What is the Importance of Storytelling in Marketing?
Everyone loves a good story. And here at The Storyteller Agency, we believe that marketing at its very core, is about telling the best story – the one that keeps people telling it and talking about it for years. Storyteller marketing is essential when it comes to selling your product or service because it expresses your brand values, creates a human connection and captures the attention of consumers. Marketing shouldn’t be about advertising, publicizing or selling, it should be about storytelling and here’s why:
Stories Capture Attention
Good stories capture the attention of the listener from beginning to end. Unlike a traditional ad that you probably mute while watching TV, people are attracted to stories. Who doesn’t want to hear an epic tale or heartwarming narrative? They are engaging and consumers are more likely to pay attention to them, making storytelling marketing a powerful tool.
Need help getting started? This article shares 10 tips for finding your business story.
Expresses Your Brand Values
Consumers have a plethora of options when it comes to finding what they need. Whether it’s something as necessary as deodorant or a significant splurge that you’ve been saving up for, choices are everywhere! With similar products and services on the market, brand values can set your company apart from the others.
Share what’s important to you and tell the story about why it means so much to you by implementing storytelling marketing. Maybe you only use organic ingredients, or a percentage of every item sold goes to a certain charity. By sharing your values through a meaningful story, you will attract ideal customers who have those same principles and beliefs.
Teach Your Audience About Your Product or Service
Storytelling is a powerful form of learning. Rather than presenting bullet points of facts, share a story that gives a framework to those statistics and numbers. People are much more likely to remember a meaningful story.
To teach consumers about the specifics and benefits of your product or service, use storyteller marketing to transmit this knowledge. It will be a much more enjoyable and effective experience.
Add a Human Element To Your Marketing
Ultimately, we are people buying from people. If we know, like and trust someone, we are much more likely to purchase their product or service. Storyteller marketing allows businesses to connect with their audience on a personal level. Whether you’re a solopreneur or a corporate company, there are actual humans behind your business and people want to know more about them!
Here are a few ideas for adding a human element to your marketing strategy:
· Tell the story of your entrepreneurial journey – people love success stories, but also like to hear about the struggles along the way and how you overcame them.
· For a restaurant, share the chef’s story including his or her background and what influences their culinary creations.
· Have the founder share what inspired them to create their business and discuss how it serves consumers.
· Have happy customers become your brand storytellers by sharing their experience with the product or service.
Develop a Deeper Connection With Your Audience
In addition to highlighting a human element, storyteller marketing allows businesses to form a strong connection with their audience and customers. If people can relate to your story or see themselves in your shoes, they are more likely to feel a bond with your brand.
By sharing your story on social media, your website, email newsletter and other outlets, you’re encouraging engagement and creating relationships. Check out this article about how to get to know your audience to tell better stories. You need to look outside of yourself and get to know your ideal audience so that you can tell relevant, meaningful stories that will lead to more conversions.
Allows You To Sell Without Being Pushy
As Tim Fishburne said, “The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing.” When you promote your company through a story, you aren’t directly pushing people to buy your product. Instead, you’re sharing an experience and creating a genuine connection while educating them about your business.
Through storytelling marketing, consumers are able to see the benefits of your product, visualize how it will help them in their daily life and ultimately create a connection with your brand. Consumers are more likely to make a purchase when they feel like it’s their choice to join your community rather than being persuaded to do so.
Here at The Storyteller Agency, our motto is “Stop Marketing. Start Storytelling.” Your story is just waiting to be told and we’d love to help you write it! Through storytelling marketing, businesses are able to create meaningful, memorable content that will create connections with their target audience. Contact us today and let’s start telling your inspiring tale!
