Malcolm Gladwell is acclaimed as one of the most successful storytellers of our time. His books, articles, and podcast — Revisionist History — have captured the imaginations of millions of people around the world and have made his name a brand with which people associate big and interesting ideas. He has written about everything — ketchup, WWII bombing, crime, Hush Puppy shoes — and people are always mesmerized when reading a story, watching one of his TED Talks, or listening to his podcast. He just tells a really great story.

But what makes Gladwell so successful at making people want to listen to what he says and come back for more?

If you want to understand Gladwell's success, then you have to understand his storytelling techniques for engaging his audiences as well as his multiplatform strategy to build his brand. Appreciating both strategies will give you the context for knowing how to tell the story about your brand to broad audiences in a meaningful way.

Gladwell's Storytelling Skills

Gladwell's storytelling ability can be described as a case study of how to make ideas stick. In fact, I believe his knack for storytelling can be distilled into six key characteristics:

1. Engaging and easy to read

Gladwell's writing is captivating and his stories are easy to follow. His storytelling style centers on packing a lot of information into digestible chunks while acknowledging the difficulty of the subject, which makes the audience feel smarter for understanding the subject in a single read/listen.

He also makes you want to keep reading by also infusing his writing with questions that drive the narrative and then segues from one point to another with a simple question or a cliffhanger moment.

2. Compelling stories with a human element

His stories always have a human element that makes them relatable. Gladwell doesn't shy away from difficult topics, but he also ensures to find the humanity in every story rather than just keeping the story strictly about the facts, as an academic may tend to do. This allows his stories to resonate with his readers on a deep level and stay with them long after they've finished reading or listening.

3. Well-researched and thoroughly reported

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Gladwell's stories are driven by facts, experiences, and context. He does his homework to make sure that everything he's saying is accurate and supported by data. This gives his readers a sense of trust — that they can believe what he's saying because he's not just making things up.

4. Intentionally thought-provoking

Gladwell's stories are designed to make you think. He doesn't just tell a story for the sake of entertainment — he wants his readers to come away from his stories with a new understanding or perspective of the world. His stories have been referred to as "conversation starters" because they make you question your assumptions and think about things in a different way.

5. Simplifies complex topics

Gladwell is able to take complex topics and make them digestible for the layperson. He doesn't dumb things down, but he is able to find the kernel of what's important and explain it in a way that is relatable and understandable. This is one of the reasons his stories resonate so well with such a wide audience. Connecting ideas to a broad range of people so they can understand makes them feel included in the discussion and like they have a seat at the table.

6. Finds the "something else" in every story

Gladwell is always looking for the "something else" in every story — the deeper meaning or implications of what happened. He looks beyond the surface to find out what the story is really about, which allows him to get at the heart of whatever he's writing about and help his readers understand the complexities of the world in a more nuanced way.

These are just a few of the reasons why Gladwell is such an excellent storyteller. But it's the multiplatform strategy for communicating his ideas that has allowed him to reach such a wide audience and build his brand.

Gladwell's Multiplatform Strategy

Gladwell has built his business on the back of multiple digital and traditional platforms. While many people know him primarily as an author, he has also built a successful podcasting business — Pushkin Industries — which in turn has helped him to sell more books and increase his speaking engagements. In fact, his podcast — Revisionist History — is one of the most popular podcasts out there, and it has helped him to reach a whole new potential fanbase.

Put simply, Gladwell has progressed with the times and has realized that modern storytelling is all about accessibility. Can people find you and your message easily? If they have to look too hard, your message gets lost in the tyranny of space and time.

He has also used his platform to create a book club, partnering with multiple authors to create a space of learning and dialogue for some of the most interesting ideas by some of the brightest public intellectuals of this generation. As a result, this has helped him to keep his fans engaged and coming back for more.

So, what can you learn from Malcolm Gladwell's success?

1. Find multiple ways to tell your story

Don't just rely on one outlet to get your message out there. Use every platform at your disposal to reach as many people as possible. Write books, give speeches, start a podcast, create a blog — do whatever you can to get your message out there in as many ways as possible. But be smart about it and determine where the best return on investment will be.

2. Keep your fans engaged

Don't just rely on one platform to keep your fans engaged. Use multiple platforms to create a community of learning and dialogue around your work. This will not only keep people coming back for more, but it will also help you to sell more books and increase your speaking engagements.

3. Use your platform to reach a new audience

Gladwell has used his platform to reach a whole new audience of potential fans by starting a book club and partnering with multiple authors. If you're looking to reach a new audience, consider using your platform to create something that will help you to do just that. This is the same way of thinking about revenue streams. Millionaires rarely become that way by focusing their efforts on a single stream of revenue. You've got to diversify.

4. Be accessible

Make sure people can easily find you and your message. The easier you are to find, the more likely people are to engage with your work. This one point can easily be overlooked, but it's like the old saying goes, a leader without followers is just a guy taking a stroll.

5. Progress with the times

Gladwell has realized that modern storytelling is all about accessibility. In order to be successful, you need to be able to reach people where they are. Keep this in mind as you build your business and look for new ways to reach your audience.

All in all, if you want to build a successful business, you would be wise to follow Malcolm Gladwell's lead. Leveraging multiple platforms, keeping fans engaged, reaching new audiences, and being accessible is not easy, but it can be done if you create efficiencies every step of the way. By using his approach, you'll be well on your way to building a successful brand and a powerfully influential business.

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