In the dark-dark city, on the dark-dark street, in the dark-dark office, there was one dark-dark company, but no one knew about it because the company couldn’t tell people about itself… Modern information consumers want more than just data. That is why storytelling is a great idea for any marketing campaign. People love stories. Why would you use stories? You don’t tell stories just to anyone. The goal of this release seems to be to tell people how diligently the company creates and tests their products. When you read this, you get the impression that the team puts a lot of effort into testing their equipment. So the company created its own content laboratory. Of course not everyone can create a content lab, but the point here is to think like a journalist. Think about what people would like to hear, see and read.
In the dark-dark city, on the dark-dark street, in the dark-dark office, there was one dark-dark company, but no one knew about it because the company couldn’t tell people about itself…
Modern information consumers want more than just data. People of this generation are used to getting accessible news, ideas, information, and knowledge; they know the tricks and cannot stand importunate marketing. The more promotional lines they see in a text, the faster they stop reading it. That is why storytelling is a great idea for any marketing campaign.
People love stories. They are thrilled to read about something similar to what they’ve experienced, to delve into one’s dirty laundry, to see love stories, etc. Storytelling can be a very powerful tool for content creators. They can influence people’s emotions and get those precious likes and shares.
Why would you use stories?
The first logical question here is why you should try to use storytelling in your marketing strategy. Well, there are several reasons for that.
First of all, stories are interesting. People are curious in nature, and many of them are good listeners. When a narration is genuinely impressive, they are willing to spend a lot of time digging into these stories. In childhood, we love to listen to fairy tales; when we grow up, we hear the stories of our friends. Captivating stories are entertaining for everyone, even asocial people.
Second of all, stories gain trust. Whomever you decide to share your personal stories with, it makes you closer, right? The thing is that storytelling is quite an intimate thing. You don’t tell stories just to anyone. The same as in life, publishing an engaging story on your site will help you become closer to your readers who will come back for more stories.
And finally, people are just more perceptive towards stories, in contrast to dry statistics and facts. Last year there was some research conducted at Pennsylvania University involving physicians that proved this point. The study showed that doctors perceive and remember the information about using anesthetics better if this information is offered in the form of a story about a patient Frank.
Another research study (this time a sociological one), conducted by The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, showed that despite the content itself (whether there are kittens or celebrities), the success of a post is mostly defined by its structure. It turned out that people like stories the most.
We are social creatures who need to compare ourselves to other people, feel a connection to them and put ourselves in their shoes.
Defining the goal
If you are squeezing marketing into one simple goal, it is probably going to be “to sell”. It is true, but thinking solely about this goal when you work on your storytelling content is not very useful. If you focus only on sales, you will probably end up with a big advertising bill.
Keeping in mind that selling is your goal, you need to build trusting relationships with your potential buyers. That’s why you shouldn’t focus on sales entirely at this point, but focus on having a conversation with your audience.
Let’s look at the Best Made publication as an example (it is the company that produces clothes and equipment for adventures). The goal of this release seems to be to tell people how diligently the company creates and tests their products.
This short story tells the exciting adventure of the Best Made team to distant places of Patagonia. They visit a fascinating man who lives in a remote house among the Andes.
“When you set foot on La Isla, thigh-deep in snow, the distance sets in: between you and home, between you and family, between you and the nearest hospital. There’s no margin for error here; everything you bring must perform. And so the details we obsessed over in the months of prior product development were put to the test.” – Peter Buchanan-Smith, Founder/CEO
The text is accompanied by a series of great pictures.
When you read this, you get the impression that the team puts a lot of effort into testing their equipment. If that was their goal, it totally worked.
So, you should also...
COMMENTS