IS DIGITAL STORYTELLING THE #1 SKILL COMPANIES LOOK FOR?

Table of Contents

Brands have to serve content to a growing multitude of platforms

Storytelling is a powerful communications tool

Short attention spans require a diverse mix of formats

88% of PR professionals believe the future of the field lies in digital storytelling, reveals a study by USC Annenberg.

Digital Storytelling uses multimedia tools to bring narratives to life. Any type of business with open positions available is listing this skill as crucial for the final hiring decision.

Here are 4 points, why digital storytelling is the #1 skill companies are looking for.

Brands have to serve content to a growing multitude of platforms

A business can easily divide its content platforms into three categories: Owned media, earned media and paid media.

Owned media is anything under the companies' direct control such as websites, newsletters, and a blog.

Earned media in its most classic form is media coverage in the press. The coverage could be resulting from a press release or a deal with the relevant media house.

A deal could consist of the exclusive rights to publish a piece of information first or the exclusive access to the company’s spokesperson, revealing information beyond the press release.

Those deals require effort. The result, to put it very simply, is earned.

Paid media refers to external marketing efforts that involve a paid placement, such as pay-per-click advertising, branded content and display ads.

Those categories always existed, but are constantly growing. Owned media now includes audio formats, such as a podcast.

Earned media is strongly influenced by customer reviews and within the category of paid media, the collaboration with influencers has become more popular.

The challenge for the business is to keep the message consistent across all those digital channels and formats. That’s when the skill of digital storytelling comes in handy.

Storytelling drives Authenticity

Business owners and anybody who wants to start a business are spending more time on social responsibility, inclusivity and diversity.

It's part of any business plan, be it a small business or a big corporation. The ask to “walk the talk” has been louder than ever (see the PR Trends for 2022). Digital Storytelling is the tool that drives the authenticity behind those statements.

Authenticity is the quality of being true. A brand is being perceived as true if it established a solid brand personality.

What gives the brand some personality is the brand voice, an opinion and the face of the brand aka the spokespeople.

The most authentic way to bring those in front of an audience is live formats. It’s raw, it’s unfiltered and unscripted. It’s what the audience believes to be true.

Another authentic form is audio.