The Power of Storytelling in Writing

I think we’ve all heard the importance of storytelling in writing, but sometimes, it can feel like an extra step. Like, is it really necessary?! You went through the effort to write the content already. Do you actually have to add a story? Sometimes, you just want to write some tips! 

I totally understand this mindset. However, in my experience, content with stories performs so much better than without it. Thinking of a story that relates to your content is truly worth the effort. Whether it’s emails, social media posts, or blogs, find a creative way to add a story.

I’m not going to just leave you hanging, though! I’ll walk you through why storytelling is an effective strategy, how to brainstorm good stories, and ways to incorporate storytelling into your writing.

My Experience With Storytelling

I’ve challenged myself recently to incorporate more storytelling into my writing, specifically my weekly newsletters. I start every newsletter with a story about my life. A few recent ones have included:

• Witnessing someone getting arrested in an airport for vaping on a plane
• Setting a fire in my kitchen
• A bat flying in my house
• How I got a dent in my forehead
• A book series that changed my life

Even those quick story topics intrigue you a little more, don’t they? You lowkey want to hear how I set a fire in my kitchen and how that relates to using multiple channels to drive traffic to your blogs.

I think I need to be better about including storytelling in my blogs. I include snippets here and there about how I got started in business and lessons I’ve learned along the way, but they aren’t as interesting as the topics I listed above. 

Again, I understand the importance of storytelling, but it’s a struggle to put it into practice! I’m right there with you, friend. So, let’s learn some ways we can easily incorporate storytelling in writing.

Why Storytelling Works

I’ll review why storytelling is a powerful tool to help you connect with your audience.

Creates Emotional Connections

Have you ever heard the saying, “People remember how you make them feel?” Stories stimulate the brain to make us feel like we’re living out the story. I feel this way when I read books! I put myself in the main character’s shoes, and I can feel their emotions. The same applies to what you write for your business. Storytelling is a much more personal experience than simply reading tips.

Improves Retention

Did you know people are 22 times more likely to remember stories than facts? Stories stick with us, and we remember how they made us feel. So, a story about how someone struggled with getting new clients but overcame it by implementing a blog strategy is more likely to resonate with people than listing reasons why you need to have a blog. Make sense?!

Simplifies Complex Ideas

Storytelling in writing helps break down complicated topics. Analogies, case studies, and personal stories can help your audience understand complex ideas.

One example that comes to mind is how Duo Collective explains what search engines do. They take a complicated topic that a lot of people don’t understand and explain it in a super simple way using analogies. 

Builds Trust and Authenticity

Storytelling connects the human (you!) to the brand. People don’t connect with brands; they connect with people. And what makes you feel connected to another person? 

• Shared experiences
• Authenticity
• Deep conversions
• Empathy and understanding
• Shared values and beliefs

All of this can be achieved through storytelling. Your audience will see you as a person trying to help them rather than a brand trying to sell them something.

Story Ideas

So, how in the world do you think of creative story ideas?! This is my process for thinking of stories:

1. Brainstorm funny, embarrassing, and relatable stories that have happened to me. 
2. Consider the everyday struggles, routines, or habits you face.
3. Think about analogies or metaphors that help you understand complicated concepts.
4. Note customer or client experiences, whether in the past or with you.

Whenever I remember a story, I write it down in Airtable to come back to later. It’s always helpful to have a bank of story ideas to draw from when I sit down to plan my content.

How to Incorporate Storytelling in Writing

Now, you have a list of stories you want to share with your audience. Next, think of some lessons you want to teach your audience. For me, that’s topics around blogging, SEO, and business. You probably have a lot of ideas already, but this blog gives you tons of places to find new ideas.

Have your list of stories and your list of lessons? It’s time to connect the two. Start to match stories and what you learned from them with a lesson you want to teach.

Let’s take my newsletter stories as examples.

Story: Witnessing someone getting arrested in an airport for vaping on a plane

Lesson: Adapting to the rules of your environment (playing by Google’s rules)

Story: A bat flying in my house

Lesson: Look beyond the obvious solution and consider other strategies

Story: How I got a dent in my forehead

Lesson: The scars of your business are always with you

Story: A book series that changed my life

Lesson: How to make your blogs irresistible

These lessons probably don’t make sense without any context from the story 🤷‍♀️ but hopefully, you get the idea! 

Matching a story with a lesson can sometimes be tricky. ChatGPT helps me do it! Here’s a prompt to help you:

What are some lessons about [your specialties] that connect to a story about [brief description]

You can choose a connection that makes the most sense for your story, lesson, and audience. Sometimes, I don’t use any of the ideas ChatGPT gives me, but they inspire a new one.

Start Telling Stories!

Give your brand a human lament by incorporating storytelling into your writing. Whether it’s blogs, emails, social posts, or something else, you can find a way to add stories. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy or long. Find simple ways to use storytelling in writing to connect with your audience on a deeper level.

Personally, I’ve found this practice to be really fun! I love getting responses to my stories and hearing how people relate to them. It just makes business more enjoyable to connect with people! Don’t you agree? Challenge yourself to think about how you can add storytelling to your content!