5 questions to ask before moving forward with a story.
Not all communications teams agree internally on what a good story actually is.
This is becoming a larger operational problem for brands trying to build their reputation across social channels, executive communications, partnerships and AI-driven search, said Hinge Senior Director of Global Communications Jarryd Boyd.
“One of the first things you have to do is build out your storytelling guidelines as a team and have some argument and conversation about what each aspect of your framework means,” Boyd said. He will be speaking at PR Daily Conference next month on the topic.
He said internal discussion matters more than many organizations realize, because communications teams often have different assumptions about what makes a story compelling, what the brand actually stands for and what success should look like.
Without answers to those questions, storytelling becomes inconsistent. Measurement becomes harder to track and teams end up chasing different goals. Over time, reputation suffers, he said.
Answer these questions before your story goes live
Boyd said Hinge developed its own internal storytelling framework to create consistency around how the communications team evaluates potential stories.
“We build our own version of what I call like a ‘story builder’ on our comms team, which is like our own framework for how we assess what makes a strong story,” he said.
The framework pushes communicators to answer a series of questions before moving forward, including:
- What is the core takeaway?
- What does the audience need to understand?
- What cultural tension is connected to the story?
- Why does this matter right now?
- What action should audiences take?
Those conversations can sometimes become uncomfortable internally, Boyd said. Different stakeholders often have competing ideas about what deserves attention. But having this structure gets everyone aligned.
“You have to know and understand what’s important so that you’re all on the same page,” he said.
This is increasingly true as brands produce more content across more channels at a faster pace, he said.
“Communications teams today are managing thought leadership, social content, influencer relationships – everything. All simultaneously,” Boyd said.
Without shared standards, stories can start to feel fragmented and inconsistent, which can in turn, damage reputation over time.
Measurement becomes easier when internal teams are aligned
A good storytelling framework will also help improve measurement and ROI, he said.
“When you understand at a high level what is a great framework, you can start backing up into how do you measure your impact throughout the year?” Boyd said.
For example, communications teams can begin tracking whether core messages consistently appear in earned media coverage, whether audiences connect stories back to the company’s services and products, or whether brand narratives remain cohesive across channels, he said.
Shared storytelling standards also help organizations handle large amounts of data more effectively, especially when working with surveys or proprietary research, Boyd said.
“In our case, we have tons of data, but I think for so many of us who are doing surveys, you have so much data and it’s like, what is the hero stat point?” Boyd said. “What is the best headline? What’s the worst headline that could happen here?”
Identifying these “hero stats” help teams find the central narrative before different departments interpret the information differently.
Purposeful storytelling helps build visibility
Boyd said developing a framework also helps teams avoid seeking attention or virality without purpose.
“It really is important to stay true to your principles and your grounding, brand positioning as a company,” he said. “Ultimately what’s going to happen is that that’s what people are going to start to know you for.”
This is especially important when brands try to participate in cultural conversations or trends, he said. When done well, it has more impact and builds visibility.
He pointed to brands like the Savannah Bananas, who are known for piggybacking on cultural moments and incorporating them seamlessly into their shows. The Sims, as well, have leaned into internet conversations as a part of their regular storytelling, like when they did a 25-hour livestream with Doja Cat and Chappell Roan, or when they showed support on X for Megan Thee Stallion after her recent breakup.
“It’s a great example of increasing your business impact and visibility, and also increasing your general marketing and communications reputation,” Boyd said.
This works for those brands because it fits into the values people already recognize them for, he said. Other brands don’t necessarily need to engage with cultural moments more often. Teams instead need filters for deciding when that participation makes sense and when it doesn’t.
“What is your filter through the work?” Boyd said. “Where can we be practicing a little bit more restraint and get careful with saying yes to certain things, but yes to something else that might put our resources to better usage? When you’re aligned, these decisions begin to feel easier.”
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.
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