Monumental bought PR Disasters (prdisasters.com) in April 2022. We welcome with open arms all visitors and followers of PR Disasters who found their blogs to be super helpful in the world of PR

What is Monumental 

We are a Growth Marketing agency that focuses on PR, SEO, Influencer marketing, and Social Media to grow SMEs in highly competitive niches. We are a digital PR agency, SEO agency, influencer and social media agency all rolled up into one. 

Monumental is based in London, UK, and has been in business since 2017. 

Our site also has a collection of blog articles on all topics related to our various services to further aid our clients in understanding our services. 

How to improve your PR with good storytelling

Once upon a time… Numerous stories and fairy tales begin like this.

And there’s a reason for that: people’s stories are more likely to be remembered than facts or lists of information. If you use storytelling methods skilfully, your products and services will attract more attention.

Stories are everywhere. 

Life experiences wrote them and people love them. 

This is true in our private lives with movies, books, gossip (Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard), as well as in the professional context. 

People in elderly care learn about the life stories of residents, and insurance brokers who visit clients at home are immediately immersed in their lives. 

If you’re more the type of person who works in the office, then the stories may not be so visible at first glance, but they are there.

H2: Why are stories so important in private and in PR?

Good stories are captivating and we remember the content better.

If a story is believable, it is more likely to convince us than pure facts. Stories arouse emotions; if they “jump out”, attention is guaranteed. 

Good stories are realistic, the recipients can imagine the action.

What is storytelling?

Social media providesprovide us with new stories worth telling and reading every minute. 

This is not to say that a mere product description or a post about a new employee is automatically storytelling. 

Nor does the mere chronological retelling of the company’s history on the occasion of its anniversary meet the criteria for storytelling. 

There has to be a little more to it. Namely, a good, authentic, and credible story, including suspense and twist(s).

Also, public relations and communications are different, you can find out more about that here.

Definition

Storytelling is a communication method for conveying information, knowledge, values, opinions, etc. It is mainly used in knowledge management for children and adults. It is used primarily in knowledge management, children’s and adult education, journalism, psychotherapy, as well as in marketing, PR, and advertising. 

In the classical press and public relations, not only is information transmitted but also emotions are conveyed. This is exactly where press and public relations can help. 

Authentic communication is the bread and butter of PR. 

Storytelling in advertising

Traditional advertising discovered storytelling early on. 

Imagine a television commercial that merely conveys facts. Advertising that, for example, describes a car with technical data alone or tries to promote a breakfast cereal by listing the ingredients only. 

That doesn’t work. 

The car must arouse emotions, and appear chic and stylish. This can be achieved with storytelling. 

The car is combined with a friendly, modern family and a cuddly dog. The family is on vacation, a bunny runs across the road, the father brakes, the car comes to an immediate stop and the little bunny hops on across the road unharmed.

Just a few minutes of commercials are enough to touch the hearts of viewers. People will always associate the car with the nice family, cute little bunny, and best technical capabilities.

And bad storytelling, as discussed in PR Disasters, can lead to public outbursts of anger, disillusion with a product, and the collapse of major companies. 

Tell stories about the products

Let’s give you a rundown of how stories work: A product is shoved into a true-to-life story. The viewer is initially passive, following the action. If the story is told well, emotions are aroused and he or she can empathize with the story. The viewer becomes the main character, driving the fancy car, braking, and saving the bunny. She or he is the heroine or hero. 

Apple is considered the master of storytelling. 

The company has managed to promote its products as cool and modern with an intelligent marketing strategy based on storytelling. 

Apple advertising conveys that anyone who claims luxury, functionality, and coolness must have Apple products. Much like the team at Monumental who have been decked out in the latest branded fashion. 

This advertising has achieved its effect. 

You can see it at a glance at conferences, at trade fairs, in trendy restaurants, or on the train. And if you use our key tips for a successful digital PR strategy then you are more likely to see success. 

How do we know if stories have worked their magic?

The effect of a good story can also be seen in physical reactions. 

This is easy to observe in children. 

For example, when children see the commercial with the car and the bunny, the fear they have for the bunny can be measured by bodily reactions. 

Likewise, the sigh of relief when the car brakes in time and the bunny hops on completely unharmed. 

Adults also experience such reactions, even to unspectacular stories. 

When you see a delicious lunch on a TV commercial, your mouth may water. 

Even if the advertised product is a simple gravy, you will remember the perceived taste experience of the delicious roast with fresh vegetables and steaming potatoes and associate the gravy with it.

What is needed for good storytelling in PR

But storytelling doesn’t just work in classic advertising. 

It can also flourish perfectly in public relations. 

The world of press releases, user stories, blog posts, and social media posts is predestined for storytelling! 

Moreover, by its very nature, public relations is far more authentic and credible than traditional advertising. 

That’s why the following should apply to storytelling, especially in public relations:

  • Tell your company’s story.
  • Let the audience participate in the ups and downs that your company has experienced to date.
  • Tell the story from the founding in the garage to the hiring of the hundredth employee.
  • Put a real face on investments, sales figures, and earnings.
  • Let listeners or readers experience your joy, fear, and pride.
  • Let customers tell you about their views of your company and products.

A few success factors for storytelling:

  • The story is worth telling.
  • It is credible and authentic.
  • It is offered in a channel-specific way.
  • The main character has character and identification potential.
  • The story appeals to the heart and brain.
  • It has an arc of suspense.

Be careful though. B2B PR is different to B2C PR

Six factors for a good story

Ah the million-dollar question, how to do PR well.

Here are our six points:

1. the message

If you want to develop a good story, first ask yourself what message you want to get across.

2. the target group

Define the target audience for your campaign. Only when you know who you want to reach will you find the right way to address your customers.

3. authenticity

It is crucial that your story appears credible. Stories that seem fake will not reach customers.

4. the main character

Pay close attention to the development of the main character. Do not exaggerate. Only if the audience can identify with the heroine or hero of the story will they develop an interest in the brand or product.

5. Emotions

Focus on emotions. Only if the customer associates positive feelings with your product will he or she buy it.

6. the structure

A good story needs a good structure. It consists of an introduction, the main part, and a conclusion. Develop a common thread and an effective arc of suspense. 

In the introduction, slowly arouse curiosity. Increase the tension until the climax of the story and gradually release the tension.

Our final word on being successful with storytelling

You can reach more people with storytelling in public relations than with traditional advertising. Give it a try. Once you’ve developed an effective story, you can build on it again and again. 

But be careful: don’t keep changing the story, it’s not very authentic. 

Storytelling creates a difference and allows you to stand out from competitors. 
Good stories make your brand distinctive.

Author

  • Ryan is our in-house SEO Manager at Monumental. He's been working in the SEO field since 2017 in various niches. Prior to working for Monumental, Ryan was in the dog training company where he grew the organic traffic from 128 monthly visitors to 3622 monthly visitors in a single week. When not perfecting the on-site optimisation of a webpage, he can be found rock climbing in the nearby climbing gym or catching up on some much-needed mediation.