• May 23, 2022

What is Your Story?

If you’ve made it a habit, and then a passion, and then a career, of posting online, maybe you’ve noticed the way your posts have slowly developed into a story about who you are. Maybe you haven’t, in which case it might be time to take a look at how and what you post. However you approach posting, one thing is a necessity: finding your story. Humans react to a good storyline, wherever they can get it, especially if its something aspirational – something they can see themselves in and imagine themselves one day doing. Here are some classic story elements to think about when posting.

The Main Character

Finding your main character might seem like the easiest part, but it’s the hardest. Ask any successful writer or performer what their biggest challenge is and they’ll say “finding your voice.” Your character is the way you tell your story, the language you use (both literal and visual), and how you present it to the camera or in writing. Think about who that is and how you can represent your ongoing story.

Your ‘Hero’s Journey’

In all the great stories, there is a “character arc,” or the story we follow from beginning to end. This is all of the adventures the character goes on, what they learn along the way and an exploration of both what they want and what they need. One is easily said out loud, and the other involves inner exploration. You might not think that wandering around the world taking photos of stuff can have an arc, but you can treat your posts like chapters, telling your followers what you went through that day, and how you persevered – or if you didn’t – and the more involved your story, the more interesting and relatable at can be.

Your Obstacles

This might be the hardest part – what obstacles in your life do you post about? Do you actually want 100% transparency? That’s a pretty big risk, but you can find a balance, especially if telling the hard part of your story will help a part of your audience get through a tough part in their own lives. You don’t have to post about your biggest obstacles as they happen, but down the road, if it feels right, it might help.

The Story with No End

Of course, no influencer is shooting for “I’ll keep posting until one day I don’t.” You aren’t looking for a story end goal, so much as you might be looking for the end of one adventure while looking forward to the beginning of a new one. This will keep people engaged and fascinated.

Summary

The bonus with your online story is that it’s ongoing, and it’s evolutional. Don’t think of your story as a single story, but rather a series of them. A great collection of mystery books, or action films, or rom-coms. Whatever you post can go in waves, finding new stories along the way to add to your canon, which gives you the chance to explore your storytelling in different ways.