Facebook is celebrating its 10th birthday this month (hard to believe!) and as part of its celebration, it has tapped into the power of storytelling with the recent roll out of its Facebook Lookback.
The Facebook Lookback is a 1-minute movie that highlights photos and posts of the user since he or she joined. Anyone who has an active account can generate their own Lookback video within seconds and then share it on their timeline.
The results are pretty powerful. I was surprised, moved, and totally engrossed from start to finish as I watched my Lookback. If emotional responses like these are gold — and any storyteller will tell you they are —
Facebook’s got a lock on Fort Knox.
Here are three reasons why Facebook’s Lookback wins in the storytelling arena:
1. The story is all about me (the viewer). Effective storytelling has to touch the consumer of the story, whether in print, audio, image, or video. Facebook could have created a video that focused on its own story over the last ten years, but instead, it chose to do something far more powerful: it turned the spotlight on the people who make Facebook what it is, its billion+ users.
By cobbling together for me my own words, photos, and memories and then setting them to a sappy yet beautiful soundtrack, Facebook instantly connects to me and captures my fragile attention.
Engagement at its best.
2. The story is relevant. Using the power of short video, Facebook taps into what research shows: we love watching videos, especially videos that have something to do with us. Relevancy is key to great storytelling. Facebook wins for being timely and in sync with what its users like.
3. The story is memorable. Discovering the Facebook Lookback was in itself a nice surprise, but even better was seeing the final product. As it rendered together the last five years of my time on the social media giant, I wondered what the movie would show me. That element of anticipation added to the overall positive experience I had when I got to watch it. And yes, I watched it more than once. Going back to number one on this list, when something is all about me, I am more likely to stay engaged with it and remember it long after it’s over.
The Facebook Lookback is deceptively powerful in its simplicity, relevancy, and ability to capture the attention of millions of users. While it may seem small, the Lookbook goes a long way to solidifying Facebook’s place in its users hearts, increasing the chances of keeping more of us around for years to come.
