Every day, people are faced with so many messages competing for their attention. When it comes to promoting and making events, Event Storytelling is a strategic approach to hook your audience with a shared understanding and make an emotional impact that aligns with your interests. According to studies, “55% of consumers are more likely to remember a story than a list of facts.”
Additionally, the article cited a Harvard Business Review report that shows “human brains are naturally attuned to storytelling and tend to respond better to narratives than to other forms of content sharing.” In event planning, storytelling strategies can help speak to your community’s emotions and spark interest in your event.
Before proceeding with the valuable storytelling techniques, let’s first define what event storytelling is.
What is Event Storytelling
Event storytelling refers to the strategic use of narrative elements, such as plot, characters, emotions, and themes, within the context of organizing and executing events. More than just a simple narrative, event storytelling aims to involve your audience in an experience that makes them feel a part of a story or experience.
The different forms of storytelling can be through interactive storytelling during event sessions, narrative arc presentations, story-driven marketing, experiential storytelling, and more.
Benefits of Event Storytelling in Your Strategy
Makes you memorable
Storytelling allows your message to be more memorable and can boost your brand presence. With a good storytelling method, you can keep your audience engaged and captivated throughout your event.
Builds emotional connections
A compelling story can create emotional connections with your community. Humans are emotional beings and being able to connect with them on an emotional level gives you an advantage.
Humanizes your brand
People trust people, not brands. When you use your own stories or share interesting stories, your audience can resonate with you and feel that you are relatable.
Establishes trust with your audience
The act of storytelling will make you a go-to for your brand or business. This is important because trust isn’t really gained from typical marketing activities. Stories make opportunities for transparency leading people to trust you.
Elements of Storytelling
Experts talk about the 5C’s of storytelling that event planners can use in their strategy. Let’s take a look at each one.
Circumstance
The circumstance is like the setting of your story. Paint a picture to your audience about the location and setting of your story. Part of the story’s circumstance can be talking about what your character is going through or is planning to achieve.
In your event script, your host can open with a circumstance or a specific problem that your audience is struggling with. Doing so will pique their interest and get them hooked on your story.
Curiosity
Get your audience curious about the story you are about to tell. Some techniques you can use are to introduce change, share a positive benefit, include novelty, and add the important element of surprise.
For example, the book The Storytelling Method by Philip Humm shares how you can open with a hook to get interested. You can open with lines like, “A couple of months ago, a customer discovered a solution for the exact problem you are facing…”
Characters
Introduce the characters of your story. Give unique information about each character to make them memorable for your audience. Create your characters in a way that can resonate with your audience.
Conflict
The next element is the problem your character is facing is what makes your story exciting. Your story will revolve around trying to solve this obstacle. The challenge can be an internal or external problem faced by your character. Immerse your readers to the problem by showing the effect on the character.
Conversations
In crafting your story, think about the conclusion and the conversations that will revolve around the story. Consider the emotions and insights will your audience be getting from your story. A satisfying conclusion ties up loose ends, offers insights, and leaves a lasting impression on the audience. It is the emotional payoff that the audience has been waiting for, offering closure and a sense of fulfillment.
How to Use Storytelling for Events
Now that you have the details on the elements you need to create your story, let’s go deeper into the specific steps of crafting your storytelling process and strategy.
Create Event Narrative
As mentioned above, identify the purpose and theme of your story. Because when your purpose is clear, it is easier for your story to follow and flow smoothly.
In creating your event narrative, consider the theme or message you want your audience or readers to get from your story. To give you examples of event story themes, here are some ideas: sustainability, personal growth, health and wellbeing, educational and knowledge sharing, persuasion, impact, success, etc.
Sketch your storyline
Next, it’s time to sketch the flow of your story. Define the event phases or stages of your story. In the context of your events, think about the experience or the stories for your pre-event, opening, main activities, workshops, and closing of your event. Use your relationships with your audience as sources of inspiration to come up with real-life examples.
Another thing to note is the key milestones that will happen in your event. Match the messaging with the key milestone and make sure it builds up to your story’s overall goal.
