3-Steps to Engaging Storytelling Content Creation
Last Saturday, I got a DM from a woman who’s been in my community for years. Let’s call her Sarah.
Sarah wants storytelling content that showcases her valuable work while building stronger connections with her audience. The problem, she said:
“I end up going back to [sharing] tips and hacks. I’m guessing I need to build a better storytelling practice?”
She's right on the money.
A consistent storytelling practice makes it easier to write content that builds trust, fires up engagement, and makes your expertise clear.
But let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room:
Storytelling content is harder than plain ol’ “tips and tricks."
It requires reflection and connecting the dots—things that don’t come always at lightning speed.
Most people take the “just do it” approach. And it almost always ends, as Sarah described, with wasted time and inconsistency.
The good news: Writing stories that demonstrate your expertise doesn't have to be complex once you have a process.
I told Sarah I’d share mine to help her—and you—build a storytelling practice that’s easy to stick to in this week's StoryCraft newsletter (reshared below).
Let's dive in.
Step One: How to Find Storytelling Content Ideas
Coming up with relevant ideas can be the hardest part about writing storytelling content for personal brands.
Instead of giving yourself the Herculean task of figuring out what story to tell, how it's relevant, and how to write it all at once, make it an easier lift by storing inspiration in a story bank.
Here's what I include:
Observe when you catch yourself in the act of practicing what you preach (or when you don’t).
Conversations with clients, in the comment section, or DMs. Dialogue is a great way to start a story. But simply talking about a conversation you had with someone else about a relevant problem is often a valuable story in and of itself. (Like I did at the top of this newsletter).
Articles, research, studies, or data. Identify nuggets that give context to your story, like what I did in a recent newsletter on the impacts of Meta’s new AI influencer program on authentic storytelling in content creation. Take special note of how the news and data give fresh insight into problems you solve for your audience.
Reflect on why you do things the way you do them. Yes, look back at the problems you faced and how you overcame them. But… storytelling doesn’t have to be serious to have an impact. Tell us why you treat yourself to a Gingerbread latte every Thursday to make a point about the little things that contribute to a happy life. Or share that you use pen and paper, not Notion, because you value a screen-free creative process. These small things often build the strongest bond.
Retell other people’s stories to make your point. You can use famous examples like Cody Sanchez did here. Or you can tell a story about someone less familiar who serves as inspiration for living out the values you share with your community, like I did in this storytelling carousel.
Now that you have story ideas, the writing process will be far less intimating with the process below.
Step Two: Storytelling Content Must-Haves
These four elements are essential for storytelling that showcases your expertise. The point here is to get clear on what you’re going to write.
1. One Sentence Summary
Start by clearly summarizing your story in one sentence. Focus on a problem your audience faces and the transformation they want to achieve—something you’ve done or helped others do. This sentence acts as a guide post to keep your story focused so you can avoid tangents. For example: "My creative time stressed me out until this 10-minute trick got me to stop overthinking my art."
2. The Stakes
Next, we need to know why it’s important to have the transformation in your one-sentence. Every great story has stakes—the reason why the problem matters and what happens if it’s not solved. This gets emotional buy in from readers. For example,"I felt so much pressure to use my creative time wisely, I wasn’t creating at all. But once I started using 10-minute warm-up sketches, I found it easier to get into creative flow. Not only did my ideas improve, but the process became something I looked forward to instead of dreading.”
3. Context & Insights
Now that you’ve shared the stakes, address the typical approaches you see people taking to solve the challenge—and why they fall short. For example: "Most people try to overcome creative blocks by forcing themselves to push through. This makes the creative process is a chore rather than a joy." Calling out common missteps shows your audience you understand while giving insight into why they're stuck. This part should make them think, “That’s what I’ve been going through!”
4. Share Your Approach and Why It's Better
Lastly, tell us your way. For example: "Instead of thinking of the “right” thing to create, try warming up your creativity with small, low-pressure sketches. Set a timer for 10 minutes and draw anything that comes to mind—no judgment, no perfection. Over time, this practice shifts you into flow faster.” Here is also a good place to add social proof or research to drive your point home.
If you want to see an example of this in action, reread the introduction.
Step Three: How To Write Storytelling Content
I use storytelling frameworks to make this faster. The framework I use depends on the goal of the story — but all stories should check these boxes.
Is there a clear transformation?
Is it easy to understand why this matters to the reader?
Does it offer a takeaway, lesson or insight that helps my audience and shows them who I am?
This checklist makes sure I’m always helping my audience do something they’re struggling to do through the lens of my approach.
And that’s how you build a community of new and repeat buyers.
My storytelling course includes these templates, so you can save time in the process of telling better stories.
Start A Storytelling Content Creation Plan
If you don't have stories ideas, treat the StoryCraft newsletter as a reminder to put something in your story bank. I share storytelling prompts every week.
I encourage you to take 5 minutes to reflect on them in the shower, doing dishes, or (my personal favorite) on paper with no filter.
The point is to train your brain to think of stories that relate to your message. This becomes second nature with practice.
If you already have story ideas, consider building a simple template to combine the elements of storytelling above.
Committing to short but consistent storytelling practice will give you a deep well of rich stories that convert and speak to the right people.
Thank you for reading.
Cyndi
