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Introduction – Stories Move Readers
“Hansel and Gretel were lost in a forest. A fork in a road presented two paths – one laden with food, the other with diamonds. Instead of following a path of breadcrumbs, they were distracted by shiny diamonds and followed those. As they went deeper into the forest, they suddenly saw a majestic home made of crystals! They stopped in their tracks to soak in the beauty … That’s when they noticed the poster on the front door – 20% off on diamonds!”
Captivated by this story?
What if a jewellery brand used this to paint a picture for its customers?
Wouldn’t it be more engaging than a boring old post that simply said 20% off on diamonds?
Stories work like magic – especially in today’s digital world, where every business tries its best to stand out. Storytelling is an art; marketers leverage stories to sell products and services. Stories help customers engage with the brand and retain interest. Impactful stories will remain in customers’ minds longer than stories or posts as part of social media content.
As a marketing tool, storytelling is highly sought after. But why?
Simply put, stories connect with an audience’s emotions – they appeal to the reader’s imagination. Brands gain popularity because they can tell stories in an actionable way.
For example, take the Guinness’ ‘Made of More’ campaign; this ad tells the story of a Japanese women’s rugby team in a compelling manner without showcasing the product or service. However, it appeals to the target audience’s minds. It helps them understand what the Guinness brand stands for, what its values are, and why it relates to the story’s subject. It indirectly impacts the audience’s mind, who then remembers the brand for something beyond its main selling point.
Just like this example, are you excited to talk about your brand or business in a story-like manner?
In this article, we look at how your brand can use storytelling as a part of its branding activities.
How can your brand create a good story?
Look at some of the best advertisements or digital media reels and posts. You will notice they are created around stories. To create a fruitful and impactful story, it must have the following elements:
- Believable: Consumers are very well-informed these days. They have access to a lot of information, so make sure you weave a believable story. Your target audience will likely see through it and unfollow your brand if you don’t. Good stories build trust and relationships better than stories that aren’t believable.
- Informative: Good stories are well-researched, and they offer value to customers. Ensure that your story is informative and sparks the audience’s curiosity.
- Relatable: Stories that are relatable to your target audience are more likely to appeal to them. To create a truly memorable story, ensure your audience understands and relates to it.
- Entertaining: What makes an audience gauge content repeatedly? The answer is the fun factor associated with a story. Great stories are engaging and entertaining enough to keep the audience interested.
Telling Great Stories
Storytelling, in branding especially, is always an experiment – some stories work and create an impact on the audience. Others can get lost in the horde of failed ideas.
Here are some quick tips on how you can create a strong story as part of your branding activities:
- Feature Characters Based on Your Audience
Great stories feature strong characters. Characters create a bridge between the audience and the storyteller (your brand). Tell your story such that the audience can relate to the character and put themselves in their shoes. It will likely nudge them towards taking the final intended action.
How to create the perfect character?
Understand your audience first.
Who are most likely to listen to your story and why?
Which audience segment will benefit from listening to your story and then take the intended action?
Strategise these aspects, define the customer persona, and build characters around them.
- Focus on the Core Message
Many brands believe a story told through a quick clip works better than a longer story presented may be via text. However, the fact is, it doesn’t entirely matter how long or short your story is or what medium you use to convey it. What matters the most is how engaging your story is and how well your brand can focus on the core message.
Before delving into the story, highlight its essence.
What is the main point of your story?
Are you able to put this together in a summary?
If you can’t, your story probably has too many points it covers. Focus on a single core message; this will help your brand reach its audience effectively.
- Convey Your Story Impactfully
Once you decide what kind of story you want to tell, zone in on the mode of telling the story.
Do you want to say it via pictures? Via a video? Via images on your landing page?
There are many different ways to get a message across – make sure you keep this consistent with your brand’s voice and tonality.
Ultimately, the point of telling a story is to get the audience to take a specific action – it, for example, could include:
(a) following the brand,
(b) purchasing its products, or
(c) making a donation.
Ensure that your story is compelling enough to incite action – remember, the audience appreciates authenticity. Take time to review your brand’s core values and use those to leverage your story.
Some elements you could consider including in your story to make it impactful are:
i. Imparting knowledge.
ii. Fostering collaboration or community ideologies.
Conclusion
Stories help brands grab consumer attention; they can be in a narrative format or an interactive one. Tapping into a consumer’s imagination is an excellent way for a brand to create an impact while solidifying its presence. Stories are also a great way to pay tribute to the things happening around us and help bring people and communities together.
Try using these tips to engage your audience by weaving your own stories.