How to build trust through storytelling

Everyone loves a good story, don’t they?

But as public sector organisations, can stories help us in our communications with customers, service users, clients and patients? Yes, they absolutely can. And more importantly, they can help build trust with those groups for ongoing good relationships and longer-term impact in our communications.

Just to be clear, we’re talking fact not fiction here. Not made-up stories but real, human stories that help people to identify with what our organisations are doing and why.

Stories help us connect with the world and with each other.

Creating a human connection is one of the most powerful ways to reach your audience. Or for your audience to feel connected to you.
Stephen King said: “I think the best stories always end up being about the people rather than the event.”

I couldn’t agree more and it’s a great way to approach communications for a new project, policy or even recruit new colleagues. Rather than just focusing on the thing itself, try to tell a story of who it’s for and how it will benefit them. Tell it from their perspective. Using real faces and voices to do this will have much more power and reach.

Stories help us make sense of things. They can provide a useful lens or filter when there is a lot to process. This can be particularly useful for big public sector organisations, like local authorities or health services, who have a huge amount to communicate to a wide-ranging audience. It’s a lot for people to take in, and not everything will be relevant to everyone.

Sharing stories from the perspective of the people who use your services or from the staff who deliver them in their own voices, are far more relatable than from a spokesperson or senior representative. This means people are more likely to identify with and ‘get’ what your organisation is doing.

Simply put, when people feel more connected to and understand what we do, our communications have far greater impact. That’s the power of storytelling.

Stories are everywhere in communications but there are different ways to use them, some being more obvious than others.

You could build a whole campaign focused on people’s stories around a certain theme. For example, one campaign I led a few years ago told a series of different people’s stories for Mental Health Awareness Week sharing how the great outdoors has helped them with their mental health.

A great example of this type of human-focused storytelling is Tower Hamlets Moments, showcasing real people and stories from across the community to inspire local pride.

Rather than a focused campaign, stories can be woven into your organisation’s day-to-day social media content alongside service updates and information. Scottish Water does this well, sharing regular stories highlighting real members of staff. Here’s a lovely one about a long-serving member of staff returning to work after a heart transplant.

You can have fun with it too. Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) recent British Science Week campaign took the opportunity to shine a light not just on their scientific work but on the scientists behind it. A series of videos, blogs and interviews highlighted funny personal elements such as what music they listen to in the lab, their science inspirations and the weirdest part of their job, alongside explaining more complex aspects of their work. Check out their ‘18 Questions with Microbiology’ lab tour video.

Ultimately, people can’t trust you if they don’t know you. Using stories can help to build trust by revealing something that people might not always see or realise about your organisation or your community. And they are most powerful when they recognise something of themselves or someone they know in those stories.