1. The media has changed
The media used to see its mission as to inform, and in some cases educate. Today, thanks to the Internet commoditising all types of information - including news - the media must also entertain to meet the demands of a tech savvy population. Think in terms of story elements: setting, character, plot, conflict, climax, resolution, dialogue and theme.
2. Entertaining stories help content rise above the clutter
Today's journalists, bloggers and business writers embrace classic storytelling techniques as a means to entertain to rise above the noise level. Very often, dramatic content appeals to the media and captures attention. Drama can be created simply by showing the contrast between the old way and the new way - the difference between "what was" and "what is." The greater the difference, the greater the drama.
3. The human brain is wired for stories
Storytelling has become an integral part of our lives and all of us are used to listening to, or constructing and telling stories on a day-to-day basis. Research shows that the story architecture provides better retention and understanding, and that adults have become dependent on interpreting events and other humans' behavior through story architectures.
4. Anecdotes bring life to communication
The power of anecdotes brings life to any communication. More than just entertain, an anecdote shows a certain realness and humanity. There's a great line from Raymond Mar,a professor at York University in Toronto who has researched storytelling: Everyone has a natural detector for psychological realism. The use of anecdotes helps a communication get through that "natural detector". Anecdotes should also be communicated in conversational language -jargon bores people.
5. Storytelling can become a powerful tool in creating a company's personality
People like it when companies have personalities, it lends humanity to the communication process, rather than having to face a faceless machine. Personalities of brands are developed from the start by having fun with language and storytelling. Developing a unique personality requires deviating from business jargon and traditional phrases, and this would undoubtedly make some professionals uncomfortable. But this contrarian approach and belief in storytelling would definitely play a major role in differentiating and building a brand in a relatively short period of time.
