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Since time immemorial, humans have connected through stories, providing a means of entertainment and a method of education. The story goes back thousands of years, but it still holds its place in modern society, especially in business. When business leaders harness the power of stories in their marketing strategies, results and loyal customers will follow.
Use the science of storytelling to connect with your audience
There’s a reason why even if you forget a person’s name, you can still remember your conversation line by line. It’s not because you’re rude or just because you don’t like names. That’s because your brain is wired to learn through stories, recognize patterns, and retain information, thanks to well-packaged stories.
It doesn’t matter if the brand is well known or not, as long as the story is good. Stories convey messages. This is good news for emerging brands and brands with smaller marketing budgets. In addition, with more owned communication and native his marketing channels, brands will be able to share their stories without relying on traditional gatekeepers.
The content marketing platform I worked with, Nativo, unlocked storytelling possibilities by focusing on more than just native advertising. Instead, with the help of machine learning and artificial intelligence, the company emphasizes the importance of: Create authentic content and messages Meet consumers in a trusted environment where they are already engaged. By leveraging authentic, high-quality branded content where consumers are, brands can make real connections and tell stories that drive revenue.
The practice of creating strong and relevant stories creates an opportunity for lesser-known brands to rise to the top and compete with established brands.
Leverage established storytelling principles to tell a compelling story
Aristotle’s Poetics emphasizes six elements of drama: plot, characters, thought, diction, spectacle and song. These elements create a story backbone that your audience can relate to. But you don’t have to go back to school to become a professional storyteller.
Marketing leaders regularly refer to what’s known as a “Pixar pitch” when developing engaging and compelling content to gain buy-in and change understanding. Leveraging Pixar’s simplified approach to storytelling, marketers can create stories that engage audiences and leave memorable messages.
Take the viewer on a journey, starting by identifying the current situation, the incident that caused it, and the actions that followed. Use your company’s origin story as a template for a compelling conversation. A story that is old to you may be relevant and relatable to your audience.
Consider the time-consuming weekly task of grocery shopping. Instacart founders acted on shared pain in a tech-friendly world to develop affordable solutions. Simply marketing a paid service as useful is not enough to get your message to the top. But the story of how the lack of grocery shopping has earned families precious time together is poignant. Create stories that connect customer pain points and solutions, focusing on the results your business can deliver.
Replace corporate armor with authentic stories that resonate
Outdoor gear maker Patagonia does what many retailers don’t. They regularly discourage customers from buying clothes in their marketing messages. Instead, it encourages customers to reuse and repair Patagonia items, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability. Over the years, the company has added a second-hand resale and exchange program to further emphasize its sustainability message. By putting their values into practice and incorporating them into the customer experience, Patagonia has become one of today’s most beloved outdoor retailers.
Learn from Patagonia’s approach to authentic marketing, even if your product isn’t very specific. Focus on company values, innovation and people to craft authentic messages that are relevant to customer needs. If a researcher worked day and night to test the effectiveness of a product, share the story of their hard work. If your product helps your customers live a better, happier life, use a story to tell how that happens. Customers will listen when you connect the “why” behind what they do and share it in authentic story format.
Cut through the noise with great stories
Stories put the customer experience at the forefront, allowing them to resonate and connect with your service. Whether you’re developing code to encrypt sensitive financial information or selling household items, you have a great story to tell. Delve into what makes your company, mission and values unique to create a compelling story that outperforms the competition. Doing so will help you win loyal customers and establish yourself as an industry leader.