Successful businesses across industries like Microsoft, United Airlines and Under Armor have a Chief Storyteller on their payroll. If ‘Chief Storyteller’ sounds like a buzzword to you, we assure you, it’s not.

Stories are in our DNA - everyone loves a good story, children and adults alike. Irrespective of our background and culture, stories have the power to transport us forwards or backwards in time, sparking emotions as we connect with the plot or its characters.

This age old form of communication is assuming greater importance for businesses in the digital age. With the advent of the social-mobile revolution, the ability to create and publish content is not limited to an elite few with access to deep pockets. Anyone can do it – quite literally. But here’s the catch. Online audiences are picky and suffer from attention deficit. They screen content and tune in only to messages they care about. This means brands must turn into master storytellers to catch and sustain customer attention.

As more companies resort to storytelling to inform and win their audiences over, this week, we offer some insights into how you can use this medium to promote your brand.