There’s an old saying that “A picture is worth a thousand words”. You know it when you see it…those wonderfully crafted and delicately developed works of art that stop and grab your attention commanding your every thought and visual focus on the subject at hand. There’s art and then there are classic pieces of art that completely outshine the rest surviving the test of time.

In advertising, some ads lead to millions of dollars in sales and some…well, let me just say that they are a bit distracting. A good advertisement makes a clear call to action. Advertisers spend lots of dough trying to catch the attention of the masses.

Hollywood on the other hand is in the business of creating visually appealing and emotionally charged full length motion pictures in an effort to entertain. Of course, we each have our own tastes when it comes to the movies. Some films such as Titanic, Independence Day, Million Dollar Baby, and more recently Avatar explode onto the scene and make a huge impact taking home a nice chunk of change.

Are we just so in love with big boats, alien invaders, and the bold blue of the Na’vi that we rush to theaters in droves eagerly awaiting the opportunity to burn our hard earned cash? Nope. Don’t think so.

The success of memorable ads and movies is completely built upon the art of storytelling. The ability to capture our attention and take us to a place we’ve never been is a vital component of measurable success.

Let’s apply this to new media. What will happen if we take a moment to look beyond the vanity of social media and recognize the power of a good story? Making an effort to connect with others is wonderful and an essential part of being an online citizen. However, bringing value and authenticity to the table is completely hinged on our ability to tell a good story.

Engagement is built around the ease and multifaceted dynamic of making it easy for others to tell your story.

Where do you want to take us? Where are we headed? Down a boring road of the same old’ uneventful hogwash or are we headed towards a new arena of impact and influence?