Digital Storytelling 2: Who Are Your Characters?
No big goal can be achieved without lots of different kinds of people invested in various ways. Who are the people who make your big, audacious goals possible? These are the potential characters in your story. For example, if you’re in retail, your characters might be anyone from frontline sales and customer service professionals to designers, folks making the clothes, or the customers buying and enjoying their new styles.
In the dynamic landscape of online storytelling, crafting a compelling narrative is not just about words on a screen – it's about creating characters who resonate, connect, and leave a lasting impact. Characters serve as the heartbeat of any story, shaping the audience's emotional journey and lending a human touch to the digital realm.
The Power of Connection
In the virtual world, your characters are more than just protagonists — they embody your brand, message, or narrative. Whether you're a content creator, marketer, or business owner, understanding the essence of your digital characters is crucial. What values do they represent? What challenges do they face? Answering these questions lays the foundation for a captivating and relatable story. Anyone touched by your organization’s work could potentially be the center of your digital storytelling. This means two important things. First of all, you have a huge pool of inspiration to draw from. Second, your organization has a much bigger impact and wider reach than you may have originally thought.
When you turn the camera (both literally and figuratively) on the different people involved in your work, you allow those who engage with these online stories to picture themselves in similar roles and situations. It also allows others to appreciate those roles and impact even more. A coffee shop telling the stories of their baristas not only encourages others to think about employment there, but allows customers and managers alike to see those people in a new light. As you think about your audience, it’s crucial to think about how the hero of your story can help convey the message you want to send.
Building Dimensionality and Emotional Resonance
Characters with depth resonate more profoundly. Introduce layers to your characters – quirks, flaws, aspirations. Think beyond the surface and explore the nuances that make them human. Whether your story is promoting a product or conveying a message, authentic characters forge a genuine connection with your audience.
The magic of storytelling lies in its ability to evoke emotions. Infuse your characters with relatable experiences, struggles, and triumphs. Whether it's a success story or a lesson learned, let your audience empathize with the journey of your characters. This emotional resonance transforms a digital story into a memorable experience.
What Are Your Objectives?
When crafting a digital story, it’s important to be specific about your goals. What exactly do you hope to accomplish with this narrative? To keep our objectives Human-centric, I like to frame those objectives as four H words: Head, Hands, Heart, and Hooks.
The HEAD represents your intellectual objectives. What (new) content or information do you hope to equip this person with? What do you want them to know or learn?
The HEART is about beliefs and emotions: How do you hope this person will feel after engaging in your organization's work? What belief do you hope to instill, or change?
HANDS are about action: How will your story impact this person’s behavior or deeds?
HOOKS are the relationships and connections between people. What relationships do you hope to create, or deepen, with and between your audience members?
Whatever objectives you land on, though, you should be sure to attach KPIs to it. KPI stands for key performance indicator, and it’s a marketing term for the metrics you will watch that can tell you whether you’re on the right track or not.
In the realm of digital storytelling, defining your characters goes beyond mere descriptions – it's about sculpting relatable, authentic, and engaging personas that resonate with your audience. Whether you're a brand storyteller or a content creator, the characters you craft are the conduits through which your message takes flight. So, embark on the journey of defining your characters and watch as your online narrative comes to life in ways that leave a lasting impression.
At Tiny Windows Consulting, we believe in crafting a human-first communications strategy. To learn more about how the TWC team can benefit your organization, book a consultation today.