data, facts and figures). Use story to activate your audience's senses so that a switch is flipped, and they want to do something with the information they've received.
What are Some Examples?
Let's look at three examples of content based solely on facts or figures. Then, let's take another look, but this time framed with story.
"The King died and then the Queen died."
vs.
"The King died and then the Queen died of grief."
**********
"There are 525,600 minutes in a year."
vs
"In the year 2022, you were given 525,600 minutes to make healthy food choices. You now have 37,440 minutes left. We can help you make the most of them."
**********
A beggar on the street held a sign saying, "Help me, I'm blind."
vs.
A beggar on the street held a sign saying, "Spring is coming, but I won't be able to see it."
How did the story versions impact your reaction? Did they paint mental images? Did they make you want to know more? Did they evoke a different type of response than the first version?
What Are the Benefits to You?
- Content created with story takes up more of your audience's brain real estate, leaving less room for distraction.
- Content created with story triggers emotional responses in your audience that helps them connect with you, remember what you've said and respond in some way.
- Content created with story provides context so that what you're saying is relatable.
TL;DR
- Facts and figures activate 2 regions of the brain, but stories activate up to 7 regions of the brain.
- Stories trigger neurological responses that help with connection, relatability, retention and response.
- Information alone is not enough to be competitive in a noisy marketplace. You need to frame your messaging with story to create content that connects, captivates and converts.
Applying story to your content is easy when you know the 3 StoryHacks!
1. Master the 3 StoryHacks you need to create better content faster in our Private VIP Workshop.
2. Get real-time feedback for a special project or presentation and elevate your business storytelling with live, virtual Coaching.
We hope this issue has been helpful. We look forward to seeing you soon!
