How a Story Can Help Restore a City

After the catastrophic course of Hurricane Harvey through Texas and amidst the fierce flooding brought on by Hurricane Irma in Florida, the nation has turned its sights towards the process of reparation and renewal.

Grim though these estimates be, we know that recovery and even renaissance is possible for small businesses — especially if they make the effort to get their story out there and tell it in a compelling way.

This small business success can be true for Texas and Florida as well. Well-told stories can shape the destiny of a company, a community and even a whole city. As organizations and small businesses start to rebuild, here are some things they should keep in mind:

Pay attention to the details. There will be no “business-as-usual” in the weeks and months to come — there will only be business-as-unusual. You’ll be calling friends, contacting neighbors, asking family and maybe even strangers for help to get your feet back on the ground. In the rush of recovery, don’t lose sight of the bizarre, the strange, the extraordinary. It is these daily choices that, though seemingly small in the moment, will help shape the narrative of your renewal.

Hone in on what’s most important. One of the hardest thing about disasters like Harvey is that you’re in it for the long haul — there’s no real telling how long the recovery will take. By the time you are fully operational again, you may have years of information to tell. Figure out what’s most important — the unusual or provocative highlights that you can fit into a short pitch or a brief post — and focus in on that.

Reach out — on earned and owned platforms. In the aftermath of the hurricane, people will be looking for stories of renewal and redemption. Use social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Medium to tell your story to the stakeholders and support base you already have. Reach out to reporters — who will also be looking for these kinds of stories — to expand that support base and get coverage.

There’s no denying that things will never be the same in Texas, Florida and other southern states — and not just for businesses, but for families as well. But storytelling has the power to make it so that the final word is not hurricane, but hope.

Related posts:

Hackney Wick is the place to be for music and art fans that want to be part of a community where they are encouraged and admired. Unlike many parts of London, it’s actually still affordable for…

Nicole comes to Salut after a 10-year career at Equinox where she grew to occupy a corporate leadership role designing international training and educational programs for hundreds of the world’s best…

Pandemic related shortages have dominated 2020. Whether it be toilet paper, hand sanitizer, or pelotons — they have all had moments of fluctuating scarcity. However, one — dare I say — crisis that…