Empathetic Storytelling in an AI World

No matter how much the world changes and technology evolves, there’s an innate truth: humans are wired for story. 

Storytelling is in our DNA. We remember stories. 

That’s why even with the razzle-dazzle of the latest channels and tools, organizations must continue to find compelling ways to engage their audiences through powerful storytelling. 

Yet to truly connect with our audiences, we must understand them. And to understand them means we can empathize with them. We put ourselves in their shoes. We identify their underlying needs and desires. And then we find ways to connect with them through storytelling using a myriad of channels — from websites and blogs to social media and podcasts. 

In the world of marketing and communications, we know this approach by heart. The curveball, however, is in finding the balance we face today: leveraging empathetic storytelling in an AI, data-driven world. 

Many of us are left wondering when should we use AI to make our lives easier? And when do we need to roll up our sleeves, draw on our inner wisdom, and rock our communications magic? 

 

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“…three out of four marketers are now using generative AI tools.”

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Generative AI and Storytelling 

According to Content Marketing Institute’s 2024 B2B Outlook, three out of four marketers are now using generative AI tools. Through Content Marketing Institute’s (CMI) research, marketers have indicated they are primarily using tools like ChatGPT to brainstorm new topics, research ideas, and write content drafts. 

The temptation is relying too heavily on ChatGPT and other AI programs to do the heavy lifting. That would be like expecting Excel to perform all your organization’s accounting. Sounds ridiculous, right? Clearly, you need a living, breathing, self-aware human behind the scenes to help drive the tools. 

So no matter how ingenious tools like ChatGPT or Microsoft CoPilot are, they are just that:  tools. Certainly, unlike static documents or spreadsheets, however, generative AI tools pack a big punch, drawing from upwards of 570 gigabytes of data sets. 

Needless to say, that can be very handy when it comes to exploring new topics and generating ideas. But one of the biggest mistakes marketing and communications teams can do is offload their entire content writing, whether long-format or social content, to AI tools. 

It’s this sentiment veteran author and digital marketing expert Ann Handley explores in her blog. According to Handley, “AI is the guest we invite into the work, not the one throwing the party.” 

It is still up to us as marketers and communicators to do our jobs. And I’d say do them even more diligently so that we can connect the dots for our organizations and our most important audiences. 

Storytelling concept image created in collaboration with AI tools.

Finding the Sweet Spot 

In my experience as a communications leader and workshop facilitator who has helped the world’s biggest global brands tell their stories better, I have come to know that the sweet spot of brand storytelling is in the nuance. It’s in understanding how you, as the organization, makes the world better for your audiences based on their needs and goals. 

According to CMI, this is a challenge for many marketers. In fact, 57 percent of marketers report that creating the right content is their top concern — whereas in years past it was creating enough content. 

That’s why we must take the time to understand and align our content, not just churn and burn more. 

Know Your Audiences

Take the time to evaluate your audiences and their goals, needs, and behaviors on a regular basis. Establish personas and/or audience maps so you can identify things like who they are and at what level of the organization they work (e.g., executives, buyers, internal influencers, up-and-coming leaders, etc.). And then ask the next question: what do they want and expect from you? This can help you discern what types of content you can leverage with the help of generative AI (tips, tricks, best practices) versus more engaging brand storytelling through what I call “heart share” (like testimonials, use cases, and lessons learned). I’d recommend revisiting your key audiences at least annually. 

Know Your Strategy

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT can turn out some pretty decent plans. (In my own ChatGPT usage, I’ve asked for things like ‘write a go-to-market launch for a podcast’ and ‘write social media copy for GenXers’). But what AI tools may not do as well is infer which strategies and tactics would actually land for your executive audience persona over, say, your mid-level buyer persona. Or help you discern how to pivot your approach after last quarter’s campaign busted. You still need to take the time to build your communications and content plans, though AI tools can provide great ideas for how to execute. 

Know Your Story

I’ve built dozens upon dozens of messaging platforms over the years for all sizes of organizations. And what’s always surprised me in guiding that work is organizational stories never quite end up sounding like leaders think they should at the outset. There’s always a surprise of some sort, whether in mapping audiences or in identifying how the organization’s unique value proposition would actually land. Developing a nuanced organizational story through a messaging framework — such as key messages, ‘about us’ copy, and elevator pitches — can help your teams align your unique story with your audiences. Sure, you can leverage AI to develop a first pass of that blog or research the white paper but that content should always be developed through the lens of your organizational story to ensure your key messaging shines through. 

The Way Forward

At the end of the day, the generative AI tools available now are just the beginning of where we are poised to go. Although it’s a little intimidating and the learning curve feels steep some days, I’m excited to explore those edges of where this all goes. 

AI is just that…a tool, a catalyst, a way to help your team think about the means to tell your story. To truly engage your audiences in ways that build your brand, you need the hearts and minds of communicators to cultivate empathy, connection, and emotion. 

Because the heart of the story itself will always live within you. 

About the Author: Lara Hollers

Lara Hollers is an award-winning writer, transformational speaker, and workshop facilitator who empowers individuals and teams to write the rest of their stories at work — and in life. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or at LaraHollers.com.