How can you leverage storytelling techniques to make your product messaging more engaging and memorable?

I love a good hook. Whether it's an anecdote, rhetorical question, a stat or fact, a quote that resonates, etc. A great hook piques interest and leads to your opportunity to build a story. I think quotes as hooks are especially attention-grabbing, like: "We are the makers of music, we are the dreamers of dreams" - Willy Wonka "To infinity and beyond!" - Buzz Lightyear Those quotes spark a sense of nostalgia for me. Seeing those quotes makes me reflect on the joy I felt as I child when I watched "Toy Story" or "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". I'm already drawn into the message because the storyteller has grabbed my attention using something I associate with good feelings. So, of course, I'm reading on to find out more. ??

Hooks are great but good hooks are hard. Once someone find a great hook, it tends to be overused and becomes a stale hook fast. I usually start with a list of popular hooks and find spins to them so they don't feel generic. The second mistake is to tease to the detriment of not understanding what the rest of the content is going to be about. Teasing is good, but knowing what's after the hook is also essential. Find the right balance.

Crafting a compelling hook is essential: ??Surprising Fact: Start with a statistic that grabs attention. ??Pain Point: Highlight a common issue your audience faces. ??Emotive Anecdote: Share a relatable story that resonates emotionally. ??Emotional Connection: Make your audience feel understood and curious. ??Intrigue: Use your hook to draw potential customers into the narrative of your product. By starting with a strong hook, you ensure your product messaging not only captures attention but also connects deeply with your audience.

People care about features too though. But I'd say what's really important is the transformation. How the features transform the customer into a superhero. That's how you focus the messaging on the character the right way: how the live of the customer will change because of the product and features.

Make your product's story relatable: ??Human Connection: Present your product through a relatable character. ??Customer Success: Showcase real-life stories of customers benefiting from your product. ??Personification: Give your product human traits to make it more personable. ??Emotional Impact: Focus on how your product helps people, not just its features. ??Memorable Messaging: Ensure your audience remembers the human element of your product’s story. By humanizing your product, you create a deeper connection with your audience, making your messaging more impactful and memorable.

Even if I'm aware of my problems, I always love to see messaging that acknowledge these problems. It shows the team behind the product understands me, they are targeting me, and the product probably fits me. Maybe it's going to turn out totally wrong, but on this moment, that's how I feel. Add to that the benefits that I'm looking for and I'm buying.

I like to think of it like making a movie. Before writing the script, we need to first consider the positioning (the genre) and the messaging (the synopsis). Once the framework is set, we can focus on crafting the key elements and bringing the story to life: (1) The Hero: Your customer, the central figure. (2) The Vision: The utopia or ideal state they seek. (3) The Obstacles/Villain: The challenges they face. (4) The Ally and the Journey: Your product as the solution that helps them overcome these obstacles. Finally, with these elements in place, it’s time to nail the copy (the script) to complete the narrative!

Harness emotions to drive decisions: ??Emotional Journey: Take your audience through the transformation your product enables. ??Problem-Solution: Illustrate the struggles without your product and the triumphs with it. ??Storytelling: Share real stories of customers experiencing positive outcomes. ??Beyond Benefits: Focus on the emotional impact, not just the features. ??Lasting Impression: Associate your product with joy, relief, and success. By weaving emotions into your product messaging, you create a memorable and impactful narrative that resonates deeply with your audience.

I have spent a lot of time watching how Apple and Google announce their new products over the past few years. Here’s a quick summary: focus on the narrative, not on reading from the slides. Emphasize the value for the audience and broader customer base, not the hardware specifications or ‘numbers’ (like 100GB of RAM). Stick with simple imagery and focus on one or two things on each slide. Don’t bother putting a title there if it doesn’t make sense.

Use vivid descriptions to enhance storytelling: ??Paint a Picture: Use descriptive language to create a mental image of life with your product. ??Scenarios: Describe situations where your product is indispensable. ??Aspirational Results: Highlight the transformative outcomes achievable with your product. ??Visual Storytelling: Help your audience visualize the benefits through powerful imagery. ??Memorable Message: Make your message stick by allowing them to see themselves using your product. By leveraging vivid descriptions, you create a compelling narrative that not only explains your product's value but also resonates deeply with your audience.

Ensure consistency in your product's story: ??Clear Theme: Identify a core theme, like freedom, innovation, or reliability. ??Unified Message: Maintain this theme across all marketing materials. ??Brand Narrative: Build a strong, recognizable brand narrative. ??Reinforcement: Consistent messaging reinforces what your product stands for. ??Customer Expectations: Clearly communicate what customers can expect from your product. By maintaining a consistent theme, you create a memorable and cohesive story that strengthens your brand and resonates with your audience.

Nail the climax with a strong CTA: ??Natural Conclusion: Ensure your CTA flows seamlessly from your story. ??Clear Direction: Guide your audience to the next step, be it a purchase, signup, or more info. ??Compelling: Make your CTA irresistible and aligned with the narrative. ??Integrated: Avoid abrupt or unrelated commands; keep it part of the journey. ??Action-Oriented: Use persuasive language to drive immediate action. By making your CTA the climax of your story, you smoothly transition your audience from engagement to action, enhancing the effectiveness of your product marketing.

I will also refer to most of the Apple and Samsung product launches. The call to action is concise and clear, which is what we aim for in product marketing. It should be a straightforward ‘get yours at a specific store or website’ and nothing more. If it’s a business product, a simple ‘contact your representative’ is too much work. Instead, there should be a simple callback form or ‘register here’ for the audience. Then, the account managers can sort out the roles and responsibilities behind the scenes. It’s very important to eliminate friction for potential or existing customers

I like this article but I would like to add some points that I share from my experience as an ex head of product management for many companies (including Sony Europe). I have always found that anecdotes and case studies on how to use your product have helped tremendously. I also like to use analogies, metaphors that people can relate to. I have also always incorporated real quotes from customers and/or experts so that people would engage more with the content. If you apply a narrative structure to your messages with a unique voice and style, you will definitely get better understanding of your messages. People will remember more clearly. Do not forget to mention the user journey of your product. I hope this helps.

Companies are run by people, and people don't buy "the WHAT," they buy "the WHY." You need to learn about your target audience's main drivers and motivations first and connect that with why your solution will matter to them. Storytelling is more about making that emotional, intrinsic connection (which can be as simple as your buyer wanting to look good and fancy at their company) and less about features and capabilities. Learn that and make sure to include it in your messaging