The key to marketing is a good story. And as easy as Disney and many other storytellers make it seem, it’s challenging to navigate the elements of a memorable narrative.
I recently read a post from Content Marketing Institute on creating a compelling story using word association and comedy. You can check it out here.
I’ve taken the time to synthesize this information and provide my interpretation of how to generate a story that will inspire your content. Let’s dig in!
Step One: If you just want to practice, choose two words. You can use this random word generator to help you. Mine were ladder and fishing.
Step Two: Write down associations for each word. Don’t overthink it. Ladder: contractor, tree trimming, reach high places, dangerous, heavy, precarious, metal, loud, roofer. Fishing: hot, fun, smelly, boat, snook, Bass Pro, water.
Step Three: Pick two words from your associations that you feel are connected. I chose roofer and boat.
Step Four: Write the story! Picture a hard-working roofer who, after a long day, grabs some beer and his fishing gear, and hops into his new bass boat to let off some steam.
Boom! Just like that, you have the starting points for a great commercial that’s super targeted.
This simple exercise is not only a great way to practice creative content curation, but it’s also perfect for when you’re ready to use it for your brand or a client.
Take the example of a dermatologist who wants to promote a laser hair removal system. Instead of using two words randomly, I’ve chosen to build associations for laser hair removal. From there, I created the story.
Laser hair removal: flawless skin, summer-ready, painless and effective, great for working women, no more razor burn, stress less.
Here is what I came up with in less than five minutes.
Sometimes you don’t have enough time in the day to pull it all together, and that usually means you might have some unwanted prickle.
Drop the jeans and the long sleeves this summer. Thanks to our new (insert product here), you can stress less. Schedule your first treatment today, and we’ll give you (insert relevant promo).
Now you’ll always be ready for a spontaneous trip to the beach with the family or cocktail hour in your LBD.”
Is this perfect? No. Should I go back and freshen it up? Absolutely! But this exercise can help get the wheels turning when you’re feeling stuck.
No matter how funky the word association is, you might find some gems that will ignite your content!
