Sharing your personal story has the potential to raise awareness of causes close to your heart, help others and aid healing, according to research.
And it has the potential to bring about change – such as the ’Me Too Movement’, which brought condemnation to dozens of powerful men after survivors began sharing their experiences on social media using the hashtag #MeToo.
But care should be taken before a story is made public – as some believe it may lead a person to reexperience events of the past and even be retraumatized.
Public relations consultant Angela Belassie, of PR The Write Way, said: “I’ve seen how sharing a personal story can build rapport and let other people know they are not alone.
“But timing is important. If the experience is recent and still raw, it may be better to simply write it down in the first instance and process the events.
“Once you’ve given it careful consideration and the time is right, you may wish to share your story publicly- which is likely to resonate with and inspire your audience.”
Human interest
A human-interest story is likely to be more impactful than statistics, as it tends to be more engaging, emotive and memorable.
It can create trust as well as backing of your cause – from body positivity to calling out racism to raising awareness of sexual harassment in schools.
Speaking on the Remote CEO podcast with Deneiro Bartolini, Angela said sharing a personal story can have many benefits – including building credibility and relatability.
But she cautioned: “It’s about being aware of potential consequences, not just to you, but to other people.”
Safeguarding
Once details are shared in the public domain, they cannot be taken back. People wanting to share their story may wish to consider if some topics are off-limits.
Angela, who has worked in the media for over 20 years, said: “It’s worth considering if your story exposes other people and how it would impact on them.
“For example, I worked with someone who decided to wait until her child was an adult before sharing her own story publicly.
“Her account did not involve sharing any details about her child, but she was concerned that it would bring unwanted attention to them while at school.”
Legal and safeguarding issues should be taken into account, as well as exercising caution when sharing information and images of children.
Tackling stigma
Roland Chesters is an author and ambassador for Terrence Higgins Trust, which supports people living with HIV.
He shared his personal story, which gained widespread press coverage – both at a local and national level – and led to greater recognition of his campaign work, including his book.
He used his platform to speak out for others and tackle the stigma surrounding HIV. And he let people living with HIV know they were not alone.
He said: “I want to stand up for other people who may be more vulnerable or with less of a support network.
“Until there are enough people living with the condition saying ‘this is who I am and I cannot pass on the infection’ the stigma will not go away.”
Connection
Yvonne Bignall has shared her views and experiences on hot topics such as body shaming and women’s health.
She said: “These have a direct link to the work I do now and I continue to share these as they are rich with personal experiences.
“It has created a sense of connection and trust with my audience, giving them access to parts of my journey they can relate to.”
Sharing your story can bring greater recognition, trust and rapport with your audience. It can inspire others to act and speak out, with the potential to create widespread, positive change.
Yvonne Bignall of Permission to Thrive.
