Story Telling's Importance
Why Story Telling is Important in Content Marketing and PR
I was speaking to a group, and as I introduced myself, I shared a story – the story of how I started my company. At the climax of the story, there was an audible gasp. At that moment I knew I had their attention. They were with me – perhaps created some sort of emotional bond. Might even remember me the next time something relevant – a speaking opportunity, business or even a similar story – came up.
The ability to tell a compelling story in content marketing and public relations gives you the power to secure media placements and contribute to your brand's visibility and reach through news outlets, speaking gigs, podcasts and other media channels. Being able to master the skill of honest and authentic storytelling is vital to successfully build your brand and your business. Crafting persuasive PR pitches and captivating press releases that will attract your target audience is crucial.
Storytelling goes beyond conveying information; it is about connecting with your audience on an emotional level. I have the emotional maturity of a toddler, so when I say this is important, you better believe it is – whether in B2B or B2C PR and marketing.
Effective Storytelling
Your story is a collection of your members or your clients’ stories. By creating narratives that resonate with your target audience, you can generate feelings of trust, respect and expertise. Whether you are engaging with B2C or B2B audiences, it is truly important to understand the emotional impact of your work on your ideal customer.
Identify the core issue or event that your story aims to address.
Clearly define the problem you are trying to solve. This struggle creates the foundation upon which your narrative will be built.
Keep in mind, you don’t have to tell the whole story all at once, it can be shared in phases. This gives you the opportunity to put emphasis on different aspects of your story at different times.
Make Claim, Then Provide Support
In some storytelling, like a case study for example, you’re going to be making a claim and then providing support for your assertion. Very often that support will come in the form of data, which PR News blogger Alex Nigmatulin says is a key detail in good PR storytelling.
“Data-driven stories generate more trust, increase the likelihood that the media will be interested in them and become insider sources,” he says. “At the same time, excess data can complicate perception, so some experts recommend focusing on 1-2 key statistics, graphs or tables.”
My rule of thumb is to avoid putting more than two data points in a single paragraph. If the supporting information requires more than that, it’s probably best as an infographic. Including an infographic in a press release or with an article pitch can serve dual purposes:
It portrays the information in an easily digestible manner
Given the decimation of newsroom staff – and frequently graphic design – it can be an opportunity for additional branding should the publication choose to use the image you send them
How to build your story
Start by introducing the issue, explaining the struggles faced, presenting supporting data and then providing a solution. Say your product can help create efficiencies, save your prospects money and grow revenue. In an ad, you might bullet point those benefits, however, in your PR and content marketing, you could address just one of those in each weekly blog, for example.
Keep it vendor neutral. Depending on the media outlet, typically your owned media, you can later expand on your solution or adapt it to suit the specific audience.
When developing your story line that leads to the end result you are guiding your audience toward relevant facts and data that support your narrative. Statistics, expert quotes, case studies and other pieces of evidence should support your solution.
Emotions play a vital role in storytelling – yes, including in B2B – as individuals struggle feelings tied to their careers, financial situations and personal lives. Understanding and addressing these emotions can greatly enhance your storytelling.
Using Various Media Outlets
Different media channels offer unique opportunities for storytelling. A press release can provide comprehensive narratives accompanied by case studies. The barebones use cases outlined in a press release can be fleshed out into full case studies for mid-funnel content. Both press releases and case study content can then be distilled into blog posts. Infographics make for easy-to-read and more-likely-to-be-shared social media posts.
Repurposing content allows you to efficiently convey your message while keeping it consistent across various media channels. It is also equally crucial to identify the most appropriate distribution channels and engage journalists effectively. Personalize your pitch and highlight how it aligns with the interests of the journalists’ audience, as well as providing valuable insights and experts who can contribute to the article. Again, providing an infographic of data supporting your claims is also helpful for journalists to see and tell the story, and you can repurpose for your own case studies, research or social media. According to DemandSage, people like and reshare infographic content 3x as much as other content in social.
Additionally, building a strong foundation of positive media coverage can help mitigate the impact of PR crises. Evaluate the effectiveness of your storytelling efforts by measuring and assessing their impact using engagement metrics such as website traffic, social media interactions and volume and quality of media coverage. Use these data to refine your storytelling strategies and optimize your messaging for maximum impact. Your proactive media coverage helps to counterbalance negative publicity by flooding search engines with positive stories about your brand in Google searches to maintain the trust and loyalty of your audience.
Prepping for Media Interviews
After diligently working on your press releases and refining them, you might be flooded with interview requests. Handling interviews with finesse and confidence is crucial to effectively communicate your story.
Pro Tips:
Collaboratively, with your communications leader and subject matter experts to develop talking points. These 3(ish) key points you want to make during an interview. These are just quick bullet points you want to ensure the interviewee comes back to as frequently and naturally as possible during the interview. You should include data points that provide evidence of your assertions.
BONUS: Never read from a script.
First, it comes across as boring, especially in a video or audio format. You also don’t want to put your journalist nor their audience, which is your target audience) to sleep.
Second, people don’t speak like they write. It’s pretty easy to spot a written versus spoken quote. The more natural and colloquial, the more deeply it can resonate with the audience
Third, it calls into question your trust factor. The journalist will question whether you’re really a subject matter expert if you have to read off the basic facts of the scenario. They will wonder whether the opinions presented are actually yours.
If it’s a video or audio interview, work together to create sound bites. Script a succinct quote or two that are catchy/edgy enough that they will likely survive the edit room floor. They should align with your talking points and easily be memorized by the interviewee.
Practice, practice, practice. Run through questions that are likely to come up. Think like a journalist, whose most important questions will be why and how. This is another area in which you’ll want to work collaboratively to gain a broader perspective and better prepare.
Remember, you are the subject matter expert. You likely know more than the reporter you’re speaking with about the subject, or at least your specific situation/use case/clients/membership/etc. When I was a reporter and I thought I knew all the facts of a situation after years of covering the credit union industry, I almost always learned new information during interviews when I asked the right question.
Grasping the art of storytelling is a fundamental skill for any media relations or PR professional, and also for those who will be directly engaging with the media, like top executives and subject matter experts. Understanding the key elements of effective storytelling and tailoring your narratives to different media channels, you can improve your brand's visibility and connect with your target audience on a much deeper and emotional level. Embrace the art of storytelling and watch as your PR pitches, press releases and interviews captivate your audience, elevate your brand and drive success.
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