It may seem strange for a marketing agency to say they hate marketing, but let us explain.
Marketing is defined as the process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service. A story is a narrative designed to interest, amuse or instruct the listener or reader. See the difference?
Instead of marketing, we prefer storytelling. With the rise of technology, everyone now has a voice. With millions of pieces of content shared on social media daily, brands need to do more than traditional marketing to stand out. In order to cut through the clutter, businesses need to tell original, transparent and authentic stories to catch someone’s eye.
Because of this, we don’t help businesses with marketing. We define, craft and share businesses’ stories so they can better connect with their audiences. Here are a few of the main differences between marketing and storytelling.
1. Marketing has the business’s interests in mind. We have the customer’s needs in mind.
When building out messages to send to an audience, always consider what the customer is truly seeking. Giving the customer something of value will make a huge difference. Instead of thinking “why do I want to say,” think “what do they want to know?” This change of mindset will transform a company’s communication with potential customers, which will positively impact sales and foster a relationship with repeat customers.
2. Marketing intends to sell. We intend to tell.
By authentically sharing a brand’s story, the audience will not only grow to connect with the brand, but also gain trust and loyalty towards the brand. Every business wants loyal customers! If a business establishes genuine relationships with its customers, the sales will follow. If a business uses this approach to communicate, they will never have to “market” to anyone.
3. Marketing is complete after the sale. Our story is never-ending.
If a company is marketing, the story ends once the customer buys a product or hires a company for a service. Unlike trying to sell a product, storytelling is never complete because a business will grow and change, and so will its story. This unending narrative is the best way to keep an audience engaged and coming back seeking more.
Instead of just promoting products, we want to help businesses convey who they are to their customers. Storytelling helps create long-lasting relationships, and these relationships will ultimately result in reoccurring sales.
At the Storyteller Agency, we strive to share messages of value that will inspire, engage and educate. After we work with our clients to craft their story, we evaluate which channels are most appropriate for telling their story. Whether it’s written communication through social media posts or blogs or visual communication through photography or videography, our agency is there throughout the whole process to help businesses uncover and communicate their story to the appropriate audiences.
We’ve learned that the best way to gain (and keep) an audience is to build a connection with them. Once a business creates a relationship with someone, they will never have to market to that person again because he or she will be an advocate for the company and their story.
Do you need help crafting and sharing your story? The Storyteller Agency team can help. Contact us today to for help sharing your story through content marketing, social media, video, photography and so much more.
