In December 2025, a Wall Street Journal article titled Companies Are Desperately Seeking ‘Storytellers’ spread like wildfire on LinkedIn. Marketers are still talking about it. A commentary on how storytelling is becoming an integral part of business strategy, the article highlighted that it’s not just a buzzword… It’s a strategic priority. Job postings for marketers and media & communications professionals that included terms like “storyteller” doubled last year on platforms like LinkedIn, with mega companies like Google and Microsoft creating roles centered around the very specific skill.

According to The Brand Shop, “92% of consumers now want ads that feel like a story because narratives build emotional connection and cut through digital noise.” For our purposes, we’ll liken ads to a holistic content strategy, with storytelling at the forefront. Here are three tips for improving your brand storytelling skills.

1. Keep your audience in mind at all times. This seems obvious, but this preliminary step often gets overlooked. Ever read a website or a marketing communication and think to yourself, “Why am I receiving this?” or “Nah, this isn’t for me…” That’s probably not the product’s fault; the benefits of buying from the brand weren’t being communicated with the audience in mind. It’s a storytelling issue.
2. Answer the question, “Why should I care? With consumers experiencing constant marketing overwhelm these days, saying more with less is key. It’s also crucial to answer this question upfront — why should your target audience care about your brand and the products you sell? Consumers and decision-makers have more choices today than ever. So why should they choose you? Only you can answer that question. So answer it and then build a brand narrative around it. Be consistent and convincing.
3. Focus on appealing to emotion. There are plenty of storytelling frameworks out there, but they don’t work unless you hook the listener/reader. How do you hook them? Hit them in the “feels.” Make your audience feel something. Anything… Curiosity. Relief. Confidence. Inspiration. Emotional connection is what turns passive consumption into genuine engagement and builds lasting relationships between brands and the people they serve.

Strong storytelling doesn’t require a complete brand overhaul. It requires focus. Know your audience. Communicate why you matter. Lead with emotion. When those elements come together, storytelling becomes less of a tactic and more of a competitive advantage. A true differentiator.