The lost art of storytelling

A few weeks back I was approached by the senior management to write content for their new website. Their brief included just two lines: Fill the website with stories. In fact, every organisation I have worked with has given more or less the same brief - they want stories published on their websites, newsletters, blogs etc.

Clearly organisations are beginning to understand the importance of the art of storytelling. This is one advertising tactic that can never go wrong, after all who wouldn't be interested in a story? Novels, digests, movies and even songs have stories which make them popular, so why not your business?

But, stories can go horribly wrong! In this current digital era where content is flowing from all directions, you have less than 3 minutes to involve the readers. Besides the content, its placement, pictures and accessibility plays an important part in generating traffic to your website.

Here are a few tips that can help you write good stories for your publications.

Consider the example below:

Amidst the everyday stench of Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar area, there is a distinct whiff of the extraordinary in the air.

The fragrance, as it turns out, emanates from a small shack neatly nestled on the sidewalk and lined with hundreds of bottles of perfume. “This is the first-ever ‘Perfume Chowk’ in Pakistan,” says proud cop-turned-perfumer and owner of the shack, Mursaleen Khan Sherwani. “We sell renowned local and international fragrances at extremely cheap prices.”

This is an excerpt from an article 'Scents of Perfume Chowk', liked by many Karachiites. Let analyse how it has worked well with the readers.

The beginning of your story: Always pay special attention to how your story starts. In the excerpt, the author has given the gist of the story in the first two paras. She has made the comparisons between two smells followed by a brief description of the place where scents arise from - creating the plot cleverly.

I've had clients insisting on starting the story with a description/monologue, and I have seen them doing miserably. The best thing is to introduce the character and their problem in the very first paragraph. You have to engage your audience. Humans, generally take refuge in other people's problems. Therefore, play on your reader's psychology a bit and involve them. Remember, don't give out essential details in the beginning. Save them for subsequent paras. 

Once you have the readers' attention, take the story forward. Mature the plot, use quotes and action verbs to make it further appealing. Make your product come to life by showing it helped someone and that it can help your reader too.

Human story: Always select a real human story to connect with your audience. Testimonials are used to give credibility to your products, but stories show you/your product has helped someone. The author has introduced the character in the second paragraph to arrest attention of the reader, breathing human life into the article.

Add quotes: You need to bring the story to life, and the safest way is to add quotes from the characters. Characters can quote their problems and the solutions your product has provided. They can also narrate the impact your products has had on them to convince the readers further, adding value to the story.

The quote in the example above solidifies the plot further, giving readers a sneak peek into what's coming ahead. Also, it arouses their interest because readers would want to know how international perfumes are sold at cheap prices in a small shop.

Keep it brief: Your story should be short and precise. Refrain from adding wordy descriptions of places, objects and atmosphere, however, describe the problem with your character as well as your solution/product in detail. This would help the reader connect with what is being said.

Call for action: Remember AIDA? Attention, Interest, Desire and Action? Once you have aced the first three - go for the fourth, action. Ask your readers to take action. It can be done in a sentence only, using action verbs like call us, place an order, email us at, visit us at etc. 

If you are using storytelling for any of your publications, remember that a good story is all about the readers. If you don't involve your readers, they will not read.