This may seem like a new buzzword, but storytelling has been around for a long time. In fact, storytelling is one of the most valuable, and timeless skills that your brand can utilize to grow your audience.
Great stories have always, and will always reach out from text and images, from colors and symbols, and from advertisements with compelling messages that capture our human minds in ways that fact and figures simply cannot. Brand content with a story is easier to grab onto, easier to remember, and easier to relay which is vital for impressive word-of-mouth sales. How can your small business become better at storytelling? Here are 5 essential tips to help your content marketing thrive.
Get Personal
Access to information has never been easier for consumers, so consumers are begging for more than just stats. Social media has created a new kind of consumer who also wants to know about, well, you. Use storytelling to answer questions like, “What is your company culture?” “Where are you hoping to go with your product/brand?” and “Who the heck are you?” The days of, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain,” a la The Wizard of Oz are outdated.
Create a Connection, Conflict & Resolution
Take a tip from fiction and create a conflict and resolution in every story you present. Shift from the “here is my company and here is my product” mentality, investigate how your product or service is utilized, and share stories from other client’s perspectives. How is your product going to be used by your client or consumer? Show them. Show them the conflict, show them the resolution, show them – them.
Show, Don’t Tell
Any writer you come in contact with will be familiar with the phrase, “Show, don’t tell.” When you have the opportunity to present a visual to convey a message as opposed to stating, “Here is the message,” the consumer automatically connects more. This is why social media sites platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram have huge pulls for lead generation and sales – they have taken visual storytelling to a whole new level. “Showing” your audience helps tap into each individual’s imagination and let’s them “see” what you are trying to say, making your message that much more personal, powerful, and memorable.
Think About The Trilogy
Or at least have a second “book” in mind. You always want to leave your audience wanting a little more. Even though you are resolving one conflict, a quick call to action on Facebook to follow up on a character or a story connects your audience to something bigger than the original.
Simplify and Converse
At the basis of all storytelling is, of course, the point you are trying to convey. Unlike a sales pitch, stories can speak directly to your audience on a very personal level, and it’s vital that the message you are conveying is easy to grasp. Do you research, understand your demographics, understand your product and then simplify your message. Want to really raise your story to the next level, incorporate some (appropriate) casual humor. Chat with your audience like you would a friend-of-a-friend, casual and professional, and above all else, be authentic!
