Telling a good story is extremely common—in fact, preference for story-based instruction is deeply rooted in human biology and cognitive psychology. While everyone has slight preferences for how information is delivered, loving a good narrative to learn a concept puts you in the vast majority.
Here is why your brain naturally gravitates toward story-driven educational videos:
Why Narrative Instruction Works So Well
1. Neural Coupling & Empathy
When you watch a straightforward lecture, the parts of your brain processing language (Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas) light up to decode the text. But when you listen to a story, narrative activation occurs: your brain simulates the events described. If the story involves movement, your motor cortex fires up; if it involves emotional conflict, your insula lights up. This creates a sense of experience rather than just passive listening.
2. Cognitive Anchoring
Abstract concepts (like opportunity cost, the laws of thermodynamics, or code refactoring) are hard for the brain to hold onto in isolation. A narrative provides a concrete mental model. The plot acts as a coat rack, giving standalone facts a structural place to hang.
3. Tension and Dopamine Release
Stories naturally follow a framework (a situation, a problem, a struggle, and a resolution). That gap between problem and resolution creates curiosity and tension. When the “aha!” moment or conclusion arrives in the video, your brain releases dopamine, which aids memory consolidation and makes learning feel rewarding.
How It Compares to Other Learning Styles
While narrative video is widely effective, people generally lean toward a few main styles of instructional video:
Format Type | Typical Structure | Why People Like It |
Narrative / Anecdotal | Case study, real-world example, parable, personal struggle | High engagement, strong emotional connection, long-term retention. |
Procedural / Step-by-Step | “First do X, then do Y” (e.g., software tutorials) | Direct, efficient, zero filler, immediate task completion. |
First-Principles / Deep Dive | Mathematical proofs, visual diagrams, systematic breakdown | Focuses on why the underlying mechanics work without contextual flavor. |
Kyle Van Deusen – The Admin Bar
Kyle at one time was creating a lot of content to promote Generatepress and there various products.
Each video told a short story and then Kyle illustrated how he designed the page / website and created a follow along tutorial.
I have used and adapted many of his ideas.
Nothing remarkable but very relatable.
For me Fasthosts could and should do something borrowing from this presentational style.
Kyle also produces a Newsletter. I know when it is 11.00 on a Friday morning because it appears.
 The Friday ChaserIssue #300Hey, Charles I remember back when I started my business, I had a lot of wacky ideas.I printed flyers and slipped them under the door of the downtown businesses. I set up a system to help non-profits collect donations specifically earmarked to fund a website. I posted my services for sale on Facebook Marketplace. All of those (and plenty more) failed to deliver any kind of result. But a few ended up being a home run; offering a retainer for web work (before I knew what a care plan was), volunteering at a non-profit (where I made relationships with the board members who were the “connectors” that happily opened doors for me), and offering low-cost printing services (that got my foot in the door at a ton of local businesses). I had no idea what I what was going to work — but I was out there doing it anyway. Eventually the business stabilized, I built up a steady (enough) pipeline, and I stopped trying new things. Of course, there’s value in focusing on “what already works”. It’s steady, predictable, and responsible. But it can also be a trap.The world around us never stops changing. It’s always experimenting with new ideas. In the last 18-24 months, our world is changing faster than we’ve ever experienced. Those things that “already work” — our status quo we’ve become so comfortable with — won’t work forever. Nothing does. Which means the only way to keep up is to keep running experiments, knowing full well most of them won’t pan out.Failing sucks. And the more successful you become, the more uncomfortable it feels. Now that we’ve got something to protect, it’s natural that we try and avoid it.But I didn’t figure out retainers, find connectors, or come up with a good foot-in-the-door offer because I was smart enough to predict what would work. I found them because I ran all the experiments — including the losers. Every flop taught me something I needed to learn in the way that only experience can deliver.Standing still is way more dangerous than trying and failing… At least when you fail there’s something to learn. Standing still won’t teach you anything.I’m not suggesting you go out there and do dumb stuff just to fall on your ass. But failures are the only honest evidence you have that you’re still moving forward and you haven’t slipped into maintenance mode while the world around you whizzes by.When was the last time you ignored that little voice in the back of your head saying “but what if it doesn’t work”? When was the last time you went for it and ended up with a few bumps and bruises?If it’s been a while, that may be a sign you’re living a little too comfortably.So pick the thing you’ve been putting off… One offer, one email, or one service pitch. A small enough test that being wrong costs you nothing more than an afternoon.Do it not with the intention to fail, but with the confidence that either way, you’ll come out the other side knowing something you don’t know right now. WP Umbrella: The new way to manage multiple WordPress sites. First month free with coupon code TAB (new users only). Sponsored.