Digital Storytelling 1: Defining Your Goal
Every person involved with your organization or company has a story to tell. Stories give us a way to explain the world, to explain our lives, to express visions of new horizons. They’re one of the single greatest communication tools we’ve ever developed, allowing us to connect on deeper levels and further the betterment of humanity.
Industry leaders, marketers, organizational directors — all of these roles entail a certain amount of storytelling. Whether you’re speaking to potential clients or to a board of directors, you want your audience to be able to see themselves inside the stories you tell. You want your story to inspire them to take action. Maybe that means buying a product, or collaborating more effectively with an internal team, or giving a donation, or standing up for a cause. Whatever the end goal, you’re going to use a compelling narrative to get there.
Stories Can Be Serious Stuff
Before we dive in, a word of caution. Storytelling has become a buzzword in marketing, and rightly so. Storytelling is a powerful tool to persuade and influence. As with any tool, we need to learn how to use it responsibly.
"Stories persuade,” says Rebeccca Krause, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Tippie School of Business at the University of Iowa. She attributes this power of persuasion, at least in part, to the ability of stories to “disrupt [one’s] ability to evaluate facts, rather than just biasing a person to think positively.”
In 2019, Krause co-authored a study on when and how facts either bolster or detract from the efficacy of a story. “Given the powerful persuasive potential of stories, one might deduce that it is best to embed one’s facts within a story. In contrast to this perspective, the present research suggests that coupling facts with stories can either enhance or undermine persuasion,” Krause and her colleagues write. Their research shows that storytelling may reduce our instinct to push back against fishy “facts” and strengthen already powerful arguments.
When we’re delivering these narratives quickly and at scale, as we often are in the world of digital marketing, it’s crucial to pause and consider the real implications of our work. We need to question our approaches and test our messaging, see how it lands with different groups of people. We must recognize that sometimes, when we need to deliver the hard facts, a story might not actually be the best option. In a complex digital age, it’s our responsibility to be ethical digital storytellers.
What’s the Point?
What are your organization's big, audacious goals? What is the most important message your story needs to communicate in order to help advance that goal? These are the questions you need to ask yourself before you begin.
Telling a story is about more than selling an idea or a product — the narrative you share can serve any number of bigger goals within an organization. Sometimes, of course, you are introducing a new product or reminding your audience how much they love an existing offering. Other times, digital storytelling can be used to ensure alignment among internal teams so they can work more effectively together or to support fundraising goals. Storytelling is a key part of advocacy goals, educational aims, and building engagement with your audience. With all of these potential avenues, things can get muddled if you’re not clear about why you’re telling your story in the first place. For instance, if you’re introducing a product to a new market, the core message of your story might be one of resonance and relevance. Or, if your organization is rolling out a new initiative, your story might be grounded in the foundation of that initiative, serving as a reminder to all involved.
When we use digital storytelling to drive action, our job is not to show off, but to show what's possible. Every story is a tiny window into a potential future. Once you uncover and define the core of your compelling stories, you will be better able to drive your audiences to learn, connect, and take action. Of course, there are as many ways to tell a story as there are people in the world. Let’s explore some of these many valuable ideas and frameworks.
Interested in learning how digital storytelling can enrich your organization’s operations and drive growth? We’re here to help! Reach out or book a complimentary consultation to learn more.