Crafting Your Story: The Path to PR Success
Posted on Thu, Jan 05, 2012
By: Rachel
Creating a compelling story about your company resonates much better with prospects than spewing corporate facts. As we all know, content is king, and content marketing is a successful lead generation tactic, as well as a way to position brands as industry thought leaders. But have you thought about why? Consider this example from marketer Arnie Kuenn. At an event, someone handed him a business card that read on the back:
"I had my tires slashed by the KGB; locked myself, while naked, in a hotel fire escape in Las Vegas; worked as a pastry chef at a top London restaurant; and was a deep-sea diver. Which one isn't true?"
Wouldn't this stand out to you among a pile of business cards? The same can be said for content marketing. Your audience will be much more engaged if it can relate to your story. Ultimately, this can separate you from competitors. There have been a slew of successful storytelling companies. Think of the deeply engrained stories brands such as Apple and Levi’s have implanted in consumers’ minds. Never mind the technical differences between a Mac or a PC, or the quality differences between Levi’s and other jeans; consumers are immersed in the cultures of these brands.
No matter your company -- whether it is a B2C or B2B, whether you sell technology or household products -- incorporating a story into your marketing and PR efforts will benefit you in numerous ways. There are many options to easily incorporate content, such as through a company blog or videos.
Beyond what PR professionals can do to spin a story, remember that in our digitally connected world, even consumers can create brand stories. Consumers are constantly creating their own stories about brands on social media, and those brands are missing a huge opportunity for engagement if they don’t join the conversation. Give your prospects a reason to remember your brand. Tell them a good story.