How to win at storytelling for your business or product…
This week I began a pitch to a journalist by telling a story of a couple who were always arguing about money.This resulted in a client in the financial sector bagging some great coverage in time for Valentine’s Day on how to get on the same page when it comes to your finances.
In it, I included stats that supported my contention and did some thourough research on the subject beforehand. Now don’t get me wrong, hard work was part of it but ultimatley? It’s the storytelling that got the article over the line. The human brain is hard wired to tell stories and a good PR person has lots of tools to incorporate storytelling into their pitches to media.
Below are some easy tips and tools you can use to create compelling stories for your brand:
Understand what a story is.
As Seth Godwin says: '“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.” Stories are important to any PR strategy because they allow brands to better connect with their ideal audiences and ultimatley stimulate their ideas and attitudes. More importantly, when they work really well… it helps a brand become familiar to it’s audiences.
Video is your friend.
Most of the time we think of words when we think of storytelling. But if you can deliver some great video content that delivers the story - it can sometimes prove even better. You can not only tell the story but be incredibly helpful to the journalist or outlet, especially if it’s for primetime TV.
Teach a lesson. What is your point? The call to action? What do you want the journalist or reader to think? This is important in ensuring you are driving home your key message.
Get your employees involved in the stories.
Do you have employees that embody your brand values so well and have a unique story to tell? Often times, employees have plenty of stories about company products and services to tell. The challenge is to uncover them and incorporate them in your owned, shared and earnt media strategies.
Every story needs a hero
This point is connected with the one outlined above - but I’m really wanting to stress the point here - that every story needs a hero. It can be your product, your company or your CEO. If you have your hero in mind before you write your pitch - it will make things so much easier. You just need to look at companies such as Apple who for years did not make their product their hero, but it’s founder, Steve Jobs.
A well-structured story can hide mediocre content
Follow the age old formula. A beginning, middle and end. Or boy meets girl, boy loses girl,boy wins her back… you know the drill. Regardless of how good or bad these stories are - they are all structured in a way that keeps us wanting a little more. So, keep it simple and structure your story in three acts. Once you are familiar with it, your story will improve.
Bottom Line: Storytelling can move and motivate audiences, but only when done right. Just calling a sales pitch or product description a story won’t impress anyone. These tips from leading storytellers can help you craft stories that both captivate and educate audiences.