Everyone is talking about storytelling - hardly any PR or marketing strategy can do without it. Storyteller Sandra Casalini explains that storytelling doesn't have to be complicated at all. On the contrary: it works in exactly the same way as telling a child a bedtime story. It also works according to certain rules. Number one: the child needs a reason to listen to me. If this is given, we come to number two:
I have to get the timing right. I can't ambush the child out of the blue and tell him a story on any subject. So what does it take to get the child's attention? The story has to be relevant HERE and NOW in his lifeworld. I can hardly inspire a child whose life takes place between school, hobbies and "Fridays for Future" with a bedtime story about the development of Bitcoins.
It's exactly the same with any other audience. Nobody is interested in a story that comes "out of the blue" and has nothing to do with their own world. In journalistic terms, this is called a "hook" - a reason why you should (continue to) tell exactly this one story right now. And it doesn't always have to be far-fetched. The easiest way to see this is in fashion magazines, where there are four fixed "hooks" for reports every year: Spring, summer, fall and winter.
Number three: I need a common thread
"Well, there were the parents. They were very poor and therefore couldn't feed the two children. Generally speaking, most parents are more concerned about feeding their children than themselves, but these parents were different. We don't know exactly why. Perhaps they themselves had bad experiences in childhood. Maybe they were neglected, which is almost as bad as being beaten. So, because of that - or simply because they were bad people - they wanted to get rid of the children." Lost the thread? Yes, the child too. He has no idea what you're actually trying to tell him. And gives up. But he would actually have found the story of Hansel and Gretel quite exciting.
The art of omission, of concentrating on the essentials, is central to every story. You can never tell everything. And you don't have to. Sometimes you don't even have to formulate stories properly for them to be exciting. And sometimes pictures say more than words. Either way: clear and simple. Take James Bond, for example, who FBC sent (as a double) to a client's resort in the Grisons mountains while fleeing coronavirus. A simple story, wittily realized (with photos and moving image). There's not much more to add - except perhaps "shaken, not stirred". So moderately embellished in the right places. Done.
And what's next? Sandra Casalini reveals in the third part of her blog.
Want to know how to tell a story with images or videos? Then get our free practical guide "6 tips for successful visual storytelling".
About Sandra Casalini:
Sandra Casalini has been working in the media for over twenty years and during this time has not only built up a reputation as an excellent copywriter, but also an impressive network. A few years ago, she ventured into PR and knows the business from both sides. Today she writes regularly for magazines such as Schweizer Illustrierte, the parents' magazine Fritz und Fränzi and the high mountain magazine Bergwelten. She also advises clients such as Race for Life and Ferris Bühler Communications on storytelling. She is a co-speaker in the popular Ferris Bühler PR seminarwhich takes place several times a year.