We live in a digital world, and a digital world requires digital solutions. If you’re looking to attract traffic to your website, increase the visibility of your business, or do pretty much anything, you’re going to need to use tactics that engage with digital media content. Audiences of all kinds respond to quality storytelling, and everyone, every business, and almost everything has a story. Connecting with your audience through digital storytelling can be done in a variety of ways, including through an engaging website, thoughtful blog articles, entertaining videos or audio accompanied by well-written copy.

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly chatbots such as ChatGPT, has taken the copywriting and marketing worlds by storm; a quick search on digital storytelling produces thousands of results detailing how to use AI to save you time, money and effort when it comes to your content. The truth is AI can do many things and, yes, this even includes writing copy, but it cannot produce compelling stories that replicate those of talented writers who write captivating, engaging, personal and, most importantly, human content. AI can’t work in the grey area, it can’t produce original thoughts, it can’t draw on its own experience, and it can’t match the creativity of a well-trained or naturally gifted human writer.

So, if your goal is to publish copy that is simply a regurgitation of pre-existing articles on the internet: stories that don’t resonate with readers, are not thought-provoking or compelling, and ultimately don’t captivate audiences, then sure, jump on a chatbot.

But if your goal is to produce content that engages your audience, reels them in and keeps them around, then learn how to, or engage someone who can, produce content written by humans, for humans. The way you deliver digital content is up to you; it could be publishing a blog post on your own site, engaging with a link building service, or using social media to share engaging copy alongside visuals. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to written content, but there are some important things to consider.

Google’s E-E-A-T framework

Google’s systems use a variety of factors when it comes to ranking content for search results, considering which results demonstrate experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, or E-E-A-T. These systems are why content, specifically well-written, human-centred content, reigns supreme when it comes to digital storytelling. There are aspects of these requirements that simply cannot be replicated by AI to the same standard as a human writer.

Experience

Google prioritises content that demonstrates first-hand experience with the topic of discussion. You can illustrate your experience in your written content through an author biography, behind-the-scenes insights, or references to personal anecdotes. Readers want to know that the writer behind what they are reading is the right person for the job, and demonstrating your experience is just one way of reassuring them of this.

Expertise

Similarly to a reader’s expectations around experience, they need to know that you know what you’re talking about in your content. Exhibiting expertise through well-researched, evidence-based, and factually accurate content will ensure readers feel they are engaging with a reliable source.

Authoritativeness

Authoritativeness and a positive reputation can be built in many ways. Keeping your content consistent in its quality, style and subject matter helps to ensure your audience sees you as an authority in your industry. Having other sites, brands or experts in the field share their support for your content is also crucial in building a reputation as an authority.

Trustworthiness

Trust is arguably the most important factor of all — if your audience can’t trust your content, then it simply won’t convert. Transparency, communication and ethical considerations are all critical to building trust with your readers. Be honest about yourself as a writer or a brand, provide means for open communication with your audience, and ensure you share your readers’ values, and you should maintain a connection based on trust.

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Stay true to your brand

Readers are coming to you for a reason: whether it’s because they love your product, your values, or your content, something is bringing them in and keeping them around. Remember this in everything you do. If you are a young, fun and friendly company, use this in your content. Keep your tone light, conversational and relatable — don’t try to be something you’re not. If you are a well-respected authority on a more serious matter, then the same goes; ensure the tone of your content is well-researched, educational and authoritative. Both of these content styles can be compelling and resonate with audiences, but only if they feel authentic.

Provide value

Part of being a trusted source is ensuring readers feel they are getting something from your content, whether that be insightful analysis, interesting information, expert advice or even pure entertainment. If the content you provide is available elsewhere, reminiscent of other work, or simply not as advertised in a headline or link, readers will not see it as valuable and they likely won’t return to your content in the future.

Monitor your results

Storytelling in any form is about connection. If your readers aren’t connecting with your content, this will be reflected in your metrics. Whether you’re monitoring link clicks, sales, return visitors, written feedback, or engagement, all of these factors will tell you if your audience is responding well to the content you’re producing. If they are, then keep it up, and if they’re not, start making changes until you get it right. For your own site or blog, there are specific websites that can give you information on your audience, Google ranking, and more. For social media performance, most platforms have their own built-in analytics for business profiles.

Nothing beats human-written, human-centred storytelling in the content world. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it can seem intimidating, but that doesn't mean you should resort to AI or chatbots to do your storytelling for you. Use these tips to write your own content, or outsource to someone who can help do it for you: it will be worth it in the long run.

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