story time's over: marketers are now worldbuilders

STORY TIME’S OVER MARKETERS ARE NOW WORLDBUILDERS

THE GLORIOUS AGE OF MASS-PRODUCED STORYTELLING those were some good

times

THE GLORIOUS AGE OF MASS-PRODUCED STORYTELLING

Buy our running shoes. They’re the best running shoes you’ll find. We have pink running shoes, brown running shoes and running shoes that help you run. They’re shoes. For running.

I sell homes in Seattle. Seattle real estate is a great deal right now. Come see all my Seattle homes on my Seattle real estate site full of homes in Seattle because my home are really nice and they’re in Seattle.

STORYTELLING

STORY ARC, TOP VIEW

STORY ARC, TOP VIEW

uh-oh

BE HONEST

WE NO LONGER CONTROL THE WHEN, THE WHERE (OR MAYBE THE WHAT)

auuughhh! we no longer

tell the story!!!!!

SILLINESS RESULTS

CONVERSION

WE GO TRANSACTIONAL

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$

TRANSACTIONS

Cool social icons from Azmid http://portent.co/1Sxb6EP

$

PEOPLE READY TO BUY YOUR PRODUCT, RIGHT NOW

Cool social icons from Azmid http://portent.co/1Sxb6EP THE UNIVERSE PROBLEM

PEOPLE SEEKING YOUR PRODUCT, RIGHT NOW $

UNIVERSE PROBLEM

PEOPLE WHO WANT A CRUISE

$

PEOPLE WHO WANT TO $#@!

BEHOLD

$

PLACES = THE MAP PATHS + PLACES = THE WORLD MOVEMENT CREATES STORIES

PLACES PATHS MOVEMENT

OPTIMIZE FACILITATE

OBSERVE

$

TRANSACTIONAL WORLDBUILDING

PLACES PATHS MOVEMENT

OPTIMIZE FACILITATE

OBSERVE

$

PLACES

EVERYTHING’S A PLACE

$

DESTINATION

DESTINATION

DESTINATION

DESTINATION

$

PLACES

“WE HELP FIND THE BEST DEAL EVERYWHERE”

“WE HAVE INFORMATION”

Cool social icons from Azmid http://portent.co/1Sxb6EP “WE’RE GOING GREEN”

“HERE’S MORE”

YES, TRANSACTIONAL

$

COOPERATIVE

RETARGETING

RETARGETING

$

AUDIENCE-CREATED

THE AUDIENCE CREATES PLACES

THE AUDIENCE CREATES PLACES

THE AUDIENCE CREATES PLACES

$

ALGORITHM CREATED

AUDIENCE

DENIM ≠ JEANS

$

PEOPLE READY TO BUY, RIGHT NOW, FROM YOU

$

PEOPLE WITH RELEVANT QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS

ANSWERTHEPUBLIC.COM

“WE ARE OPEN ON SUNDAYS”

