Modern Communicators Toolbox - Storytelling

 

Storytelling to Create Connections

    One of the beautiful aspects of social media is the ability to build communities. It is surprisingly easy to find people to connect with when the limits you can reach to communicate are no longer there. This phenomenon is only limited by imagination. When you find so many people together choosing to congregate in the same spot, there will be stories to her and stories to tell. Communications professionals are storytellers at heart, taking ideas and turning them into compelling stories that people love to read and experience. (Panel®, 2020). Creating connections through open communities allows us to get to know the consumers better, and with that understanding is the ability to adapt the narrative to appeal to our audience in a more organic way. 

 

Customer journeys have the potential to be more relevant and personal, but we have to build that data into a deeper understanding of human behavior. -Jeannie Ruesch, xero.com (Council, 2017). 

 

    As humans, we like to be understood and to feel seen. Customers are loyal to brands that they like and connect with. They follow them on social media platforms, subscribe to email lists, and in the Age of the Influencer, are often advertisers themselves. How to Boost Storytelling Skills is a list of 16 types from industry experts, compiled by Forbes Magazine. 

This video from HubSpot offers strategies to improve storytelling in brand promotion. 

     Remember, storytelling isn't a skill only practiced to entertain children or win a school prize. It also doesn't have to be complex. Remember the simple tenets of storytelling as a child? Your story needs a beginning, middle, and an end - with something interesting to make you want to know more. That interesting bit is where you deliver your message. An effective story leads the audience to understand why the message is important. When you know and understand your target audience, the stories almost write themselves. 

References

Council, F. C. (2017, December 21). 16 Skills Every Marketing Pro Should Master In 2018. Forbes. Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2017/12/21/16-skills-every-marketing-pro-should-master-in-2018/?sh=22ca21df345b

Panel®, E. (2020, December 15). How To Boost Storytelling Skills: 16 Tips From Communications Pros. Forbes. Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2020/12/21/how-to-boost-storytelling-skills-16-tips-from-communications-pros/?sh=1825f648575b