Why Storytelling Matters and How to Do It Well with Jessica Graham
One of the most common reasons people start blogging is because they love to write. But we don’t often talk about how storytelling can actually make your blog (and your business) more impactful.
In this episode of The Ultimate Blog Podcast, we interviewed Jessica Graham to explore why weaving personal stories into your blog posts matters – especially in a world filled with SEO strategies, algorithms, and AI-generated content.
Meet Jessica Graham
Jessica is a brand story strategist for entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and small businesses. Through coaching and consulting, she’s known for helping business owners craft their signature stories so that they feel confident to speak on more podcasts and stages, submit a bio that grabs more attention, and know how to share a story that inspires their audience to take action.
Now based in Liechtenstein, Jessica is on a mission to shake up how brands communicate. She’s all about championing stories that inspire, bring people together, and build communities that make a meaningful impact.
What Is Storytelling in Blogging?
For Jessica, storytelling is really about truth-telling – sharing personal experiences that reveal your values, your perspective, and your personality.
She shares that her appreciation for storytelling started when she lived abroad. Meeting people from totally different cultures and backgrounds made her realize that the stories we share are what connect us. They break down barriers and remind us that we’re all human. And in the online world, that connection is everything.
Balancing SEO and Story
As bloggers, there’s often a tug-of-war between writing for Google and writing for people. SEO helps your blog get found – but it’s your story that helps your readers stay.
Jessica explains it like this: SEO is the skeleton of your blog post. It gives structure and helps search engines know what your content is about. But storytelling is what brings your blog to life and makes it human, relatable, and memorable. People want your personality and your perspective.
“But What If No One Cares About My Story?”
We’ve all had that voice in our heads: “Why would anyone care about this?” Jessica hears this a lot, and her answer is simple – people do care.
In fact, it’s often your story that sets you apart in a crowded online space. Your voice, your perspective, and your values are what help you attract like-minded readers, clients, and community members. As Jessica says, “People want to buy from people.”
Sharing Authentically Without Oversharing
The truth is that sharing your story doesn’t mean putting your entire life on display. There’s a difference between being authentic and being an open book.
Jessica encourages bloggers to start by defining their non-negotiables. What’s off-limits for public consumption? Write that down. Just because you’re a blogger doesn’t mean your whole life has to be online.
Then, focus on your values. When you know what matters most to you – whether it’s connection, creativity, growth, or something else – you can draw stories from your life that reflect those values. For example, if “connection” is one of your core values, you might reflect on what connection looked like during different seasons of your life and use those experiences to inspire your content.
It’s not about sharing everything. It’s about sharing the right things – stories that support your message, resonate with your readers, and feel true to you.
One Thing to Try Today to Weave Storytelling into Your Content Strategy
If you want to start weaving storytelling into your content strategy, Jessica suggests you begin by knowing what your micro-stories are. Start banking those, and you can go back through that story bank and bridge those stories into the topics you write about.
It’s a simple way to start connecting with your audience, sharing your perspective, and sharing your story – because your story matters.
In this episode, we covered:
- What storytelling in blogging can look like
- Why storytelling matters
- How to balance SEO and storytelling
- How to gain confidence when telling your story
- How to share authentically (without oversharing)
- What one strategy you can try today to weave more storytelling into your content strategy
Links and resources mentioned in this episode:
- Check out Jessica’s Free Storytelling Community for female entrepreneurs and creatives
- Follow Jessica on Instagram and LinkedIn
- Grab our free Summer Startup Checklist!
- Join The Ultimate Blog Roadmap
- Check out Episode 172: The Recipe for Blogging Success with Sweet Savory and Steph
- Check out Episode 173: The 4C Method to Repurpose Your Content and Decrease Burnout with Krystle Straub
- Check out last week’s episode on mastering SEO without the stress featuring Bekah Read!
We hope you loved this episode with Jessica Graham on why storytelling matters and how to do it well! Please leave us a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway from this episode!
