Good storytelling is helpful, most marketers would even say it's crucial to marketing. 

However, promoting your business, product or service to a specific target audience to get them to take some level of desired action takes more than just an entertaining story and clear communication.

If you're not constantly understanding the value that is derived by your audience from their engagement with your current content, or ad or [insert medium of choice here] in the moment that they're engaged with it as well as beyond that then you're missing a crucial element.

Probably The simplest way to explain it is the WIIFM -- What's in it for me, or in this case substitute "me" for "the customer/client/prospect." (You've likely heard this acronym before thus you're now tempted to click off of this article. I implore you to keep reading.)

You already know what you want out of the engagement, but are you focused on the value the customer or prospect gets out of the actual engagement. 

In other words, you now have a prospect's attention with your content, for example, what is the value to the prospect of engaging with that particular content at that particular time?

Furthermore, you need to ask yourself what is the benefit to me/my company for that prospect engaging in that content at that time?

Does the marketing create a win-win for both the prospect engaging in the marketing content that the company, in this example, is producing and promoting?

Also, if the prospect takes the desired action from the marketing content at hand, what is the next level of value for that prospect and/or customer should they buy from you -- what's the win-win look like in that situation?

All too often many marketers miss the opportunity to articulate the value for all parties involved when planning marketing strategies.

Often the strategy starts with the end goal that the company wants to achieve and a target audience to go after. Then there's the challenge of finding a creative and often entertaining way to ask that audience to take a specific desired action.

The problem there is that often the strategy assumes the value to the prospect or customer is obtaining the product or service that the company is offering.

But really the product or services that the company is offering is simply a vehicle to a solution that the prospect or customer has or perceives they have.

What I'm referring to in this post is not only the explicit transactional value, but also the intrinsic value of building an exchange with a customer or prospect as they engage with your marketing. 

Your essentially attempting to quickly build a connection and a bit of a relationship in a short space and time via your marketing messaging and for that to be effective, the result of engaging must appeal to both parties explicitly and intrinsically.
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Posted By: Nick Venturella

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Does what you wear to work seem to help you feel relaxed enough to be productive?

Or, do you feel restricted and limited by what you have to wear to work, thus your productivity is limited?

I’ve personally always tried to be as productive as possible in whatever role I find myself in, however, I definitely feel restricted when I have a required dress code for work.

For me, that required dress code has usually been in some sort of professional office setting, so as a man, that required a collared shirt and tie sometimes a suit, or at least a polo shirt.

I really don’t like to dress up. I understand it looks nice, and I respect the polished persona it helps to realize, but that’s just not who I am.

Let me rephrase that. I can be polished for sure, but I’m going to exude more confidence and even better polish in my communications if I’m feeling comfortable in say, jeans and a t-shirt.
Now that I no longer work in an office but rather from home, I wear jeans and a t-shirt most every day.

I still get up and shower and get dressed as if I’m going to go into the office, I just wear whatever feels comfortable as I walk downstairs to my office at my house.

I have to say, my productivity has never been better.

I think, that relates to my feeling comfortable. I’m more confident in my skills and abilities to do the work that I need to do. That allows me to put my best foot forward in terms of the work I produce, and my ability to be productive in producing that work.

When I used to go to an office and wear a shirt and tie I always felt restricted as if that tie was a noose around my neck. My confidence was stifled and my productivity was not as high as my potential.

The point of all this is, self-awareness.

It’s not only important to know what you like to do to find work that plays up to your strengths, but it’s also extremely important to understand how you achieve peak performance in what you do.

What you wear to work and how that relates to your productivity is just one element of being aware of how to reach your peak performance.
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Posted by: Nick Venturella

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There’s something about the season of autumn that sparks creativity for me.

I’m learning that I am not alone in this idea.

I have heard from others that fall is their favorite time of year for creative activity and innovation.

Part of me wonders if it is that from a young age, we’re constantly starting a new school year each fall.

Each school year brings about the excitement of something new as well as something old/familiar; often reconnecting with school friends that one hasn’t seen since the last school year.

That combination stirs up electric energy that makes my mind wander, in a good way.

Then once the leaves on the trees start to change from green to red, yellow and brown, that spectrum of colors fuels my creative energy.
Some of my most favorite past falls were when I was in college studying art and design and immersing myself in all of my inter-related music creations, and really combining all my creative outlets at a time of formidable growth and independence in my life.

I always recall that sense of freedom and energy and try to figure out how to capture and sustain those moments as much as possible.
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As an interdisciplinary creative professional some of my best songwriting concepts for albums came to me in the fall. Some of my best creative marketing promotional ideas have come to me in the fall. Some of my best writing took place in the fall.

To the extent I’m able I journal (not just in the fall, but especially in the fall) to somehow capture these thoughts, these ideas and these emotions from this season that enamors me. I do so to be able to go back and reflect and even repeat successful creative processes that I’ve documented from past years.

Often the fall season provides enough creative ideas to keep me busy with projects the entire year. Autumn is my annual creative harvest.

How does fall affect your creativity?

Is it a time of innovation for you?

Does your creative energy run hot, fast and furious in the fall?

How do you harness that energy? In past years what have you accomplished with it?

What do you hope to accomplish with it this year?

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Posted by: Nick Venturella

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