Successful Storytelling Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

There is a belief that achieving PR success is as simple as blasting out a press release and waiting for the media coverage to roll in.

Successful PR requires minimal time and effort, or so we’re told.

Anyone can do it.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

There is no alternate universe where putting a press release out over the wire garners quality news coverage.

If you just want your company name to pop up in a Google search, this tactic might be enough. And if that is what you are looking for, invest in SEO optimization and be on your way. 

But if you want to establish a brand identity that tells the real stories of your company and those you serve, steady storytelling is the way to go.

Here are three ways to maintain a steady cadence of storytelling that resonates.

Find The Nuggets

We’re not talking about chicken nuggets. (But we would have a hard time turning them down if they were offered to us.)

We are, however, talking about those little kernels of stories that come out in regular conversations with colleagues and customers.

These are not the big, bold proclamations you want to write up and distribute in the form of a press release. (Yes, press releases are still valuable.)

The “nuggets” are the stories about company culture, innovations, customer success, and employee spotlights that can be turned into blog posts or social media content.

These can be short blurbs, longer feature stories or Q&As that give the story context and interest

The nice thing about having a company blog is the ability to tell any story you want, at any time. If you keep your ear to the ground, you’re bound to hear some tales you can share publicly.

Map Out Your Stories

Building an editorial calendar is a good place to start. It will serve as a guide to keep track of the stories you want to create, what form they will be in, when you want to tell them, and which channels you will use to share them with your audiences.

The calendar is also a good spot to keep your messaging front and center. Every story you write and distribute should stay within your storytelling pillars. These pillars are the narratives you want each piece of content to fall within. If the story doesn’t touch on one of those pillars, you don’t have to tell that story.

For instance, if innovation is a pillar of your storytelling infrastructure, you will want to find and tell stories that have an innovative slant to them. This lines up with a core belief of your company.

As the calendar evolves, having a roadmap holds you accountable and keeps you on track to distribute regular content.

Maintain Media Relationships

You’re not going to pitch every single blog post you write and publish on your company site. That would be a quick way to end up in a journalist’s email trashcan.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay in touch with key reporters, ask them what they’re working on, offer helpful resources for stories, and encourage them to follow your social channels where you do publish.

There are fewer reporters writing today than ever before, but they still need story ideas. And we’re seeing more journalists strike out on their own and establish their own communities. So, while the traditional places where stories live might be dwindling, there are other locations to explore. Staying in front of those reporters is vital to maintaining a relationship, no matter how you do it.

Keeping a steady diet of storytelling in your company’s arsenal will ensure you stay relevant. Make sure you take the time to plan it out in advance, look closely at what you want to talk about, and determine who needs to hear the story.

If you want to maximize your storytelling efforts, drop us a line.