It’s a question I’m asked more often than you might expect: Is storytelling the same as telling stories?
On the surface, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s just two ways of saying the same thing. But in practice, especially when it comes to business communication and social media, there’s an important difference.
Telling stories vs storytelling
Telling stories is sharing what happened.
Storytelling is helping someone understand why it matters.
You can tell a story without much intention. It might be a moment from your day, an update from your work, or something that caught your attention.
Storytelling, on the other hand, is more considered. It adds context. It connects an everyday moment to a bigger idea, value, or insight.
That difference is subtle – but it’s important, and the reason some content resonates and some is quickly forgotten.
Why this matters for businesses
In business, especially on social media, we often jump straight to the point. The conclusion. The lesson. The takeaway.
But in real life, that’s not how conversations work.
If you met someone at a networking event, you wouldn’t open with your final line. You’d introduce yourself. Share a bit of background. Offer some context so the other person understands who you are and how you see the world.
Storytelling gives you the space to recreate those missing moments online. It helps people follow your thinking, not just read your opinion.
Storytelling isn’t oversharing
This is also an important distinction. I hear a lot of fear about how storytelling means sharing everything or being overly personal. This simply isn’t true. It’s not about performance, vulnerability for the sake of it, or trying to manufacture emotion.
It’s about making something real. Adding just enough detail for someone else to see the situation, understand your perspective, and recognise themselves in it.
Two people can share the same experience. One will connect. The other won’t.
The difference is rarely the story itself — it’s how it’s told.
Intentional, not accidental
You can tell stories without meaning to.
But storytelling is intentional.
It’s the choice to:
- pause before jumping to the conclusion
- explain the context around a decision
- share the thinking behind the outcome
This is especially powerful on social media, where so much content is rushed, reactive, or disconnected from the bigger picture.
Where strategy comes in
In my experience, storytelling works best when it’s guided by strategy.
Without direction, stories can feel scattered or self-contained. With strategy, they become part of a wider narrative – helping people understand what you stand for, how you work, and why you do what you do.
That’s when social media stops feeling random. And starts feeling purposeful.
A final thought
If you’ve ever felt unsure about what to share online, it might help to reframe the task.
You’re not being asked to tell better stories. You’re being invited to communicate more clearly. And sometimes, all that takes is slowing down long enough to explain why something mattered to you in the first place.
If you’d like support thinking more strategically about storytelling and communication for your business, please do get in touch. This is exactly the work I do at Telling Tales Media.
