Storytelling is a key part of any kind of visual media. Storytelling is one of the best ways to convey a message and establish a connection with your audience.

Storytelling is commonly used in videos and images. However, it doesn’t need to stop there: there are actually a wide range of methods you can use for storytelling, including some very creative ways you may not have thought about.

Here are some unique and creative storytelling methods you should know about.

Why is Storytelling Important?

Visual and audio-visual media that tell a story are some of the most effective and compelling. Storytelling works so well because it touches the audience in an emotional way. Great storytelling can draw specific emotions, from joy and happiness to poignant sadness, which is very impactful. Brands have recognized the importance of storytelling, and this is a common technique in marketing and advertising.

This impact means, firstly, that messages are more likely to be clearly conveyed to the audience, and they are more likely to stick. Secondly, the persuasive impact of storytelling is more likely to capture your audience’s attention. This is very important in our busy and crowded world, where so many pieces of content are always fighting for attention.

Traditional Storytelling

Humans have been telling stories for thousands of years. The oldest method of storytelling was by voice: people sat around campfires telling stories. This form of storytelling is still popular today, from stories shared between friends and family, to funny stories told by stand-up comedians.

Another very important traditional story telling method is through the written word. People have written stories for centuries on paper, papyrus or silk, or carved on stone and painted on walls, in cultures all over the world. From ancient times to the present, these stories are overwhelming about people: our feelings, how we relate to each other, and the human experience.

However, arguably the most common storytelling method of recent years has been audio-visual stories. Obviously, this includes the very clear storytelling of movies and TV shows. However, storytelling also extends to all kinds of media where the story may not be as overt, but is central to the work. This can include video advertisements, photos, graphics, and more. Brands these days are careful to include such elements when creating their website.

Creative Storytelling Methods

Beyond spoken stories, written media and audio-visual content, there are other, more creative methods that can be used for storytelling.

Interactive Content

More recently, we have seen the rise of stories told through interactive content. Interactive storytelling can be extremely powerful, because it the interaction adds an even higher level of engagement with the members of the audience.

Example of an Interactive Wordpress Plugin, where users can click on a map and it displays more info.

We have seen a few examples of interactive storytelling in recent years. One such example have been the “choose your own adventure” style shows released on Netflix and similar platforms, in which viewers are prompted to make choices at various points, which influences how the story unfolds. However, probably the most common example of interactive story telling is video games: this is a medium where users are able to direct the course of the story and so are fully involved and invested in it.

Graphics and images

Complex stories can even be conveyed in a single image or graphic. Cleverly designed graphics can convey a powerful message in a compact form. This is not a new idea, hand stencil cave paintings going back 40,000 years have been found that clearly tell stories. These are believed to be not just art, but a method of communication that pre-historic humans used to send messages to one another.

These principles can be applied in modern media, such as photography and graphics. The most powerful photos often convey a story, whether it is immediately apparent from the image or more subtle and nuanced. Creative graphics can do the same thing. These clear and engaging graphics can then be used to tell that story through just about any format you can think of, from social media posts to Die cut stickers.

Infographics

In a similar way, infographics can be a very powerful way to convey complex information and data, and get a story across at the same time. Infographics take complex data sets, whether scientific data, product information or statistics, and make them easy to understand and process.

Infographic Template that can be customized in Adobe Illustrator.

By putting this information in an easily-digestible visual form, the audience can easily understand the concepts and draw conclusions. Infographics can also be highly impactful: graphs and other visual representation of stats and figures can convey the magnitude of certain situations in a way that raw data struggles to do.

Incorporating storytelling into any form of media immediately makes it more engaging and impactful. Some of the more traditional forms of storytelling include the spoken word, print media and videos, however there are also some very creative ways to use storytelling, including interactive content, graphics, photos, and infographics.

Creative Storytelling Methods You Should Know About