INSIGHTS Human-centred storytelling: Stories people actually want to hear

We’re living in the loudest version of the internet we’ve ever seen.


With AI, creating content has never been easier. But that ease has filled every feed to the brim, and suddenly every scroll feels like wading through more and more of the same statements.


Audiences are fighting a battle to wade through the noise to find moments to pause. To learn. To feel. 

If you’ve ever opened your phone and felt tired after 30 seconds on LinkedIn, you’ll know what I mean. It isn’t so much the level of volume, but the lack of value. So much of what we see doesn’t move, help, or speak to us in any meaningful way.

That’s why I keep coming back to this single thought.

If your story isn’t giving someone  something meaningful, then it’s probably not worth telling.

We don’t need more content

The brands that stick with me are those that stand for something clear, consistently show up, and make people feel seen, understood, or inspired.

But most crucially, they translate all of those components into marketing you can feel. Not just “content for content’s sake”, but stories you remember on the walk to the kettle.

That might be a founder talking honestly about a tough decision, or an employee sharing why they’re proud of the work they do. It could even be a customer explaining how a product changed something small but meaningful in their life.

Those are human stories. And they cut through in a way no generic “5 tips for X” ever will.

What makes a story worth telling?


It comes down to two things: interest and impact.


• Interesting means not just repeating what everyone else is saying. You need a point of view. A challenge. A hint of friction.
• Impactful means actually doing something for the person on the other side. You inform, reassure, validate, entertain, or help them find a new perspective.

If your story doesn’t do either, it’s just noise. And noise is part of the problem.

We’re seeing real burnout from constant digital consumption. And, if we’re adding to that, we have to be sure it’s worth it.

Metrics matter. But so does the stuff you can’t measure.

Don’t get me wrong. I love a good dashboard as much as the next marketer. Clicks, impressions, conversions — they all have their place. But some of the most important results don’t show up in a report.

It’s the client who tells you your brand work finally made them feel proud to represent their organisation.
The colleague who shares a post and says, “This really feels like us.”
The prospect who mentions a story you told months ago as the reason they reached out.

That’s marketing doing what it’s supposed to do, helping people understand who you are and why you matter — in a way that feels genuine. A way that captures hearts and minds. 

Human-centred content is intentional

There’s a misconception that human-centred storytelling is just “being nice” or “fluffy”.

I don’t buy that.

To build marketing around real people,  their needs, time, attention, and mental load,  is actually a pretty disciplined approach. It forces you to make choices:

• What do we stop saying?
• What do we say less often, but more clearly?
• What are we willing to repeat for years because it’s core to who we are?

It’s much easier to chase the latest trend, jump on every meme, or create something purely because “the algorithm likes it”.

But algorithms change. Human needs don’t.

People will always want to feel respected, informed and most importantly, included. 

Our jobs are not to talk at someone, but talk with them.  If your stories are built around those needs, you’ll have a far better chance of outlasting any platform update.

We need less churn and more rhythm.

And you don’t need to post every day to be effective.

In fact, I’d rather see a brand share one strong, honest, valuable story a week than five forgettable ones just to “stay present”.

Can people trust that when you do show up, it’s going to be worth their time?
Can they feel the through-line in what you say — the promise, values… a point of view?

That’s a presence that will build over time.

So, where do you start?

If you want to lean into more human-centred storytelling, I’d start with three questions:

1. Who actually benefits from this story — and how?
2. Would a real person say this out loud, in this way?
3. If we didn’t post this, would anything be lost?

If you’re struggling to answer those, it might be worth going back to the brief.

Remember that the goal isn’t to tell more stories.
It’s to tell the right ones, for the right people, at the right time.

What’s one story your brand could tell this month that would genuinely make someone’s day better , not your metrics, or your ego, but their day?