Storytelling is no more than the art of telling stories. All businesses and companies, even the smallest, have stories to tell. These recounts can inspire many clients, and can therefore be key in forming a close relationship between a company and its consumers.
This being said, storytelling has always been a heavily used technique in traditional marketing strategies. Now that we live in the digital era, we can adapt these types of tools in order to help create a direct, emotional connection between a brand and its following. In today’s day and age, trust and loyalty have become fundamental values to this relationship.
A well-told story can generate many feelings for the potential client reading your article and, in addition, is easy to remember. Stories that focus on a business’ beginning, the challenges faced along the way, and the evolution and growth of a product are great materials to begin captivating your audience through this creative tool.
At this point, the following question arises: “How do I implement storytelling in my digital marketing strategy?” Nowadays, we have many transmedia applications and platforms that allow us to fulfill this exercise in a more creative manner. Social media is an ideal complement, as well.
Through Facebook, we create video content; with Twitter, we have the chance to create thousands of conversation threads; and with Instagram, we can interact live.
These mediums not only allow us to distribute our stories, but also help us to obtain more users (prospects), understand what they think and what they like, and ultimately, connect with them.
If we take a look at current marketing campaigns, emotion is something that never goes out of style. Large B2B companies like Intel, Schneider Electric or GE provide prime examples, as they are always looking for ways to keep their audiences active.
The Keys to Perfect Storytelling
When we tell a story or an anecdote, we don’t know exactly how our audience will respond. However, there are several tactics that can help us capture their attention.
Emotion: Every day, we coexist as human beings, and we progress through emotions and feelings. Comedy and drama can generate elements that keep this connection alive.
Clear Messaging: Simplicity will always be effective. We don’t fill ourselves up with complex stories; those that have simple, differentiable messages make the ride more attractive and fun.
Interaction: The consumer is not only capable of diving into a story, but also participates in it. Here, the fictitious world we are describing connects with the real world (in which the user shares and gives his/her opinion).
Your Ideal Consumer: Always remember the premise of the usertype you’re pursuing, and the action that you’d like them to take (buying a product, signing up for an event, etc.) This will be your guide during the process of creating and producing tailored stories.
