Stories were once spread by word-of-mouth. Stories such as the bedtime stories mothers told, heroic sagas recited by storytellers and urban legends passed as gossip all seemed strange and unusual. In the digital age, the flood of information means more unusual stories have now been excavated. It can be said to be an exciting era where stories can be found everywhere! We can not only use digital tools to make stories more moving, but also spread them far and wide to influence more people! G!VOICE will share a few tips and explore with you how to spread great stories in the digital age.
Story Content
Good content is treasured in any era. But what kind of content jumps out at web users? Facebook and Youtube statistics may offer a clue!
| Rank | Video name | Uploader / Artist | Views (as of August 2, 2014) |
| 1. | Gangnam Style | Psy | 2,052,731,611 |
| 2. | Baby | Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris | 1,068,306,288 |
| 3. | On the Floor | Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull | 770,920,681 |
| 4. | Charlie Bit My Finger – Again! | Harry and Charlie Davies-Carr | 748,045,926 |
| 5. | Love the Way You Lie | Eminem featuring Rihanna | 722,635,242 |
(Youtube’s 5 most viewed videos of all time. Source: Wikipedia)
| 1. Satellite Photos of Japan, Before and After the Quake and Tsunami (New York Times) |
| 2. What teachers really want to tell parents (CNN) |
| 3. No, your zodiac sign hasn’t changed (CNN) |
| 4. Parents, don’t dress your girls like tramps (CNN) |
| 5. (video) – Father Daughter Dance Medley (Yahoo) |
| 6. At funeral, dog mourns the death of Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan (Yahoo) |
| 7. You’ll freak when you see the new Facebook (CNN) |
| 8. Dog in Japan stays by the side of ailing friend in the rubble (Yahoo) |
| 9. Giant crocodile captured alive in Philippines (Yahoo) |
| 10. New Zodiac Sign Dates: Ophiuchus The 13th Sign? (The Huffington Post) |
(Top 10 shared content on Facebook in 2011. Source: Facebook)
1. News events: After Japan was devastated by the Tohoku Earthquake, the aerial photos from before and after the disaster stunned the viewer and became the most shared article on Facebook in 2011. People always pay attention to important things that happen. Digital technology can increase the power and influence more people.
2. Bizarre: Be it the rare pandas Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, or the kids next door, the cute, the funny and the unusual will always catch people’s eye! The more unusual the imagery or picture, the more they resonate for a short period of time!
3. New knowledge & concepts: Social media is not only used like a personal diary but also way to network with friends and relatives. New knowledge of ideas is of course what you want to share with everyone!
4. Pop music: Celebrity-powered or brainwashing music often spreads like wildfire through social networks.
Story Tools
In today’s information-rich environment, the methods of storytelling have become more exciting thanks to technology. A story’s power can be enhanced by making clever use of different digital tools.
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Visual impact is fast and direct. With the rise of mobile technology, practically everyone has a tool for taking photos close at hands. Photos have the lowest threshold so this makes the concept behind it all the more important. People’s attention may be attracted to an image for a while but the impact of a concept or that moment of inspiration will make it all the more memorable.
Apart from photos, even videos and special effects that have a higher threshold can now be easily produced with mobile devices. There all kinds of apps for different requirements including slide shows, photo filters/montages, image editing, sound recording and graphical tools. Stories can now be expanded in all kinds of ways, not only increasing their commercial opportunities but also enabling anyone to turn into a reporter, photographer, and director in order to give voice to their own story!
▲New technology helps people tell stories in more interesting ways!
Story Stage
Every day, we go on social networking sites, watch videos, send and receive e-mails. In the digital age, we are actually always on the storytelling stage. We now have more and more opportunities to influence the people around us or even throughout the world.
In 2012, Israeli graphics designer Ronny Edry uploaded a photo he took with his daughter featuring the message “Iran, we love you” during tensions between Israel and Iran. This small gesture quickly took off over the social network. Israelis and Iranians who once thought they hated each other all responded enthusiastically online by posting their own messages of love, enhancing mutual communication and understanding.
There is no limitation to the power of stories. You have far more influence than you imagine. Are you ready to tell everyone your story?
▲Photo of Ronny Edry and his daughter. The Internet allows any gesture to be amplified and magnified for even greater effect.
Reference:
http://goo.gl/AZJDPS
Facebook
Wikipedia
Image source:
http://goo.gl/gPa65M
http://goo.gl/NRDNRi
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