When we work with clients, we proactively work with them to develop a content calendar full of story arcs, or waves, if you will. There are several types of story arcs, including those that are time specific and those that are fundamental to who you are. The former might revolve around an event that you have planned, like a sale or a party, while the latter may be about your people, products, processes, or customers. These story arcs don’t line up like a train, car to car to car to car. No, they stack up on top of each other, each with an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
Remember what you learned about writing essays in grade school:
- Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em.
- Tell ‘em.
- Tell ‘em what ya told em.
Consider an event as an example, you’ll want to publish information prior to the event, during the event, and after the event. But, that’s an easy one.
You might think about explaining your process in a similar way–what may be elementary to you is often extremely interesting to a layperson. Take the example of a client of ours, Houndstooth, which makes high quality clothing. Their process follows a similar flow to a simple essay: design, production, distribution.
Spark of the story arc!
In the design phase, they talk about:
- Variations in design
- Placement of design
- Product choices: types of shirts or other clothing
In the production phase, they talk about:
- Preparation of the screens and equipment
- Printing
- Drying
In the distribution phase, they talk about:
- Packing
- Delivery
- The shirts on backs!
In the case for a company like Houndstooth:
- Show ‘em what you’re going to make.
- Make it.
- Show ‘em what ya made!
See if you can break down a good story arc for your company into these three simple steps… then do it again and again and again!
