What is Strategic Storytelling?
The REV platform utilizes strategic storytelling to inspire meaning and create connections. What exactly is strategic storytelling? We know humans connect through stories. A good story can increase cortisol levels, strengthening our ability to concentrate, and oxytocin, making us feel we can trust and bond with the storyteller. Most stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Good stories involve something to engage the reader in the moment, usually incorporating emotion over information. Strategic storytelling involves a bigger, deeper element, the “why,” the major strategic narratives of our lives. People remember stories; they foster engagement that lasts, and make us want to continue our involvement with the storyteller. In short, they connect us to each other in powerful, lasting ways.
How to Write a “Strategic Story”
To craft your strategic story, start with something that motivates you and about which you care deeply. Think about how your story connects to others’ needs, hopes, fears. This will help you tell your story in a way that captures and keeps your readers’ attention, making them want to connect and engage with you, and learn more about you.
- The most impactful experience of my life…
- My most challenging experience and how I overcame it…
- The funniest thing that’s ever happened to me…
- My biggest daily challenge (at work or at home is)…
- My favorite (band, book, icon) is______ and I love it because ______________…
Here are some prompts to help you get you started:
- BRAINSTORM:
What story do you want to tell and why do you want to tell it?
How does it motivate and inspire you?
What is the “why” that drives your story?
- Strategic Storytelling:
What do you want to say and how will you make it meaningful?
How will it help others understand your “whys?”
- What reaction do you want from your audience (understanding, empathy, action…)?
- How can you encourage others to share their stories through your storytelling?
(hint – ask them to share similar experiences, things they’ve overcome, or comment on how the story made them feel or changed their perspective…)