One of the questions I’m asked most often is where good stories come from. People sometimes assume that finding stories is the difficult part of corporate communications. In my experience, that’s not entirely true. Most organisations are sitting on dozens, if not hundreds, of stories. The real challenge is knowing where to look and creating a process that allows those stories to surface.
Over the years, I’ve interviewed engineers, sustainability specialists, researchers, educators, scientists, and senior leaders across a wide range of industries. Much of this work has been conducted through WordWorx, my corporate communications agency that helps organisations communicate complex topics clearly. While every organisation is different, I’ve found that many of the best stories emerge from the same places.
Here are some of the approaches that have worked well for me:
Start by tracking the stories you already have
Before you start looking for new stories, it’s important to understand what content already exists. One of the simplest tools I use is an editorial calendar. I use editorial calendars for my own business and for many of my clients. They provide a clear overview of what has already been published, what topics have been covered, and where the gaps are.
Without some form of tracking, it’s easy to keep writing about the same subjects while overlooking other areas of the business. An editorial calendar helps you spot opportunities, identify underrepresented topics, and create a more balanced content programme over time. In many cases, the gaps are where the most interesting stories are hiding.
Look beyond the organisation itself
Some of the strongest stories I’ve worked on have started with something happening outside the organisation. It might be a new regulation, a technological development, a sustainability trend, a change in customer expectations, or a major industry discussion. Instead of focusing solely on what’s happening inside the company, I often look at what’s happening in the wider world and ask how it relates to the organisation.
Once you’ve identified an interesting topic, the next step is finding the right person to speak to. Sometimes that’s somebody you’ve interviewed before. Other times it’s a subject matter expert who has never been featured in your communications before.
By combining an external trend with internal expertise, you can often create strong thought leadership content that feels relevant, timely, and useful. This is an approach I’ve used repeatedly when working on sustainability reports, executive interviews, and stakeholder communications through WordWorx, my sustainability reporting agency and corporate communications practice.
Make it easy for employees to share stories
One challenge many communications teams face is that employees don’t always realise you’re looking for stories. People often assume that communications teams already know what’s happening across the organisation. In reality, some of the most interesting projects, customer successes, innovations, and community initiatives can remain hidden simply because nobody thought to mention them.
That’s why it can be helpful to periodically send an internal email explaining that you’re looking for story ideas. It’s also useful to explain what makes a story interesting. Many employees immediately think of company announcements or major achievements. However, some of the best stories involve solving a difficult problem, helping a customer achieve a positive outcome, developing a new approach, or sharing expertise that others can learn from. The more examples you provide, the easier it becomes for people to identify potential stories themselves. Once people understand what makes a story interesting, they’re often able to identify opportunities that the communications team might never have discovered on its own.
Revisit content you’ve already published
One of the easiest ways to find new content is to revisit old content. Most organisations have years of articles, case studies, interviews, reports, and website pages sitting in archives. Rather than always starting from scratch, I often review previously published content to see whether it can be updated, expanded, or approached from a different angle.
A customer story from three years ago may have new developments worth covering. An employee profile might be due for an update. A thought leadership article could be refreshed to reflect current industry developments.
Starting with existing content often provides a strong foundation and can save a considerable amount of time.
Think like a journalist
If I had to choose one piece of advice, this would probably be it: The best corporate communicators I’ve worked with tend to think like journalists. They’re curious. They ask questions. They look beyond the obvious story. They pay attention to trends. They look for unexpected connections between different topics.
Most importantly, they don’t wait for stories to arrive in their inbox. Some of the best story ideas I’ve come across have emerged during informal conversations. A quick discussion over coffee. A casual comment before a meeting starts. An observation made during an interview that wasn’t part of the original discussion.
People often reveal interesting information when they aren’t consciously trying to tell a story. That’s why curiosity remains one of the most valuable skills in corporate communications. The more conversations you have, the more questions you ask, and the more interested you are in what people do, the easier it becomes to uncover stories that others might overlook.
That’s a wrap
Finding stories inside large organisations is rarely about waiting for inspiration to strike. More often, it’s about creating systems, paying attention, asking good questions, and staying curious. Over the years, I’ve found that the best stories are often hiding in plain sight. They simply need somebody willing to look a little deeper and connect the dots.
Read more on the blog Read more about corporate communications, sustainability reporting, marketing, running a small agency, and what I’ve learned along the way on my blog. To learn more about