Sunday, August 9, 2015

The Art of Storytelling

It seems almost too obvious, but one of the most important skills that a communications professional can have is the ability to communicate.  The art of communication doesn’t just include verbal expression and spewing forth generic vernacular.  Communication includes the ability to tell stories, to captivate, and to engage an audience in a compelling manner.  Storytelling isn't new; however, in today’s world, the ability to tell stories through the use of a variety of social platforms and digital tools becomes a necessity in order for a company's brand to gain visibility.

Every effective story contains specific components that are in place to appeal to consumers.  Often, this includes typically beginning a story or presentation with a question, activity, or fascinating fact that will garner the audience's attention.  Knowing one's audience is imperative for storytelling, as well as knowing which medium is most appropriate for delivering the story.  Having a clear understanding as to why the story is being told is beneficial as well.  Finally, creating a call to action, something that will prompt one's audience to either share one's story, or to change a behavior, support an organization, etcetera (Ashoka Changemakers, 2013).

The International Association of Business Communicators cautions though that not all content equals a story.  It's not always enough to have a content strategy or an excessively busy editorial calendar just for the sake of a brand presence or loyalty.  It will assist a brand in gaining visibility in search engine rankings, but this is not the same as taking an audience on a journey through the art of storytelling (Di Somma, 2015).
 
In a business role, communication includes knowing how to present information, products or services in such a way in which a consumer’s interest is piqued.  Storytelling doesn't necessarily tell the story of a business; it tells the story of consumers.  An effective storyteller will understand his audience, what his audience is seeking, and what his audience needs.  Communication includes listening to what one’s market trends and needs are, and delivering.  Communications includes the ability to converse with one’s consumer base, to elicit and encourage consumer feedback, as well as to respond to consumer complaints.  In the past, consumers didn't have a voice, and companies held much more power; however, social media now allows for the back-and-forth communication between corporations and consumers, which allows for the building of trust and the forging of relationships.  After all, what is a successful business without consumer support?

In a digital world, successful companies need to learn how to use digital technology to connect with audiences.  Often, this is done by using digital storytelling to invoke some kind of emotion within an audience, rather it be through a PowerPoint presentation, a YouTube video, a Facebook post, or traditional advertising.  An effective story will emotionally appeal to it's audience.  A great example
of a company excelling at digital storytelling is Subaru.  In 2013, Subaru released a video titled, "Cut the Cord", in which a father waited for the bus with his young daughter for her first day of school, and then followed said bus to ensure that his daughter would be okay.  Subaru loves to use commercials that depict common life stages as a means to appeal to consumers and to provide us with a human experience.  The "Cut the Cord" commercial tugged at the heart strings of many Americans.  This type of digital storytelling resulted in Subaru seeing it's highest U.S. sales ever just shortly after the commercial aired (Nudd, 2013).   



References
Ashoka Changemakers. (2013). A changemaker’s eight-step guide to storytelling: How to engage heads, hearts and hands to drive change. Retrieved from http://www.changemakers.com/sites/default/files/a_changemakers_guide_to_storytelling_12_10_13.pdf
Di Somma, M. (2015, August 5). Telling Stories that Connect - Communication World. Retrieved from http://cw.iabc.com/2015/08/05/telling-stories-that-connect/
Nudd, T. (2013, April 8). How Subaru Fell in Love and Never Looked Back | Adweek. Retrieved from http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/how-subaru-fell-love-and-never-looked-back-148475
Quantrell Auto Group. (2013, February 14). Quantrell Subaru SBON12315H CUT THE CORD [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leV8VodhK8o
Smith, J. (2013, March 18). Revealed! The Best 7 Examples of Digital Storytelling | Derek Smith. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/derek-smith/revealed-the-best-7-examp_b_2902296.html

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