The Incredible Selling Power of Historical Stories and How They Can Help Your Business Grow

I’ve been working with a company recently who have an incredibly rich history that spans several generations and they decided that they would like to showcase that history on the internet through their website and social media channels. The fact that they have recognised the myriad opportunities that this approach affords them to engage an audience is to their credit and I believe that many companies are missing out by not capitalising on stories from their own past.

Many of us, particularly those unfortunate enough to have suffered the delivery of a dour history teacher, would ask - why on earth would anybody be interested in that? Now before I answer that, I should point out that I studied the subject at university so I have an inherent bias. BUT, the fact is that HISTORY SELLS. So long as the story you are telling is one that is worth listening to.

If you think about some of the most successful television series of recent years, how many of us have sat and binge watched one or more of the following?

• Game of thrones
• The Crown
• Peaky Blinders
• Poldark
• Downton Abbey
• Victoria

What unites all of these shows is great storytelling and every business has a story to tell if not multiple stories. I would urge you to just sit down and think about it for a moment. Different business types might generate different thoughts but I’ll give you an example of some questions that I asked when considering this approach for a hotel recently.

• Are there any famous guests could you mention?
• What old photographs or news clippings do you have?
• What memorabilia do you have on display that could be published online?
• Can you give an example of remarkable customer service?
• Can you tell the story of a guest that has helped you in an extraordinary way or helped another guest?
• Has the business had to overcome natural disaster or any other significant adversity and how does overcoming that represent the ethos of your hotel?
• Are they any tales of incredible romance that you could tell?

You’d be surprised at the number of stories that can be generated by asking these questions. It’s then just a case of considering creative and engaging ways in which you can bring them to life.

The company I mentioned at the top of this post is actually a manufacturing business and they have some remarkable tales to tell that I have no doubt will delight their followers and engage them in new ways. I’m so please they asked me to help them do that, as it fits perfectly with my background in history and my love for bringing stories to life through photo and video. We’re currently discussing creative ways in which we can incorporate the use of my drone to enhance production value and attract attention.

I would encourage you all to get out there and start telling your own historical stories. For many it’s an untapped resource of rich material that will enable you to keep your blog posts and social media feeds fresh. If, in the process of doing that, you think I might be able to help then please get in touch.