How to Write Stories That Sell - Part 1

Many brands say they like stories but when you create stories; they cringe and want to stick to the regular copies or content. That’s fine but if you want to bag it big in content, especially for brand building then this is for you.

First, what is this thing that they call storytelling? Too many definitions out there and nobody is breaking them down. They know it and I know they do but they can’t describe it. Here’s where I come in.?

My name is Seun Odegbami and I will be your guide through this storytelling journey.

Storytelling is the use of creative illustrations or representations [describing something or in this case an experience] to pass a message to your audience.?

Brands use them to connect emotionally with customers; take for instance Guinesses' popular Micheal Power which aired in the 2000s about a character that was kidnapped by some bad guys and Micheal Power jumps in to save the day.

Why did it work……………..?

Every guy has an ego side and he wants to show he has power and can go beyond to achieve his goals. It appealed to people’s need for self-actualization & esteem [ feel good about themselves and need to impress] and when you get people to this point. You gravitate towards influence over them.

I remember sitting up at night waiting at night for NTA Channel 5 to show Micheal Power to save his damsel and stop leaving us a cliffhanger [another storytelling tool especially when you are writing a series]

They turned an experience into a message - the real message wasn’t saving John’s wife. It was about the power of friendships and inspiring people to overcome despite the circumstances.?

That is what they were selling. Go beyond selling features and benefits to selling feelings.

Now that you understand how a brand uses storytelling…………….how then should your stories be??

I go by eight principles which are;

Relatability: To draw relatability, look at your popular experiences like failing Jamb [well at least I know most people did or didn’t get their cut-off mark], others like starting your first paid job, or your first day in NYSC, etc.?

These are experiences that others have had. Use it to your advantage.

Authenticity: One of the brands I love so much is Dove because of their inclusivity in their campaigns. Check your experience and search for those things that make you vulnerable like are you an introvert who has lost a job because they could not talk. That is the authenticity your audience wants to hear.?

Your pastors use it very well, there is this popular Pastor, Mr. Femi Lazarus trending now [because he tells vulnerable stories about himself] and you hear people say na my pastor be this, I want to know his church…hmm pastor Femi ti get eh.

Emotive: Stories are full of emotions; feelings of joy, peace, and sadness are weapons of storytelling and when wielded correctly can be used to collect people’s money. Yeah, Ego!

You see this guy below from the WALKING Dead Series. He was killed and it pained me walahi, And it stopped me from watching the series, I mean bro fought to the end. O pain me sha.

This is how your stories should be “Kill the loveable character, twist everything”.?

Contagious: Like a virus, it spreads like wildfire, now this is the secret of retweets and shares.?

You know when you unlock a hidden level in your favorite game show and you want to share it with your friends without being paid for it? That’s what your content does because the pieces of information are too hawt not to share.?

Humans like Gossip and if you release very personal information; you are sure to go viral but at what cost? That’s not the purpose of storytelling but when used wrongly it works too.

Believable: What makes a story believable…..? The details bro, that’s what makes it believable, if you are telling a story about your dad's blue Mercedes 190 all-wheel drive, tell us how it smelt and how the drive was. This tells us you experienced it in real-time and you are not just giving us FABUUUUUUUUUUU! Because you are a fictional writer. We don’t do that in this zone.

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Evocative: Getting a response from people is one of the hardest, unlike your marketing copies where you are using FOMO [fear of missing out to respond] to get them to respond. Your story influences people to share theirs, you know those quotes that people make on Twitter that even rival the real tweet gan gan, that’s the one. [That’s evocation].

Ending your story with your thoughts and an action you took, can be CTA [call to action] if you like and people whom your content speaks to internally will reply.

Inspiring: That wow moment, when a character stands up and fights for others and becomes the unlikely hero. Not to jinx it but I think my most inspiring character is the girlfriend from Tribe of Judah and what she did at the ending. That’s what you want to do for your audience.?

People were cheering her up!!! That’s what you want people to be - your cheerleader.

This is how your stories should be; In our next part, I will be taking us through the next part which is structuring your content around plots, characters, settings, and sequence,?

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