How to Use Storytelling to Make Your Marketing Meaningful

 

You are significantly more likely to encounter push doors than pull doors.

There’s no easy science behind this statement, so it’s less fact and more anecdotal. But it represents much about the typical approach to marketing—shoving something out into the world instead of bringing the world in to discover what you have to offer.

“Inbound” is the aspect of marketing that counters this outward push, yet it’s a means with multiple methodologies. There’s one approach, however, that spans all forms of marketing as a best practice: storytelling.

So let's talk about the who, what, where, why, and how of storytelling (the “when” = it’s always a good time to tell a story!) to help you elevate your marketing efforts and see lasting results. 

Center Your Audience in Your Storytelling

It’s always about them.

It's the number one rule of modern marketing, so of course it applies to your storytelling efforts. We are literally wired for stories; they spark physiological reactions in our brains that stimulate empathy, create synergy, aid data retention, and build trust.

No wonder then, that a Headstream survey indicates that 75% of consumers think it’s important for brands to tell stories in their marketing. Yet many brands still make the mistake of thinking they are the heroes of those stories.

Instead of focusing on what you want to tell the audience about what you bring to the table, show first that you understand their need. Then use storytelling to connect their need with your product or service.

Studies have shown that facts presented inside stories are over 10x more memorable than facts presented alone. So, when you tap into the challenges your audience is facing and bridge the gap in a way that informs and entertains, you have a formula for success.

Use Show AND Tell in Marketing Storytelling

But that formula only works if you know how to tell a good story.

One of the cardinal rules of writing stories is “show, don’t tell.” With the internet at their fingertips, most of your target audience already have access to the facts. It’s your job, then, not to tell them what they already know, but to show how those facts are applicable to them in a way that feels new and/or surprising.

In non-corporate creative writing, instead of saying “she was happy” you might describe her smile, the flush of her face, and how her eyes have widened and gone a bit watery. You can apply that same principle to a story for your brand, as long as you recognize there’s a time and a place/space for indulging that rule.

Which means recognizing the opportunities that lie beyond ads, success stories, or case studies. Other effective ways to show rather than tell a story include video, data visualization, and testimonials (especially if they’re unsolicited, user-generated content).

It’s also not an either-or proposition. As effective as it is to show your audience how you’re meant for each other, you do need to tell them things they might not know (e.g., industry jargon, references to proprietary concepts, etc.).

You may also need to tell/remind them about product specifications. Most importantly, you need to tell them what’s next. 

Market the Sequel, not the Cliffhanger

But what about the strategy to “leave them wanting more?”

That adage works in many areas, but for the modern consumer seeking answers, it’s a turnoff. If you want followers instead of frustrated near-customers/clients, give the people what they want.

And that’s the full story. Because in our always-on always-connected not-always-accurate world, odds are they’ll find some version of it out there. Better that it comes from you, verifiable and fully fleshed with beginning, middle (don’t forget to talk about the conflict/steps/struggle!), and end.

Or at least an ending of some sort. This goes back to telling them what to do next. What’s your marketing call to action? Learn more? Sign up? Buy now? Stay tuned? The difference between “just you wait” and the tactic of “yes, and…” is a dramatic one.

In fiction we come back to stories we enjoy and we consume their sequels. Apply that same thinking here.

Storytelling can boost conversions by 30%. So your narrative should be solid enough on its own while also enticing enough that the very real potential for service enhancements or product upgrades down the road will bring people back for more. 

Use Storytelling Platforms Strategically

Maya Angelou famously said, "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."

By extension, there is only a somewhat smaller agony to sharing a story the wrong way or to the wrong audience. That usually happens because of a lack of strategy.

For the untold story, it’s churning in an endless attempt to create the “perfect” piece rather than sharing a really good story in a way that yields great engagement. An effective story is mapped out to show flaws/challenges and demonstrate growth. Perfection isn’t relatable and your strategy should be to aim for something authentic and inspiring, not an unattainable ideal.

For the wrong-path story, sometimes it’s a lack of information, sometimes it’s a lack of time, and sometimes it’s just plain laziness. The most common example of limiting a story’s potential? Posting the exact same content across all channels.

Before you protest, we can all agree that consistency is admirable. But if you don’t take the time to acknowledge the significant demographic differences and audience goals for your website, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, contributed bylines, etc. then even the best story can’t save you.

If you’re guilty of this, put on the brakes and rethink (or think up) your content strategy. It might mean small tweaks to length, tone, or presentation. It might mean deeper cutting, arranging, and pasting. But adapting your story to fit the niche is the only way to reach the people you need to reach, where they are, in the manner they’ll be more likely to embrace.

Secure Your Legacy Through Storytelling

It’s a much easier task than embracing uncertainty as the new normal.

As the pace of change accelerates, it takes more effort to keep up. That makes it tempting to slow or even stop your storytelling efforts. But when you think about it, the stories you share are some of the few things you have control over.

Shrinking because you feel your product or service offering is trivial in the face of much bigger events means that people who need the distraction, the release, or—best of all—the solution you offer, are deprived of that opportunity.

If you’re driven by numbers, note that research indicates pairing a story with a product can increase that product’s perceived value by up to 2,706%. If you’re driven by narrative, note that Scientific American reported that stories make up 65%of our conversations. (Further proof that we want to relate to each other in a way that feels meaningful and memorable.)

Either way, stop thinking of your brand as an institution and start telling stories like you are an ally. Don’t be typical. Don’t push that door.

Pull us in.

Image © Yousef Salhamoud courtesy of Unsplash