“Days ago @jor_g_t died and the case was closed as a suicide, but it was a murder and I can prove it. The killer is in the photo.”

When Modesto Garcia posted the above tweet under alias Mr. Brightside, he couldn’t have known that two million social media users would soon engage with his Twitter page.

Fast forward two days and that’s exactly what happened. Garcia fabricated a murder mystery as part of a Twitter competition in Spain, grabbing the attention of social media users from here to Timbuktu by unpicking the made-up whodunnit over the space of a day and more than 100 tweets. So impressive was Modesto’s storytelling that he convinced significant numbers of followers that the murder and the subsequent investigation were real.

This story captured me. It’s a wonderful example of the power of storytelling on social media. This should act as a reminder for brands: carefully planned, creative and captivating stories that are executed well are still the way best way to engage your audience.

(Photo credit @plot_tuit)