Do you tell a compelling story? Your guide to marketing through the art of storytelling

People don’t want to be told to. People want to be pulled to.

People in the world today inherently want to feel connection. Still, every single platform people interact and engage on, they’re being sold to in some way. Google, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, TV channels, streaming services, radio stations, print…the list could go on. Humans are constantly being sold on something. Whether it's a product, an opinion, a service, a mindset, a lifestyle….everything.

As marketers, it’s our job to make sure our audience doesn't feel like we’re telling them to purchase, but rather trying to build a relationship with them. That emotional bond compels people to purchase. It's our job to create that connection from our brand to our audience through our content. And how? Storytelling.

Today we’re going to look at:

• Benefits of storytelling
• Do’s and Don’ts of storytelling
• Elements of storytelling

Grab your caffeine, put on your comfy clothes, and let's dive in.

?Looking to connect further? Check out marketing...in sweatpants here.

The goal of telling a story through your content is simply to create a connection between you and your audience. In a world where anyone can find a ?cheaper “dupe” for any product and any service, ask yourself: How are you going to leave an impression on your audience and stand out?

Benefits of storytelling

Bonding with your audience through the art of storytelling has several benefits for your company. The top brand benefits of storytelling outlined from Oxford Academic include:

• Creates emotional response
• Builds brand credibility and trust
• Helps your company stand out
• Helps drive sales

Types of storytelling you can leverage in your marketing:

Brand stories: Brand history, mission, and values

Customer stories: Real customer experiences

Employee stories: Employee experiences (humanize your brand!)

Testimonials: Statements/endorsements from real customers

Case studies: In-depth, scientifically proven, documented results

Do's and Don'ts of Storytelling

Check out this table, which sources the do's and don'ts of storytelling:

Once you've got an idea of how-to and how-not-to create storytelling content, incorporate the key elements.

#1: Know your audience

Whether you’re a comedian, marketer, or part-time funny human being (me), knowing your audience is the first step in your storytelling journey. Before crafting your stories, answer these questions:

• Who is your demographic?
• What conflicts do they have?
• What solutions are they looking for?
• How can you connect to them?

?#2: Build character

Instinctively, people want to connect to others. Building characters that are relatable to your demographic is key. You can build character through physical representation and/or emotional representation. That means you can highlight a specific person in your stories, or you can build character through the emotional tone and presence of the story.

#3: Map out conflict and solution

Consumers want to hear about how your brand is going to help solve a problem. When crafting stories, use real and authentic examples of how your company can help your audience. Marketers may also want to consider including information on how your brand contributes to larger, global issues through your storytelling. The key to mastering the element of conflict and solution is to ensure the examples are believable, accurate, and relatable.

#4: Be authentic and consistent

Authenticity and consistency are key elements in brand storytelling. Both inherently and strategically, businesses are tempted to exaggerate their success and downplay their failure. However, it’s important for marketers to show authenticity and consistency in how you present your brand history, customer stories, and promotion of your product/services. Answer questions such as:

• Why does the company exist?
• How did your business get to where it is?
• What sets you apart?
• What does your audience say about you?
• How has your company improved over the years?

#5: Build community through connection + collaboration

One of the most important elements of storytelling is building a community through connection and collaboration. Storytelling is a great way for marketers to relate to and create a deeper connection with their audience. Telling brand, customer, and employee stories by incorporating other elements such as authenticity and consistency fosters a relationship between audience and company. When your audience feels that connection and sense of community in your stories, your brand credibility increases. Better brand credibility = better long-term success.

As always, here are key research statistics as it relates to marketing through the art of storytelling:

Are you utilizing storytelling in your marketing? What kind of stories have you used to create a connection with your audience? Where can you improve?

?Talk next week!

-marketing...in sweatpants