The importance of story in communication

Craig McGill over at Contently Managed has been talking about the importance of "story" as an element of communication. And he has touched upon something that I think is a fascinating issue for communication professionals.

"- Every time you send a tweet, SMS, Facebook update, talk to your mates down the pub or blog you’re telling the story of what you’ve been doing

- You have a job and work (or want to) because you believe in the story of working to get ahead and be a success

- You have a partner (or want one) because you involve yourself in the story of companionship, perhaps even taking it as far as believing in the nuclear family

- You’re (mostly) a good citizen – and teach others to be so – because you believe in the story of society and looking out for each other

- You pay your taxes because you believe in the story of Government and also perhaps the NHS if in the UK

- If religious, you believe in the story of your faith"

So he is suggesting that we believe in a story of society, the story of religious faith and the story of Government. I understand where he is going but I think he is probably taking it a little too far.

Lets not confuse the message and the medium. I give us all more credit than becoming lost in a story

But he is absolutely correct in that a story is a fantastic way of delivering a message, a principle, lesson or set of values.

The story is the vehicle or platform. It is a very effective way of delivering a message, providing useful information, explaining principles or teaching values. And we have some great examples from our life. Be they old fairy tales that warned us of the dangers of the deep woods and of walking the hidden paths, or the parables in the bible that provide us with moral guidance.

There are stories that we know so well that they influence our lives. Stories of romance, stories of people that succeed against all odds, and from our childhood we all learn about evil step-mothers.

You don’t believe in the story of your faith, you don’t believe in the story of Government. However a story often reveals a truth. And that makes the great vehicles for communication and persuasion.

We seem to be hard-wired to like stories, and more importantly to remember them and want to pass them on.

A key part of PR and public affairs is developing messages, along with identifying publics and choosing the best channels of communication, so it is important to tap into the power of stories.

We need to learn from them and ensure our messages are effective. Setting the scene, providing a structure and providing a direction for the reader. And that can be as basic as having a start, middle and end.

THE END