Next Level Storytelling

In almost any conversation about communications, you’ll hear one word come up again and again: storytelling. On the surface, the concept is pretty clear: Your communications should tell a story about all the good things happening in your community. After all, storytelling is more than a buzzword—it has long been demonstrated what a powerful effect stories can have on people. And while storytelling may seem simple enough, building a strong narrative that can sustain and support your community over the long term requires a careful, thoughtful strategy.

As you no doubt know, the story that your community members tell about your city can have a profound impact. And so can the story being told by anyone visiting your community, whether they’re tourists, prospective new community members, or a family that’s just passing through. By crafting and communicating a positive narrative about your city, you can ensure everyone knows that your community is a great place to live, work, and thrive.

The Science Behind Storytelling

Stories are an inherent part of human nature, and the impact they have on us as individuals is well documented by scientists. Research by cognitive psychologist Dr. Jerome Bruner suggests that stories are 22 times more memorable than facts alone. Stories can clarify complex ideas. They have the power to elevate boring subject matter into something tangible and interesting. And according to research, 92% of people say they prefer marketing that feels like a story.

Stories also have the unique power to unify people. In a study conducted at Princeton University, researchers took MRIs of two different people: one telling a story and the other listening. As the storyteller progressed, scientists observed a phenomenon called “neural coupling,” in which the brain waves of the two participants synchronized as they experienced the story together. The better the listener comprehended the story, the more similar their brain waves were to the storyteller’s.

What’s more, a well-regarded idea in psychology called “narrative transportation theory” has established that the more someone is immersed in a story, the more likely they are to mirror the thoughts and feelings of the story’s characters, even if those thoughts and feelings are usually counter to their own. Research has also established that most people don’t change their perceptions based on facts, but rather based on emotion and group affiliation. Storytelling has the unique ability to transfix listeners in a way that can move the needle on both fronts. That means that in an ever more divisive society, storytelling retains the power to change people’s perceptions of your community.

Getting it Right

In all the research on storytelling we examined, one theme comes up again and again: an emphasis on quality. If your audience isn’t enthralled by the story you’re telling, it’s going to be less convincing. Fortunately, there are storytelling best practices, some of which are new and some of which have proven themselves over millennia. We’ll go through a couple of these best practices as you prepare to wield storytelling as a powerful tool in building your community’s brand.

Understand basic storytelling structures.

At some point, you likely learned that all stories have a few basic components. Maybe you even drew a triangle depicting the rising action, climax, and denouement of a book like Where the Red Fern Grows when you were in school. You learned these story structures for a reason—they’re ubiquitous. They’re part of what makes a good story both compelling and memorable.

But there’s more to structuring a story than Freytag’s Pyramid. While most story structures have some basic similarities, different models are better suited for different purposes. For example, you’ve probably heard of the hero’s journey, also known as the monomyth, which encompasses the stories of heroes as different as King Arthur and Disney’s Moana.

While we’re not suggesting you need to know all the story structures, a few things are critical to constructing a narrative that is compelling, memorable, and conducive to building the community brand you want. Whether you’re telling stories online or through any other communication channel, most good stories have a few crucial ingredients.

We suspect you likely won’t be using all of these elements at once. Depending on your media format, some of these elements may be more prominent than others. If you’re writing a Facebook post, maybe you’ll be more interested in highlighting a few local heroes. If you’re creating a long-form video or writing a Twitter/X thread, you’ll have more time to detail the conflict, climax, and resolution of an inspiring story about your city. When we experience stories, our brains crave these elements. Using them won’t make every story you tell an immediate viral hit, but it will help the story come across as both satisfying and memorable.

Be authentic.

In some ways, authenticity has become just as popular a buzzword as storytelling. But when it comes to building a narrative that resonates with your stakeholders—and also rings true to them—being real is key. You can accomplish this by telling a story about your community that is positive, but also plausible.

No city is perfect, and sharing how your community is growing is an honest way to show off your own collective hero’s journey. There’s a reason sports are so popular—people love being part of a movement, part of a team’s story. Give them a chance to be a part of your growth and the ever-evolving story of your community.

Promoting your city’s revamped downtown arts district, for instance, could look many different ways. Sure you could simply post photos of local shops, galleries, and eateries, but this won’t attract as many new visitors to the area as telling a story will. Why not post about the history of the arts district and its evolution into what it is today? Or you could highlight different business owners and local artists, letting them share their connections to the area and how important it is in the greater context of your city. If people are more likely to remember good stories than they are information, then try to give them one packaged inside of the other. Tell them the authentic story of your city while also grounding it in humanity and a sense of community.

Let your community tell the story.

What you say about your city matters much less than what your community says about it. No matter how flashy your website is or how often you post on social media, the story of your community is just that—theirs. So let them share what it’s like to live, work, and play in your city.

Recently, the City of Hollister, Missouri, took the opportunity to tell a story about themselves that does just that. In a high-quality welcome video featured on their website, viewers get to hear from various Hollister residents. As the video opens on a close up shot of a fly fisherman’s rod being cast, a resident’s voiceover says, “Hollister is a really unique place. It kind of beats to its own drum.”

What follows is a surprisingly broad look at the small city—with drone shots of local businesses, schools, attractions, and nature. The video pivots between these beautiful shots of the city and community member testimonials. From business owners and real estate agents to contractors and the local school district superintendent, citizens highlight the benefits of living, working, and learning in their community.

But the video doesn’t just show what the city looks like, it is also filled with shot after shot of residents enjoying the sites and sounds of Hollister. Whether it’s the high school football team taking the field or a young family on a rollercoaster at nearby Silver Dollar City, the focus is on people. By letting us hear from and see community members loving life in Hollister, this welcome video is doing much more than promoting a small city in Missouri—it’s telling us a story we want to be a part of.

Stories Change Minds

Humans have practiced storytelling for centuries and are unlikely to stop any time soon. While the idea of using storytelling in public communication may not be new, it remains one of the strongest and most effective ways to make a clear message stand out against the noise of our everyday lives. Whether you’re trying to convince a company to move their headquarters to your city or you’re developing messaging around a new tourism campaign, stories are a powerful tool to change minds and build momentum—all while positively impacting your city’s brand.