In this episode, John Azoni discusses the importance of storytelling in higher education content creation. He emphasizes the need to move beyond basic information sharing to create compelling narratives that resonate emotionally with audiences. The conversation covers the science behind storytelling, the distinction between narrative and declarative storytelling, and the significance of human-first thinking in crafting engaging content. John also provides practical examples and insights on how to ask better questions to elicit more meaningful stories from individuals, ultimately aiming for content that is memorable and impactful.

Key Takeaways:

• Not all content is storytelling: Simply sharing facts or descriptions isn’t storytelling — stories require emotional depth and human connection.
• Show, don’t just tell: Strong content immerses the audience with specific moments, sensory details, and authentic emotion.
• Declarative storytelling works too: It doesn’t need a full plot — personality, vulnerability, and a human-first approach can be just as impactful.
• Better questions = better stories: The way you frame questions determines whether you get surface-level info or meaningful, memorable moments.
• Quality beats quantity: One emotionally resonant piece of content is more valuable than ten forgettable ones.

Links:

• Learn more about UNVEILD: https://unveild.tv
• Subscribe to the Higher Ed Storytelling Newsletter: https://unveild.tv/newsletter
• Watch podcast episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HigherEdStorytelling