QUORA

SEARCH SUGGEST

SEARCH SUGGEST

SEARCH SUGGEST

$

PEOPLE READY TO BUY, RIGHT NOW, FROM YOU

$

PEOPLE READY TO BUY RELATED PRODUCTS

COLLABORATIVE FILTERING

COLLABORATIVE FILTERING

CREATE/GO TO THESE PLACES

ANSWERTHEPUBLIC.COM COLLABORATIVE FILTERING

SOCIAL ADVERTISING

$ $

PUBLISH WHERE THE CUSTOMERS ARE

oohhmmmm

NOTHING IS BORING

THERE IS NO BORING

THERE IS NO BORING

ENSURE KICK-ASS PLACES

$

PEOPLE

$

PEOPLE WHO TOLERATE LOUSY UX

DO THE LITTLE THINGS PROVIDE A GREAT PLACE

DON’T GIVE ME THIS

CREDIT: ZEKE MILLER, TIME REPORTER

CREDIT: ZEKE MILLER, TIME REPORTER

THAT FEELS LIKE THIS

AND ENDS LIKE THIS

$ $ $ $

GIVE ME THIS

GRAMMARLY

GRAMMARLY

HEMINGWAYAPP.COM

HEMINGWAYAPP.COM

SPEED THINGS UP

700kb png 64kb jpg

24kb jpg

PNG for less photo-ish

4kb png

1.1 megabytes

227kb

IMAGEOPTIM/CAESIUM

lazy loading

AVOID CRAPPY STOCK PHOTOS

Showing up everywhere

AVOID CRAPPY STOCK PHOTOS

Showing up everywhere

AVOID CRAPPY STOCK PHOTOS

Lack of brand safe

AVOID CRAPPY STOCK PHOTOS

Pexels.com Unsplash.com

oohhmmmm

YOU STILL CONTROL YOUR BRAND

PRESENCE = BEING AT A PLACE

YOUR PRESENCE DICTATES YOUR BRAND

NON-BRAND

GOOD PRESENCE = GREAT BRAND

Cool social icons from Azmid http://portent.co/1Sxb6EP JUST BAD

Cool social icons from Azmid http://portent.co/1Sxb6EP JUST BAD

COMMENTS

Cool social icons from Azmid http://portent.co/1Sxb6EP

$

PEOPLE SHOPPING FOR MARKETING BOOKS

Cool social icons from Azmid http://portent.co/1Sxb6EP

$

MARKETING NERDS

BAD TARGETING = BAD BRAND (article by Slate)

BAD TARGETING = BAD BRAND

GOOD PRESENCE = GREAT BRAND

oohhmmmm

IT’S ADAPTIVE

PLACES PATHS MOVEMENT

OPTIMIZE FACILITATE

OBSERVE

PATHS ARE VERBS

$

THE AUDIENCE MOVES FROM PLACE TO PLACE

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

oohhmmmm

IT’S NOT (TOTAL) CHAOS

SO STOP IT. FACILITATING PATHS

FULLY DESCRIBE

ONE TWEAK

AWESOME

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

DEFENSIVE DESIGN

CONVERSION

NO RAILROADING

you will go this way and you

will like it!!!

RAILROADING

NEVER TRY TO OWN A HASHTAG

CHAOS RESULTS

CHAOS RESULTS

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$

PEOPLE ANNOYED WITH QANTAS STRIKE

Cool social icons from Azmid http://portent.co/1Sxb6EP

$

EVERYONE WHO’S HEARD OF QANTAS

oohhmmmm

YOU CAN TRACK AND OBSERVE

PLACES PATHS MOVEMENT

OPTIMIZE FACILITATE

OBSERVE

CONVERSIONS & MICROCONVERSIONS

MICRO CONVERSION: SCROLL PAST 50%

MICRO-CONVERSION = MOVEMENT

$

MICRO CONVERSION: E-MAIL SUBSCRIPTION

MOVEMENT

$

TRANSACTION

$

GOOGLE ANALYTICS TOP CONVERSION PATHS

TOP CONVERSION PATH STARTS W/ ORGANIC, ENDS WITH DIRECT.

3-STEP PATH

TRUE STORY

$

search content facebook content e-mail $$$$

TRUE STORY

Turn off paid social. there’s no

ROI

TRUE STORY

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$

auuughhh what happened?!!!

LAST-CLICK SOCIAL CONVERSIONS

search content facebook content e-mail $$$$

TRUE STORY

TRUE STORY

$

search pinterest e-mail $$$$

TRUE STORY #2

TRUE STORY #2

$

TRUE STORY #2

$

ADD A PLACE. COMPLETE A PATH.

search pinterest content e-mail $$$$

TRUE STORY #2

$

THIS LOOKS HARD

WORLDBUILDING IS AN ADAPTIVE PROCESS

$

$

THIS LOOKS MESSY

Cool social icons from Azmid http://portent.co/1Sxb6EP

$

THIS FEELS SAFER

WORLDBUILDING IS LOTS OF LITTLE BETS (ACTUALLY SAFER)

PLACES PATHS MOVEMENT

OPTIMIZE FACILITATE

OBSERVE

IT TAKES YOU FROM THIS

TO THIS

POOT

TRY IT

SMALL, UNMARKED BILLS ONLY

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