The Importance of Storytelling in PR

By Amanda Roberts

Storytelling is an invaluable communication tool. For centuries, people used stories to make strong connections across borders and generations. In public relations, we use storytelling to build relationships between a brand or organization and its audience. 

I spent a decade of my life going out into my community and discovering those stories. I asked questions of the powerful to hold them accountable. I amplified and shined a light on those without a voice. I brought those stories to the public who deserved to hear them. Now as a public relations strategist, I’m helping my clients identify and craft their own stories.

Regardless of your role in the media sphere, storytelling is still a vitally impactful and important tool to grab engagement and attention. Storytelling should make complicated concepts like a new strategic plan or company-wide campaign simple by translating them to compelling stories and shared experiences. Stories should look to connect a business or public relations goal with the audience impacted by and on the other side of the project.

When audiences can relate to those shared experiences, it resonates with them even stronger. They experience empathy and sympathy from those stories. Audiences in turn have conversations with friends and family about those stories and remember them. So, when it comes to working with a company or organization, the most impactful way to resonate with your audience is through storytelling that prioritizes their questions, curiosities and needs and humanizes the experience while calling back to emotions and shared experiences.  

Remember the audience and what will resonate most with them. Look for the deeper motivator:

·      Why does it deserve the audience’s time?

·      How will it impact their family, home or work life?

·      Why should the audience care?