Social Media Storytelling

Marie Elisabeth Mueller is a public broadcast journalist, university educator and trainer for digital journalism and communications who has been working in the media industry, at universities and in organisations for more than 25 years. She is a versatile author and publicist for print, radio, TV, multimedia and online media. Marie Elisabeth Mueller also conducts storytelling training, content strategy coaching and design sprints for innovative digital products for media houses, NGOs and small and medium-sized enterprises. She completed her doctorate in media studies/philosophy at the University of Constance on the topic of “Digital Storytelling in Film”. She teaches interactive multimedia storytelling and platform strategy at universities in Germany and abroad, including the Stuttgart Media University and University of the Fine Arts in Berlin (Germany), S. I. Newhouse School for Public Communications in Syracuse (USA), Asian College of Journalism in Chennai (India) and Danish School of Journalism in Aarhus (Denmark). From 2004 to 2008, she was seconded to the University of Nairobi in Kenya as a DAAD lecturer. In 2020, Marie Elisabeth Mueller received the Gisela Bonn Award for her outstanding contributions to Indo–German relations. She is partner of the international core team of several global collaborative reporting projects like the Global News Relay and the Global Pop-Up Newsroom. Devadas Rajaram is the former editor-in-chief of Info2cell.com, senior journalist and a professor of New Media at the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) in Chennai, India. In 2018, the renowned American media organisation Media Shift named him one of the20 most innovative journalism teachers in the world – the only one not from the United States (http://mediashift.org/2018/01/edshift20-honoring-innovative-journalism-educators-2017/). Devadas Rajaram is one of the pioneers in digital journalism. He started experimenting with mobile storytelling in 1997. He holds a distinguished master's degree in International Multimedia Journalism from Newcastle University (UK). Devadas Rajaram is one of the lead educators of international collaborative projects for journalism schools across the world, particularly in the Global Pop-Up Newsroom and the Global News Relay. Since 2012, he has been teaching mobile journalism, social media and interactive multimedia storytelling at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai. He has been a guest lecturer at the Stuttgart Media University in Germany and at the American University in Bulgaria.

• Contents1. How can I make use of storytelling?1.1. Facts tell, stories sell1.2. What is social storytelling?1.2.1. Listen to your followers1.2.2. Find the right tone1.2.3. Make your stories travel across relevant channels1.2.4. Begin a long-term relationship with your community with social stories1.3. Why is storytelling so impactful?1.3.1. Stories wire visuals to our brains1.3.2. Explain complex matters in simple stories1.3.3. From hero to guide – guide users through your stories1.4. How self storytelling works on your profiles – get inspired by best practice examples1.4.1. Personal profile stories1.4.2. Community profile stories1.4.3. Brand profile stories1.4.4. Journalists profile stories2. A radically new toolbox for social storytellers2.1. Story anatomy in place of the ‘hero’s journey’2.1.1. Farewell to the ‘hero’s journey’2.1.2. Guides2.1.3. Story anatomists2.1.4. Nanoparticles2.2. Find story beats 2.3. Show faces and voices2.4. Develop micro-stories2.5. Use multimedia layers2.6. Make use of cross-platform methods2.7. Collaborate with influencers3. Professional storytelling with your smartphone in a mobile-first world3.1. Content-focused communication3.2. Integrated content strategy3.3 Storytelling apps and templates for all3.4 Ensure professional quality3.5 Precise preparation and project management pay off3.6 Visual, mobile, social2.6.1 Smartphones, the all-rounders3.6.2 Digital literacy3.7 Design your narrative strategy3.7.1 Engage with your users3.7.2 Visualise your language3.7.3 Experiment with user-oriented technology3.8 What is quality content? 3.8.1 Short, relevant, profound, purposeful, rapid3.8.2 Multimedia content 3.8.3 Interactive content 3.8.4 Immersive elements3.8.5 Live is Life3.9 The small multimedia ABC for social storytellers with their smartphones3.9.1 External smartphone equipment 3.9.2 Shooting and framing3.9.3 Photos3.9.4 Videos 3.9.5 Shooting 3.9.6 Post-production3.9.7 Audio and music3.9.8 Texts3.9.9 3D objects3.9.10 360-degree spaces3.10 Produce mobile stories in five steps3.10.1 Storyboard3.10.2 Framing 3.10.3 Recording and shooting3.10.4 Writing3.10.5 Sequencing and editing4. Understand and implement mobile story genres4.1. Smartphones change everything4.2. Micro-storytelling4.2.1. Hashtags4.2.2. Memes4.2.3. Feeds4.2.4. Stories4.2.5. Why stories and toks are replacing the newsfeed4.3. In-built storytelling tools and platform specifics4.3.1. Social+ companies4.3.2. Digital shop windows vs. social storytelling4.3.3. Twitter4.3.4. TikTok4.3.5. Snapchat4.3.6. Instagram4.3.7. Facebook4.4. Explainer videos4.5. Social audio4.6. Live social TV5. Find the best strategy5.1. Integrated, convergent storytelling5.2. How do I find good stories?5.2.1. Search, find, verify5.2.2. Story DNA5.2.3. Platform-agnostic planning5.3. How do I prepare best?5.3.1. Facts, people, stories5.3.2. Platform-specific planning and producing5.4. An excellent concept is a must5.4.1. Planning 5.4.2. Integrate and customise your micro-stories multiple times5.4.3. Build a slow, long-form interactive story 5.4.4. Give data a face and tell data stories with data relevant for your followers and community6. Evaluate your campaigns: Never without monitoring6.1. Why do I use digital monitoring?6.1.1. FMD ("Filmmakers Germany") campaigns as best practice examples6.1.2. “Uganda Series 2018. Big five – in the wild?"6.1.3. Japan 2019/2020 – Bucket list6.2. What are relevant key performance indicators?6.2.1. Evaluate the whole customer journey6.2.2. Think sustainable instead click baits and likes6.2.3. "All-in-one"-campaigns = content x reach x event, for instance, the "Usedom Sunspot Awards"6.2.4. How do I evaluate in social media storytelling and content marketing? "The disruptive tragedy"6.2.5. Generate leads and evaluate conversions6.3. What makes your campaign a success?6.3.1. No content without call-to-action6.3.2. Plan and initiate user-generated content 6.3.3. Keep in touch with your community!7. Everything remains different: What’s next for storytellers?7.1. Prepare for tech and storytelling trends of the near and medium future7.2. What should you keep an eye on? Our expert tips7.2.1 Deana Mrkaja: Tell immersive stories 7.2.2 Sascha Gottschalk: Work with user-generated content 7.2.3 Tim Hendrik Walter: Learning together in social stories 7.2.4 Maximilian Wolf: With edutainment and livestreams you are on the right track7.2.5 Adil Sbai: Find creative solutions for copycatsAuthors and experts in this bookIndex