🔥 Inside the Group Off and on work for non-care plan clientsSome of Karen’s past clients come back for things every now and then, but she’s finding it hard to determine pricing. You never know what kind of rabbit hole you’re going to end up in and how well the site’s been taken care of. Do you resell Google Workspace?Ben usually sets clients up with Zoho, but when a client needs Google Workspace, do you play the middle man, or send them to sign up themselves? What services are you offering in 2026?Not a surprise to see design, development, and care plans top the list — but it doesn’t look like many are jumping on the AEO/GEO train. Is that a clear opportunity? Bad hosting is getting worseElsie’s latest “support” from BlueHost is a great reminder why paying for a quality host is always worth it in the long run. It’s like these companies are trying to put themselves out of business! How are you adapting your pitch or services in the age of AI?With more and more reports of agencies losing clients and projects to AI, Matt asked the group how everyone’s adapting to the new landscape we find ourselves in.The Friday Chaser is made possible thanks to our sponsors:Novamira gives your AI full access to your WordPress, nothing in between. Connect Claude, Codex, Antigravity or any AI client that supports MCP. Free and open source.Paste a URL, get a branded client-ready audit in under 5 minutes. ProspectWP is built for WP agencies. Founding members lock in 25% off for life: prospectwp.comTurn your discovery calls into your unfair advantage. Articos runs audience research for your client’s site in under an hour. No recruiting. No research budget.Test what happens before a visitor clicks “Accept.” CertScore.ai reveals tracking, consent and policy issues across client sites—with evidence. Scan a site free →Wordify AI Connector: “Back up all 29 sites, then update them to WordPress 7.0.2.” Point Claude or ChatGPT at your hosting and run your whole fleet in plain English. Get $100 credit. Want to see your ad here? Check out our $25 ad deal!📰 In Other News GenerateBlocks adds “editor access” controlsIf you’d prefer your clients not be able to freely restyle their website, Generate’s new editor controls gives you granular control over virtually every panel in the editor. The $30,000 Mistake Hiding in Your Cookie BannerA Live CIPA Training for WordPress Agencies, with Termageddon’s Hans Skillrud! Meet Jennifer Miller 👋Jenifer has been working with WordPress for a lot longer than she’s been running an agency. What started as a hobby in the early 2000s eventually turned into freelance work and, in 2020, the launch of Tangerine Bee Designs. I love hearing stories like that—where a side interest slowly grows into something much bigger.  👨💻Need a Hand? Browse through our directory of 200+ WordPress proswhere you can sort, filter, and search by skills, specialties, tech-stack, location and more! 🗓Upcoming Barfly Events: Aug 7: Happy Hour(Connecting & Collaborating) Aug 14: Stone Soup(with Jim Martin) Claim your directory listing and get access to our private Slack, attend monthly Happy Hour calls & exclusive webinars, access exclusive deals, and more when you become a Barfly!Get Exclusive Access – Become a Barfly!🧰 Tuesday Toolbox TAB’s Favorite Booking ToolCoordinating times — especially across timezones — is a challenge, but booking software makes it easy. And some have awesome features to limit bookings, send reminders, or even pay for sessions.What booking or scheduling software do you use, and why does it work for you? 👉 Check out our Tuesday Toolbox archive for all of TAB’s top choices!👋 Before You Go 300 issues of The Friday Chaser are in the books (that’s almost 6 years worth). It’d be 300 consecutive weeks, too, if it weren’t for issue #12 (the first Christmas after I started this thing, when I decided to take the week off).Every week since, it’s gone out. Busy times, slow times, holidays, vacations, illnesses, even deaths in the family.It’d be easy to call that discipline, but I know my own self-discipline would’ve faded out years ago.The streak is alive because of accountability.Some of that was luck. Naming it “The Friday Chaser” boxed me in — can’t really send that one out on a Monday 😅. But mostly it’s the sponsors. They’ve already paid for their ads to run, which means Friday isn’t up to me. Doesn’t matter if I’m out of ideas or just don’t feel like it.That part was pure accident. But once I noticed it, I started trying to build accountability into everything I wished I were more consistent about. Sometimes that’s just a buddy who knows what you said you’d do… But it doesn’t hurt to have a little money on the line either 😉What are you struggling to stay consistent with? And what could you do to build in a little accountability to it?  All the best,Kyle Van Deusenkyle@theadminbar.comDownload freebies, follow on Bluesky, and watch on YouTubeThe Admin BarPO Box 73921, Richmond, VA 23235This email may contain affiliate links. Please read our policy for more.Some of the links mentioned may be affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, we could earn a commission (at no additional cost to you). We do not promote products or services based on our affiliation, instead, we become affiliates for products/services we already love and use ourselves. View our policy for more information.You received this email because you are awesome, wise, and kind— and you must have signed up for something from us in the past. If you’ve changed your mind, then you can unsubscribe below.Unsubscribe |
I nice chatty style. TBH I do not usually read it but again I really like this style.
I only read 10% of what appears in my Inbox based 99% on the title and who it is from.
Kyle comes across more as a “mate” than someone trying to sell you something.
For me this works well.
Should I Make Up A Story To Illustrate A Point?
My fathers favourite phrase was “never let the facts get in the way of a good story” – but that referred to an amusing joke which you tell in the pub to a group of friends.
Jason Arday – claims – Inflated Personal & Athletic Achievements
Pro Snooker & Academy Football: Public profiles and interviews promoted claims that he joined a professional snooker tour at age 10 and played youth academy/professional football, neither of which could be substantiated.
Ultra-Marathon Running & Charity Fundraising: Public narratives claimed he ran 600 miles in 65 days and raised over £5.5 million for charity. Subsequent investigations raised significant questions about these endurance running figures and charity totals.
£1.4 Million Memoir Advance: In the lead-up to his book release, claims circulated that he was paid a £1.4 million advance by his publisher, a figure widely disputed as inflated.
I guess it’s an experience thing. I can travel many places / or do many things and I could tell you a relevant story to go with whatever subject it was.
When I first started working in business – that was not the case.
Whilst we all like to hear an amusing story no-one wants to listen to someone just reeling off a stream of lies.
A few years ago I was at Public Speaking Association meeting and someone stood up and asked “What should they talk about?”
If you have to ask that question, you cannot have much to share with others. If you are an expert in something talk about that. If you are not an expert, no-one will want to listen to you.
I do not get to visit many new office blocks, and I must confess I am out of touch with modern architectural design, apparently leaving the services exposed is the new fashion. It does remind me of the story, “The Emperor’s’ Clothes”. This is the reception at Fasthosts in Gloucester, a very impressive and modern setup.