b"PEOPLE DONT IDENTIFY YOUR GOAL VERY CLEARLY. WANT SCIENCEWrite your goal down very clearly, and then useTHEY WANT STORIES!that goal as a touchstone for everything you do Shawn Brook YOUR GOAL SHOULD BE MORE SPECIFICIn the past, I've faced the challenge of trying to sway public opinion. I THAN INCREASE SALES did lots of research finding stats and scientific studies to help make Great content is only great if you get the RIGHTa case. I spent hours crafting messages for each different audience eyeballs on itif only your team read itit mayusing the research as my foundation. I had a comprehensive marketing-make them happy but will NOT be consideredcommunications plan for sharing the message(s). Yet with all of the great content marketing for your business. Howresearch, internal company dialogue, and work, the results were will you get eyeballs and thus brains, hearts andunimpressive.wallets connected to your content?Tip: Targeted display ads can help to drive viewsI shared my dilemma with my mom - our chief moral officer - and she was of your content quick to put things in perspective. It was then I had my 'ah ha' moment. When emotion comes into play, facts matter less. I had been trying to sway opinions with facts, without recognizing the underlying emotions orCONTENT MARKETING IS NOT A experiences that form those opinions.ONE AND DONE CONCEPTOpinions are deeply rooted in emotion and human experience. To sway You must have a clear path that you want youropinions, one needs to move beyond facts; beyond science. To sway audience to followwhat is that path? What isopinions, you need to consider the human element.the result? What assets do you need to execute? Who can help you make that all happen? The seed industry is a perfect example. When communicating with the larger society, agriculture as an industry tends to focus on factual data and Whether youre just starting the content marketing journey, orscience. A scientific approach may work in some instances. However, if the youre struggling to make it work, or youre just looking for somegoal is to change opinion we need to move beyond science. As an industry, more insightgetting it right is critical to your success! If generatingwe need to relate on a human-to-human basis.leads is a priority, then content marketing should be a priorityInstead of spending a lot of time on how or what, as an industry we need to because it can, and should generate great leads for your business.remind ourselves why. Why are we in the seed sector; why do we do what we do? (And by that I don't mean to get paid.) What is our purpose, and why should anyone care?Most universal human needs like food, clothing, and shelter all start with seed. By focusing on how or what from a scientific perspective, were creating a disassociation or distance with the audience. One of the best ways to move communications beyond science is through storytelling.Stories provide the human connection. Stories humanize. With a good story the audience immerses itself within the story. Stories make us experience information. This is where the magic happens. Storytelling fosters perspective-taking and shifts opinions.So, the next time you are trying to change a customers opinion, or having a discussion on the state of agriculture with someone who has a different opinion than you, consider telling a story.SEEDWORLDGROUP.COM 11"