Why Stories Still Matter to your Business
Fairy tales are not just for kids
A quote, attributed to Einstein (although there is no confirmed source) is
“‘If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.’”
In addition to enjoying stories with our children, I would say it makes sense in these troubled times to educate them in more prosaic matters, i.e. work. No matter whether kids are in school or at home we should be encouraging their entrepreneurial spirit. Let’s face it, the future world of work looks more uncertain than ever and if your child is able to start his or her own venture they are less at the mercy of a precarious job market.
The good news is that you can entertain your kids while educating and informing them, as any copywriting mompreneur worth her salt knows.
Recently I read my kids the story ‘Dick Whittington and his cat.’ In case you are unfamiliar with the story, it is about a poor boy, Dick Whittington, who walks from Gloucestershire to London to seek his fortune and finds employment with the rich merchant Fitzwarren. Beleaguered by rats and in need of company, he buys a cat for a penny. Fitzwarren invites his servants to contribute to a sailing voyage but all Dick has is the cat so he gives it to his master to sell.
Meanwhile, dejected and feeling there is no future for him in London he decides to return to Gloucestershire. As he reaches Highgate Hill he stops. He hears the Bow Bells ringing and they seem to say ‘Turn again, Whittington, three times Lord Mayor of London.'
Dick returns to the Fitzwarren place to discover that his master is home from his voyage and has sold the cat for great riches to a king whose kingdom was overrun with rats. With his newfound wealth, Dick marries Alice Fitzwarren and eventually becomes Lord Mayor of London.
lessons to learn from Dick Whittington’s good fortune:
Have the courage to follow your own path: Dick took a chance and followed his instincts to London.
There’s always a solution to a problem: When the rats caused him misery he bought a cat.
Use the resources you have: In my version, Dick only had a penny, yet he was able to purchase the cat so it’s safe to assume he was a shrewd negotiator.
Doing what’s right, but inconvenient short term will have long term benefits you can’t even imagine: He sacrificed the only thing he had (the cat) to do what was right by his master.
Be prepared to quit if it’s not working: When he was down on his luck, Dick resolved to keep moving and try his luck elsewhere.
But always stay connected to your intuition and listen to that small, still voice: Like when he heard the ominous toll of the Bow Bells and chose to go back.
Dick didn’t know the cat that he bought for a penny would give him an ROI beyond his wildest dreams, but by following his inner compass his actions eventually led to success.
A classic story such as this can convey so much more than facts and straight information.
Writing that delights as it informs should be the goal in your content marketing whether it’s emails, blogs, social media posts or e-books. The judicious use of storytelling that hooks your reader will help to lift your content from boring to brilliant.
If you need help with articles for your blog or email newsletter get in touch with me rachel@rachelhunterwriting.co.uk