5 communications services tips: Harnessing the power of storytelling in business
Our clients come to Copperfox Marketing for communications services. Often, they are trying to inform, persuade or energize an audience on a particular initiative, program or other corporate directive. In our new age of social media, it’s harder than ever to reach an audience because we are flooded with messages as both workers and consumers.
Our clients collect as many details of the “story” that they can assemble and then start putting that information together for a video, PowerPoint, email or Word document. But many times, the end result just doesn’t feel compelling. Doesn’t seem to connect.
Following are 5 tips to help get your communications services on the right track.
1) Memorable KISS – Keeping it simple is always the right answer. And memorable KISS is even better. If you want your audience to receive your message, it must be simplified and ideally, easily repeated. Simple and catchy language is hard to do, but gets the best results.
2) Three is the best number – Always strive to boil down your main messages and any sub-messages in groups of three. More than three and your audience will have difficulty keeping track of the key communication points.
3) Show, don’t tell – Whenever possible use illustrations (visual or verbal) to deliver your message. Resist the tendency to talk about an initiative or process, try to show the results instead.
4) Why, not how – Spend more time communicating “why” an initiative or message is important for the individual or organization, not “how” the end goal will be achieved. Spending time to qualify the “why” creates big impact.
5) Follow the hero’s journey – The steps of the Hero’s Journey are a great organizational tool for your content. Organize the content of your communication into the 12 steps of the Hero’s Journey to find out what you are missing. Use the principles of good storytelling to enhance your messaging.
Do you have examples of good corporate storytelling? Share your stories with us and tell us what elements you think worked.
Contributed by Trisha Reperowitz
