Masterclass in Storytelling with Ebury Comms
On Tuesday 17th October, Ebury Comms Co-Founders Emma Dreike and Emily Lewis led a ‘Masterclass in Storytelling’ drawing on their many years of experience in the luxury property and design PR. During this insightful hour, members gained so much insight into how to identify the stories that matter, so that they can pave the way for meaningful exposure in their target publications and beyond.
The class started by looking at the reasons why any given client might want to engage in a PR campaign. More often than not, the decision to start telling a brand’s story is pegged to a launch or ‘moment’ for the company, however it is really important to think beyond this stage to ensure that the various chapters of a story can be considered and planned in advance. This is where an agency works closely with a client to identify what future layers could be added to the initial story ingredients to ensure that there are ample opportunities to continue reaching out to key editors throughout the full life of a campaign.
When the various chapters have been considered, a brand should then look to its friends and peers to see how stories can be enhanced and heightened. Very often, the endorsement of renowned partner brands can be more impactful than those of the company owners themselves so wherever possible the Ebury team encourages letting trusted partners do the talking. That might be estate agents, product suppliers or, in the best cases, customers themselves. This reliance on brand ambassadors can make a crucial difference to the cadence and influence of a narrative and often delivers very tangible results.
Something else to consider is exactly how you want to tell your story and through which channels. Whether a client’s ‘story’ is suitable for a national newspaper or a very niche trade periodical will depend on messaging, on target audiences and of course on the content that is being shared. National newspapers are often hungry for data-led stories with a real life and newsworthy component, whereas trade titles allow for more dedicated thought-leadership style pieces penned by company spokespersons. Also to be considered is a channel’s geographical reach; some titles target very small county-specific audiences whilst others talk to a global following around the world.
Often integral to a storytelling campaign is a consideration of social media. Two of the most popular social media platforms are LinkedIn and Instagram however their content and the way that they tell stories is very different. Whilst LinkedIn remains a largely professional and more formal B2B space, Instagram is characterised by rich and engaging visual content in the form of imagery and short film ‘reels’ that talk to the end consumer. If you are wanting to shout about a brilliant new staff hire then LinkedIn is going to be far more appropriate. If, however, you are revealing a suite of beautiful new project images then Instagram is the place to be. Whatever the channel, content really must be engaging, authentic and, in the case of Instagram, ‘useful’ to your audience.
A final piece of the puzzle is taking a close look at timeframes to ensure that news and stories are released at the most opportune moments. There will be little point announcing the sales launch of a stunning project in the south of France in the middle of November for example, or aiming to photograph a newly completed interiors project on a gloomy January day when the landscaping isn’t looking its best. Similarly, outdoor kitchens or new BBQs will be best received by editors and audiences in the late spring or early summer. Something crucial to bear in mind, is a publication’s lead time i.e. the time it takes for an article to appear in print or online after it has been written. This can be anything from a couple of days, up to 18 months, so pitching stories to editors at the right time is essential which is where the common phrase ‘Christmas in July’ comes from - many of the glossy magazines are working on their winter issues from summer onwards!
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