Storytelling Behind Online Reviews

Have you written a review before? How did you write it? Did you start with setting, then outline, and conclusion? These days, consumers trust online reviews more than traditional forms of advertising. We trust strangers behind a screen to give us valuable, critical and useful recommendations. One interesting way to look at online reviews is treating it like a story. Similar to a story, a useful review has characters, events and an emotional curve that reflect an individual’s experience. Ordinary consumers are becoming talented storytellers and transforming the way we read reviews. Associate Professor Tom van Laer teaches Narratology at the University of Sydney Business School, and he joined us today to discuss the power of storytelling behind online reviews.