Capitalizing on Current Events: How to Share Stories Appropriately

We all want to be heard/seen/recognized. That’s part of being human. But there’s a reason we were taught to share when we were children: it’s a critical life skill.

Sharing isn’t just for cupcakes and crayons. As we grow older sharing is core to the give-and-take of relationships, forming and maintaining bonds, demonstrating to others we care about them—their experiences, feelings, thoughts, stories.

Since stories are a pathway to synchronicity, it makes sense we want to hop in and share those points of intersection. On social media, it’s stitching. In the PR world, it’s newsjacking. In G-rated vernacular, it’s piggybacking.

The challenge is how to associate your story with another story already out there without your efforts coming off as opportunistic or insensitive. That usually happens when you haven’t given much thought beyond yourself and your needs, taken time to see the entirety of who’s being affected and why, and/or examined the tone and subtext of what’s being said (or not said).

(See how easy it is to talk around issues of inequity, media bias, and alternate agendas? Don’t worry, we’ll tackle those head on in future posts.)

So, if you don’t want to be “that” a%hole who hasn’t read the room before hitching yourself to someone else’s ride, try this:

* Plan your stories and persevere. Hopefully you have a content calendar, and your stories are mapped out for some portion of the foreseeable future. Flexibility is good, but straying from your objectives must be strategic. When incidents pop up like shiny distracting balls, it doesn’t mean you have to react (even if you feel you have really good thoughts on the subject). Does the incident directly affect your brand? Does it offer an immediate advantage or detriment to your primary stakeholders? If the answer is no, then stay the course and your audience won’t be distracted from your narrative, either.

* Put a pin in it before posting. This is the modern equivalent of advising someone to write that letter and put it in a drawer. If your answer to one of the questions above is “yes,” the next question is “How?” And the immediate follow-on is “How will my [intended content piece] contribute to a meaningful conversation or solution?” We don’t need a million affirmations or dismissals of the original. We need a researched alternative, unique perspective, or previously marginalized voice to provide more context for the full picture.

* Be authentic in your association. If you have a valid take to add, be sure you’re entering the conversation for the right reasons (Hint: Gaining attention, pushing an agenda, building cred for your brand, or soft selling your solutions/services isn’t it). Example: If there’s a natural disaster or major incident, your story about, say, the time you vacationed in Lahaina or took a selfie at that spot in L.A. is pointless and insensitive to the lives of the people lost in or lost to those fires. A brief note of support is one thing. A treatise on “the lessons you’ve learned?” From afar? Boorish at best.

* Walk the talk of next steps. Let’s say you do have something valid to build on an existing breaking story. So what? In other words, what do you hope to gain and what do you expect people to do with your tale? Make that clear and appropriate to the incident, event, or issue. Support survivors. Petition lawmakers. Boycott brands. Don’t just drop your “fresh take” and walk away. Fight for change or help or whatever is needed to move that story into the Resolution stage of its journey.

Riding the coattails of others doesn’t necessarily mean you’re lazy, selfish, or insufferable. But if you don’t want to be perceived that way, make sure your intentions are honorable, obvious, and applicable to what’s really going on.



Image © Ryan Stone courtesy Unsplash