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Do you want to know a great secret? Plenty of business and marketing success could be attributed to the amazing and unwitting storytellers among us.
These include leaders who passionately and carefully narrate their unique visions in order to inspire change; account representatives who conceptualize services or products through vivid real-life examples, and trainers who creatively design scenario-based and engaging learning…
A great example of the incredible power of story: recently, I was cruising along a Texas road while singing passionately along to a song on the radio. After the song ended an announcer stated, “Purchasing a house is very exciting and fun, and by ‘exciting and fun’ I mean ‘terrifying.'”
If you have traveled the bumpy road to home ownership, you will immediately feel these words. It is because it really is terrifying to purchase a house. The narration of the announcer evoked the buyer’s point of view and had me tuned in and wanting plenty more. This is why storytelling works.
And that is precisely the secret to successful storytelling. It is the uncanny ability to communicate personalized nuggets right up front in order to gain someone’s attention, which is accompanied by a well-designed narrative to drive action. In business this ability can be transformative.
The Allure of Stories
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We are all attracted to stories, to some extent, from an early age. There are many reasons why parents teach their kids invaluable lessons through this great method. Stories are captivating and engaging and they grab the listener’s attention right from the start to the end. And it is precisely why storytelling in marketing is such an incredibly powerful tool.
Why is Storytelling so Important?
There are various reasons why storytelling must be bedrock of your content marketing strategy.
1. Storytelling makes your Business Unique
Although your services and products have unique features, the key thing that can really set you apart from your competitors is your distinct story. You may have seen Coca-Cola’s famous New Year’s commercials. These commercials are unique and memorable because they resemble a fairy tale.
If you incorporate an unexpected twist into the marketing content that you produce, it is likely your audience would remember your brand name and think about it when they need the products or services you offer.
Rather than listing all the benefits and features of your product or service with a long and boring piece of text, you could easily inform your target audience about how they would benefit from your offerings via an exciting story.
Most of us want to hear about other buyer’s experiences before buying a particular service or product. If you base your marketing efforts on memorable stories, your prospective customers would get a lot more than just features and facts. They will know and understand exactly why they require your product or service and would be more inclined to take the actions you suggest.
3. Stories Evoke Empathy
When you do not have a good story to go with your brand, you are just another run-of-the-mill business. Every marketer must have an objective to develop and foster an emotional connection with their audience. This is why storytelling works.
You would like to make your audience feel something different, so they would be ready and eager to take action as soon as they watch a video, read one of your texts, listen to a podcast, or access other kind of content that you produce.
One of the most human things you could do is develop a compelling story and share it with your audience. Keep the aims and objectives of storytelling in mind when creating it. If you are having trouble coming up with an engaging narrative, it’s better to find professionals. For instance, CopyCrafter.net not only deals with custom writings but also can provide a fascinating story for your brand.
4. Storytelling is not ‘Salesy’
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“Buy this service or product because it is the best or leading one on the market–also it is economical and has plenty of great features.” Seriously that statement can sound very unconvincing and dry, right? Going with a “salesy” approach is one of the most common mistakes that many marketers make.
In contrast, if you promote and market your brand via a story, you are not attempting to persuade your audience to purchase your products; rather, you are only sharing a unique experience, leaving the buying decision to them. You will not come off as desperate and customers would be happier to buy once they feel like they are making the choice.
Getting Started
If you are not certain how to get started, this simple and elegant formula will help you get started.
Audience
Figure out who your target audience is. At its core, storytelling needs a firm and comprehensive understanding of your target audience – who are they and why should they care? It is worth noting that the key to uncovering and learning more about your audience is related directly to the skill of listening.
Channel
It is also vital to know where your audience navigates for information. Although most people view the channel typically as how you will deliver your story (such as live, digital dashboard or YouTube), it would also help guide you to the specific technology that you would use to design your narrative—as well as determine resources needed to do both.
Emotion
How can you make your audience care? Getting your target customers to feel something would immediately connect them to the story. It is why storytelling is both a science and an art.
So, what are you waiting for? Embrace the incredible power of storytelling and notice where it can take your brand. And it is always best to keep your brand’s mission and vision in mind to help guide you through the process. The compelling art of storytelling will draw your target customers into your world, while the science relating to how the human is moved by a story can help make your brand memorable and unique.
A great and compelling story narrated by a brand that understands this has the potential to conclude the story so effectively that it will turn the readers into customers.
