April 27 is National Tell a Story Day, which to us ranks above National Take Your Dog to Work Day and maybe even National Coffee Day in terms of magnitude. It’s a day to celebrate the art of storytelling and is designed to get people telling, sharing, and listening to stories. We develop and tell our great stories through fun and compelling marketing communications and what we call Social PR.
We celebrate “Tell a Story Day” every day. We know that storytelling is a powerful way to motivate, involve and connect with others. Everybody, and every business, has a great story, and by uncovering and telling those stories, we can connect with people, motivate and persuade people, and ultimately change behavior.
The story is what’s memorable. The story is what resonates with people, and what they remember. The story is what elicits emotion. The story is what brings a business to life.
Our founder George Rafeedie knows the power of storytelling. He knew that telling the story behind the company is a great way to get your point across in a B2B setting. He also knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur and start his own firm. With years of corporate and big agency experience behind him, he established Tell Your Story in 2009, and the rest is history. (At this point I must give a shout-out to George’s wife, Karen, a full-time advertising creative director, who at the time was a mother of one toddler and an infant, who wholeheartedly and graciously supported George’s decision to leave his job and start his own business.)
So how do you tell a good story? People won’t recall your PowerPoint slides nearly as much as they’ll remember a story that drives your point home. Storytelling works best when it’s relevant to the audience. Think about who you’re talking to and the points you want to make, and find a story that illustrates your message. It’s got to be truthful and believable, and shorter is better. Be sure to include details that are crucial to the plot of the story.
At Tell Your Story, we share our clients’ stories through social media, public relations and integrated marketing communications campaigns. We’ve seen how great stories make lasting impressions, cut through the clutter, and help our clients forge rewarding connections and relationships.
So find your story and tell it on April 27, and every day.