Why storytelling is so powerful in marketing and how can we implement it into online strategy? Once upon a time there was a business owner who attempted to promote themselves and their products with a list of reasons why they were better than everyone else.
They used superlatives like ‘the best’ and ‘the most amazing’, but little did they know that most customers don’t find this type of marketing ‘the most persuasive’.
What do we mean by storytelling in marketing?
In essence, storytelling in marketing is much like anywhere else. You are painting a picture with words to communicate a message. In this case, the message is why someone should buy your product or engage with your brand.
The right story can showcase where you come from, what makes you unique, and can humanise your business in a way that other forms of marketing cannot.
Everybody loves a good story, so if you tell the right one the right way, you could reach an entirely new audience – and resonate with them in a meaningful way.
You can inspire an action and show people why they should care about you – rather than simply telling them and expecting them to take your word for it.
Why storytelling is so powerful in marketing?
So why is storytelling so powerful? Would you believe that using a story instead of simply listing facts and figures increases memory retention by over 50%?
There is a reason that lessons, warnings, and information have been passed down through stories since humanity began. When you hear a story you take in so much more, and you are more likely to remember it.
It creates exciting imagery in our mind’s eye and we are far better positioned to imagine ourselves in these scenarios.
In marketing, using storytelling can help your strategy in so many ways…
1. You can introduce your brand
More and more these days, customers want to know who they are buying from – not just how much they charge. Consumers want to know where you came from, how you got where you are, and what values you stand for.
Crafting a narrative about these points can help you engage with your target market and endear you to them.
Further, by putting forward what you stand for in a story, people are more likely to remember you, your brand, and why they should buy from you in the future.
It’s easy to say: “we value XYZ”. Instead, show them through the power of narrative.
2. You can help your customers to visualise your product
Telling a story about how a product can be used is an excellent way to help the customer see it in their head.
You need to put the customer in the story, returning from a long day at work to relax in their luxurious new bathroom suite, for example.
Or stressed out and overwhelmed trying to build a new website only to have the experts create something beautiful instead.
When people shopped exclusively in physical stores, they could pick up an item and understand what they were buying.
Today, you need to put in a little extra effort to ensure they understand the value of your products. Storytelling is an important way to do that.
3. Stories evoke feelings
Your customers are far more likely to engage with your brand, remember you and buy your products if they feel a deeper connection. Using stories evokes emotions and can help to connect your products to certain feelings.
The right story told through marketing can make a person well-up with tears, even when they are actually only selling toilet roll – which is beautifully ironic since toilet roll in that situation would come in rather handy.
If you get your potential customers to take in your message on an emotional level as well as a rational one, you double your chances of hitting home with that messaging.
A Thai phone and communications company absolutely crushed the tear-jerker ad which you can view here. It’s beautiful, but don’t make the mistake of showing the video to your pregnant sister minutes after she’s just been chopping chillies in the kitchen!
How you can implement storytelling into your online strategy.
So now you know a little more about the importance of storytelling in marketing, how can you get it working for you?
By hiring a reputable digital marketing agency in Dubai, you can leverage their expertise in storytelling and have them craft the perfect messaging to promote your brand and connect with your audience. Here’s how:
- Tell the story of your business and what it does – instead of saying “we sell XYZ”, craft a story that highlights certain problems and then offer the solution.
- Create more compelling ads – as suggested above, ads that tell a story evoke feelings and are better at selling. If you think of any successful ad campaign that comes to mind, Coca Cola at Christmas, for instance, they show the main character with a need that the company then effortlessly fulfils.
- Alter your product descriptions – far too many businesses think that product descriptions should be a cold list of features, dimensions and price. Why waste this opportunity to help your customer imagine using your product? Instead show how you are the solution to their needs through a good old fashioned story.
- Engage on social media – social media marketing can be a tricky area to succeed in, and it is really all about engaging with real people on a real and genuine level. You want users to like, comment on and share your posts, which means that your content should be interesting, engaging, and actually worth sharing.
- Get ahead of the competition – it can be tough to separate yourself from your competitors who sell similar products. When customers are looking to purchase something, they want to know who is best and why. Storytelling lets you demonstrate why you are better in an impactful and memorable way.
Final thoughts
Why storytelling is so powerful in marketing? Well, as you can see, storytelling is a powerful and important marketing tool that shouldn’t be overlooked. Instead of listing facts and figures, create a story that draws your target audience in and compels them to engage on a deeper level.
They will be more likely to remember you, and more likely to buy from you now and in the future.
The end!
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