Storytelling in the Age of AI
2 mins
It's widely acknowledged that the most effective way to communicate messages that resonate with people is through a storytelling lens.
Storytelling has always existed and is one of humanity’s oldest tools. Creating an emotional resonance through the translation of abstract ideas allows people to understand, feel and experience something. Humanising facts, using accessible language and taking complex or technical narratives and translating them into a message that resonates with the person can have a powerful impact. But what does that mean in the world of AI content generation?
88% of marketers are now using AI daily, helping them as a thinking partner, with workflows and automation and increasing efficiency. And, marketers are using AI to create content faster.
In a survey of marketers, Hubspot found that the tactics that move the needle for organisations are the ‘skills that AI can't do alone, like creative problem solving or building trust via emotional intelligence’. Importantly, the survey of 1500 marketers found 63% saying they need more unique, human-centred content to stand out.
As AI floods the market with content, businesses that are unable to define a clear point of view and tell a compelling story are likely to fall behind.
So, what does this mean for organisations?
Your story still needs writing by you.
AI has flooded the market with AI generated content. This proliferation of tool to craft synthetic content allows greater efficiency, yes. But can the story still be told this way? Hmmm. AI is great for testing ideas out and doing some research (but make sure you check it!). However, I believe the writing needs to crafted by you, the person who understands the message, what resonates and how to make that compelling. Critically, that is what is going to differentiate you and make your story heard. And, there are also AI benefits to this. LLMs tends to cite original thought, among other things. So, the chances of your content being referenced by Gen AI tools increases, based on your original work, not AI content, which is sourced from the internet and not original.
Personal brands are becoming even more important.
As AI produced content takes over more and more corporate narratives, the battleground for authenticity is likely to be in the personal brands and thought leadership of organisation's founders, leaders and experts. 99% of buyers consider thought leadership critical in decision-making, and that active and authentic voice will be a huge contributor to advancing your message.
Creativity is still the differentiator between AI and humans (IMHO).
LLMs use information that already exists to answer. That means the chances of it offering up something truly unique are quite slim. Don’t get me wrong, the power of these tools to ideate and trade ideas is frankly mindblowing. But good outputs require good inputs. And your seeds of thought and creativity are the powerhouse behind any good idea coming to life. And that provides the richness and authenticity to tell the story in the best way possible.
The Natural Word partners with organisations to help them to tell their story, in the right way, to the right people, to drive growth and revenue.
