“Let me tell you a story…” is one of the most powerful phrases a person can hear. Whether we realize it or not, people in our companies already tell stories through content, branding, campaigns, social media, PR, the products we develop and the services we deliver. But rarely do they differentiate us. And they’re often unorganized and inconsistent, at best. Learn how to avoid telling the same old story and create one that has a life of its own.

1. Content Strategy:
Start With Your Story
Carla Johnson
Principal
@CarlaJohnson

2. Stories
Connect
People

4. Business Sounds Like…
• 981 people died in alcohol-related crashes in 2000
• Out of 420 pedestrian fatalities, 38% of those tested for
alcohol had been drinking, and most of these had BACs
over 0.08
• Almost nine out of every 10 people killed in alcohol
related collisions (87.4%) were in or on the drinking
driver's vehicle (i.e. drivers/operators or passengers)
• Almost nine out of every 10 drivers killed in alcohol-
related collisions (87.5%) were male
• Over half (56%) of the drivers killed in single-vehicle
crashes tested positive for alcohol, compared to only
20% of those killed in multiple-vehicle crashes

5. 5000MESSAGES A DAY

6. Texas Department
of Transportation
www.FacesOfDrunkDriving.com

13. WHAT MAKES
A GREAT STORY?

15. For sale.
Baby carriage.
Never used.

18. A GREAT STORY IS…
• Interesting
• Concise
• Shareable

19. UNCOVERING YOUR
STORY

20. Why?

21. Owner(s) Execs Customers
Partners Supporters Employees

22. INTEGRATING YOUR
STORY

23. WHAT’s your business objective?
WHO are you talking to?
WHEN in their decision-making process?
WHERE/HOW are they connecting with you?
WHAT do they want to know?
WHY do you matter to them?
CONTENT STRATEGY

24. The more I can fill the
consumer’s emotional well
with brand stories, the
less I have to trade on it.
-Jonathan Mildenhall
Coca-Cola 2020 Project

26. “Highly successful. The innovation is really in how we’ve integrated it with our
other social media and content marketing efforts.”
- John Watton, CMO, Shipserv
ShipServe: The Movie (Starring “Rex”)

34. MULTIPLE PLATFORMS

35. • Online / Digital
• Sales
• In-person events
• Paid / earned media
• Employees
• Visuals / graphics
• Physical space / vehicles / culture
TRADITIONAL –
AND BEYOND

36. Indium Blog Series

40. Tell your employees your story first
Teach them how to tell it
Create tangible expressions
Enchant them
Empower them
CREATE
PROMISE KEEPERS

41. BUYER’S JOURNEY

42. Source: Managing Content Marketing
by Robert Rose and Joe Pulizzi
CONTENT
MARKETING
FUNNEL

43. Problem
Awareness
Education
Possible
Solutions
Vendor Search Selection
Retention /
Upsell /
Evangelism
BUYER’S JOURNEY
Bigger Story Detailed Story + Proof Points
Something’s
not right
What do I
need to
do?
What’s my
problem?
Who can
help me?
I want to feel
good about
my decision
Reinforce
my choice
How to use,
success
stories
What’s the
difference you
want to make?
Detailed,
technical
information
Prove ROI
Thought
leadership /
ID problems
How you’ve
helped
others

44. “People will
forget what you
said, people will
forget what you
did, but people
will never forget
how you made
them feel.”
- Maya Angelou

45. Carla Johnson, Principal
Type A Communications
(720) 344-0987
carla@goTypeA.com
www.goTypeA.com
Type A Communications
@carlajohnson
Carla Johnson