Narrate Meaningful Moments
Steve Dougson, professional speaker and host of the Storytelling that Sticks podcast, talks about collecting “meaningful moments” in your life and turning them into stories. Using personal stories can make you relatable and can boost audience engagement.
Meaningful moments are what will make your story interesting and memorable to your listeners. If you’re conceptualizing your event story, you can look back at your life and think of moments from a specific time in your life. It may be in the form of an obstacle or a realization in your life.
Identify the emotions of your audience
Research who your audience is to understand their emotions, desires, and feelings. Plan your storytelling approach based on what can form an emotional connection with your audience the most.
Involve speakers, core team, participants, sponsors
Be consistent with your story theme by involving your whole event team. Brief your speakers, core team, volunteers, and sponsors on the story you are building for your audience. If possible, you can conduct a storytelling workshop with your team to equip them for your event.
Align with Event’s Marketing and Promotions
Don’t forget to create a seamless story for your event starting with your pre-event marketing materials. Think of them as teasers to your story. Ensure consistency in messaging, visuals, and tone across all platforms, weaving a narrative thread that connects your pre-event promotions with the actual event experience.
Use Visuals and Sensory Elements
Make your story come to life by giving visual cues and sensory elements. Employ captivating visuals that align with your event’s narrative, whether through striking imagery, compelling videos, or immersive multimedia presentations. Consider how these visuals complement the storyline, reinforcing key messages or themes.
Additionally, your sound or event production can also make an impact on the overall experience of your audience. Sounds, styling, and scents all build up to evoke an emotion in your attendees.
Best Practices in Event Storytelling
Research about your audience
Create stories that your audience would love to hear about. Do your research by checking your audience demographics, conducting interviews, sending surveys, and questionnaires, and doing social media listening. When you do your research well, it will make adding examples and references a hit to your audience.
Use Phrases that Stick
Using alliterations and rhymes is one way to make your lines resonate. Catchy phrases are usually used at the end of your story to prove a point. According to Steve in his podcast, to get people to take action with your story, give a phrase that pays per story.
He gives two examples of things to ask to help form your point: What do you want them to do and how do you want them to think differently? Additionally, he said that a good phrase summarizes your story, uses verbs, and is short, and rhythmic.
Focus on being clear instead of being clever
The book “Building a Story Brand” by Donald Miller emphasizes the importance of being clear when sharing your message. When people listen to stories, their brains respond by burning calories to process the information they are receiving. Don’t let your audience burn too many calories by making every aspect of the story easy to digest.
An example you can apply is to use everyday language in your marketing messages and even program scripts. When re-reading your script or material, evaluate if it can be understood by a 5th grader.
Understand the Psychology of Persuasion
Appealing to one’s emotions is one scientific way to persuade and get your listeners’ buy-in. As you conduct your storytelling, try to paint a picture of your story. Take your listeners through different emotions just like how they feel when they are watching a movie.
One tip to include this in your storytelling is an insight from Robert Caldini’s book, Influence. He said, “The idea of potential loss plays a large role in human decision-making.” People are more afraid of losing something than the potential benefits of gaining something. In your event storytelling script, you can include the implications of what your audience would be missing out on, etc.
Be consistent
Finally, create a cohesive story by being consistent with your language and visuals. Whether it’s through keynote speeches, interactive exhibits, pre-event marketing, or ambient music, aligning all elements of your event program consistently heightens the immersive experience, ensuring that every moment contributes to the event’s larger storyline.
Design the event narrative to unfold sequentially, creating a logical and cohesive flow. Each session, presentation, or activity should build upon the previous ones, contributing to a comprehensive and consistent storyline throughout the event.
Share Your Event Story With Event Smart
Your event story starts with your event site. Customize your event site design and craft your copy to reflect your story and message.
In choosing a platform for your event, we recommend Event Smart’s easy-to-use and value-for-money features. Customize your registration forms, and your event site, and sell unlimited tickets at $0 commission fees.
With Event Smart, you can be confident that you can create a site that can convert your visitors and engage them with your story.
Event organizers recommend Event Smart for all types of events- whether big or small. Join thousands of event planners who make successful events with Event Smart. Check out the 14-day free trial and start planning for your event now.
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