Texas…
Texas…
Texas…
The opening to Beyoncé’s song Daddy Lessons starts with clapping and muffled voices. It feels like a private jam session with people who have wisdom and music in their bones. A horn brings you along with the beat before Bey’s voice comes in on queue from a yeeeeeeeeeeee-haw.
Texas…
Texas…
Texas…
Songwriters are the best storytellers. They can set a scene and bring the richest narratives to life with minimal words and the assistance of melodies and instruments. When we were thinking about submitting our proposal to speak at South by Southwest (SXSW) — a festival that brings together music, culture, tech and trends (in Texas no less) — we knew our pitch needed to pack a punch that felt as potent as the lyrics of a Beyoncé song.
Texas…
Texas…
Texas…
2023 marks 25 years of SiteCrafting. We could pen volumes with stories and lessons about our time in tech. But for the momentous submission to SXSW, we chose to take the scaled-back approach that is the bedrock of our storytelling philosophy. We call it telling big stories in small spaces. In essence, it is saying more with less. For the pitch we submitted 148 words — that count includes the title: The Little Tech Company That Could.
Making the Case for Less
For years, experts and thought leaders have been telling us that attention spans are on the decline. We’re spending more time online and as a result content consumption is rising, too. Carefully choosing words in all copywriting endeavors creates opportunities for meaningful engagement when audiences are overwhelmed and quick to scroll by.
A big story in a small space brings your reader into your story. It’s a shortcut to connection. What might appear to be a gap in a concept or storyline can actually be an invitation for the reader to get involved. It’s a boost to get your audience to where you want them to go.
Texas…
Texas…
Texas…
Creating Opportunities for Connection
There is something about giving people an opportunity for interpretation that makes an idea stick. A big story in a small space starts at the end, moves you through the beginning, shortcuts the middle and ends right where it started.
The end tells your audience where they will end up. The beginning brings them along. Shortcutting the middle gives them something to think about. They make an investment. They become a co-conspirator. They remember.
Texas…
Texas…
Texas…
Big stories in small spaces draw upon collective ideas and concepts. For our SXSW session, we drew inspiration from the popular stories of The Little Engine That Could and The Brave Little Toaster to shortcut to a concept and set the stage for our summary. This shortcut is where you get to play with subtleties and nuance to find the sweet spots for connection.
Connection is currency. A big story in a small space gives people a way to connect with your message, in their own way and on their own terms. It harkens on the familiar and gives them something to figure out.
For my PR friends who live to shape a narrative, take a few deep breaths and hear me out. When you draw people in and give them something to figure out you are still shaping the narrative while additionally giving your audience something to play with. You shape the narrative and nudge them along, the audience makes the meaning – or doesn’t. Not connecting isn’t a bad thing. You can’t be all things to all people. If you get the story right, it will connect with the right people in the right ways.
From Tacoma to Texas
Feelings, shared experiences and ideas are instruments for bringing people together and connecting through story. A big story in a small space is an invitation. SiteCrafting has not yet been invited to SXSW but with any luck, we’ll travel to Texas to take the stage next March to tell the world about our little tech company doing big things in Tacoma.
SiteCrafting…
SiteCrafting…
SiteCrafting…
