Here’s My Story: What’s Yours?

“Successful marketers are just the providers of stories that consumers choose to believe.”
–Seth Godin, All Marketers Are Liars

Twenty years ago, marketing was about trying to find the least expensive way to get a message in front of an audience. Today, the question is no longer how to get a message out economically, but how to be seen and heard among all the millions of messages that are coming out daily in the 24/7/365 world of the Web. And that’s great news.

Great because it means anybody can be heard, and getting heard costs virtually nothing. Yet challenging, too. Because now you have to figure out how to be heard over the crowd.

As Godin observed, what catches someone’s attention and ultimately drives sales is a story about something important to them. It’s not a dress, but the night out that you picture when you try it on. It’s not an app, but a tiny window that connects you instantly to something you want. It’s not a car, but the way you see yourself traveling through the significant occasions of your life.

Synapse is pleased to welcome veteran storyteller Betsy Gonzalez as Digital Marketing and Content Development Strategist. Betsy has six years of experience in corporate communications and more than seven years of experience writing for national publishers. She specializes in applying narrative techniques to commercial writing.

When she’s not busy reading, writing and drinking too much coffee, Betsy might be found camping, hiking, gardening, boating, and trying to keep up with her teenage daughters.

We had a chance to sit down this week and ask Betsy about her background in digital content strategy.

What attracted you to Synapse?

I was impressed with Synapse’s growth and the variety of projects and clients they have been successful with. I also liked the collegial, collaborative working atmosphere.

Why digital marketing?

Digital marketing is exciting to me because we’re still in the midst of a revolution in content delivery. Models that worked only six months ago are already passing out of favor. That’s a tremendous opportunity, and also a tremendous challenge. It’s such a huge, complex system, and I’m excited about the prospect of working with people who are experts in so many aspects of it, from marketing strategy and client relations to web development and results measurement.

How did you get started in digital marketing?

I was in content creation long before content was cool—I mean digital—and, as I imagine is true for many people in this field, I simply followed the content where it led. All roads lead to the Internet.

The interesting thing about digital marketing from the copy or content end of things is that the core principles remain the same. For me, that often comes back to narrative: seeing story lines in facts, shaping narratives that get traction by filling a need. The digital aspect just gives new dimensions to those timeless marketing challenges.

What do you see as a trend in 2014 for digital content?

I see a continued shift from model to model, and platform to platform, as people’s appetites change. I see content continuing to get more visual and interactive with the growth of platforms like Instagram and Pinterest.

Speaking of interactive . . .

Is your company’s story being heard over the crowd? Could you use a little help defining and refining your corporate narrative? We’re here to listen anytime you want to chat with Betsy or another member of the Synapse creative team about your digital marketing and web analytics needs.

To learn more, start a conversation with us.