Storytelling primer for content marketers

One of the most valuable assets marketers have is storytelling.

It’s why I created this brief primer on story forms, courtesy of my evergreen notes from journalism school.

If you’re a content marketer, use these story formats to make your company blog shine.

Chronological 
This story format works well if you’re trying to build a timeline of events with a natural progression: “This happened, then this, followed by this.” It opens up with an enticing angle or focus. If you’re dealing with a complex timeline, use the chronological story format.

Inverted Pyramid
It doesn’t get any more basic than this. The inverted pyramid is often used in news stories, with the most important bits of information up top. It’s a popular story format among print journalists. Working under tight deadlines, newspaper editors often cut stories from the bottom, which is where the least important points are placed. If you’re on a tight deadline, writing in the inverted pyramid is your best bet.

Classic Feature
The classic feature begins with a human interest angle or an opening scene. I love using the classic feature when I write long-form B2B stories that exceed 1,000 words. The opening of the classic feature gives the story context. It moves into sub themes that address various aspects of the story. The classic feature ends by linking back to the opening scene. It gives the story a sense of closure.

Theme/block
Moves from one topic to another. It emphasizes order and explanation. The theme/block story format is easier to write and read because there are fewer shifts within the story.

The whole and the parts
The lede (intro sentence) and first few paragraphs summarize the key elements of the story. The remainder of the story offers details on each element.