Marketing has undergone a significant transformation since the early 20th century, especially with the rise of innovative digital marketing strategies.
Conventional marketing campaigns are not as impactful on today’s audience as they were decades ago because people engage with brands and consume information differently.
Today, consumers seek more than just facts and figures, and companies are finding it challenging to boost their sales solely by presenting relevant statistics.
Conversely, many businesses turn to storytelling to convey their message to an inquisitive audience. Thus, compelling storytelling has become crucial for the marketing efforts of modern startups.
Studies indicate that over 90% of consumers distrust traditional marketing tactics as they believe advertisements never convey the truth.
They perceive ads as intrusive and disconnected. However, storytelling has always been a vital aspect of the human experience and has helped numerous businesses reconstruct that diminishing emotional connection that influences a consumer’s purchasing decisions.
Research also suggests that most purchasing decisions occur subconsciously; half of brand experiences are solely based on emotions. Successful storytelling – such as real-life examples, customer testimonials, and emotional messages – can help your business enhance its reputation.
With that in mind, here are ways to enhance brand engagement and sales figures for your business by delivering a compelling story:
- Recruit talented storytellers
Effective storytelling requires the involvement of exceptional writers. Therefore, it’s crucial to onboard experienced storytellers promptly.
Distance learning has made it convenient for aspiring professionals to become proficient in corporate storytelling. Marketers can enhance these skills by pursuing an online business communication course from a reputable institution. Such a course can help your marketers learn how to craft inspirational and captivating content for marketing purposes.
- Evoke emotional connections
Companies often fail in their marketing endeavors because they produce superficial and low-impact content. To succeed, your content should resonate with the audience.
Consider how a detergent brand Surf Excel created the slogan “Stains are good” in South Asia to emphasize that stains aren’t negative as long as they lead to something positive. These emotional messages are easy for your customers to recall and eventually solidify a brand’s image.
- Understand your audience
Introducing the five Ps of effective storytelling, i.e., place, people, personal, pictures, and – of course – platforms. “People” suggests that marketers should comprehend their audiences before crafting stories. Understand what inspires your target audience, and only then will your stories resonate with them.
- Communicate your values
Successful storytelling involves sharing your mission and values with your consumers. Demonstrate that you are not solely concerned about the financial progress of your organization but also interested in embracing your company’s core values. For example, Starbucks focuses on the sentiment of belonging; the company’s business story and advertising content portray it as an inclusive place where everyone is welcome. Integrate your company’s values into the content you intend to publish online and offline.
- Always exhibit honesty
Customers can discern when brands are being insincere or dishonest with them. There’s a valid reason why only one-third of customers trust the brands they use. Sometimes, even seemingly innocuous ads can convey the wrong message to your audience. Here are two instances of such serious blunders.
- McDonald’s faced criticism for an ad featuring their food as a remedy for grieving children (the ad depicted a child losing his father and finding solace only in consuming McDonald’s).
- Pepsi had to withdraw a much-criticized ad featuring Kendall Jenner that appeared to trivialize and capitalize on BLM (black lives matter) protests.
- Engage your customers
Brands today can easily engage their customers by encouraging them to do something as simple as sharing images with brand-approved hashtags. By involving customers in hashtag campaigns, you indirectly influence their purchasing decisions.
Take Lay’s, for instance, which initiated a campaign where they introduced unique seasonal flavors and asked customers to vote for one to add permanently to their product line. This is another example of letting customers make a business decision on your behalf, thereby demonstrating how much you value their contributions.
- Personalize your approach
Remember that customers do not want to witness your company performing heroic acts. Storytelling can be effective only when the storyteller narrates the commendable efforts of others. Feature people as the protagonists, similar to a renowned Google ad dubbed “the saddest Super Bowl ad in history.”
It portrays a couple aging and asking Google to remember their fondest memories for them. This is how a marketer should appeal to people, by recounting your message from the perspective of other individuals.
- Identify your platform
Not every story resonates on every platform! Identify the appropriate platform for disseminating your content. Understand that different age groups frequent different social media platforms. Your target audience determines the best platform for your stories. Tailor the message for all social media accounts.
- Think on a broader scale
We live in the era of corporate social responsibility; customers prefer to engage with eco-friendly brands. They want companies to think beyond themselves and acknowledge how their decisions impact the environment, so your brand’s story must emphasize the bigger picture or the triple bottom line – people, profits, and the planet.
Consider Patagonia‘s “Don’t buy this jacket” campaign, which highlighted the importance of sustainability and environmental preservation. Statistics indicate that over one-third of global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products. This can help create a socially responsible brand image for a sustainable business model.
- Define your CTAs
Your storytelling should always include a compelling CTA (call to action). You want customers to take action after viewing an ad or reading a post, so ensure the CTA is subtle yet distinct. Observe how Spotify captivates people with effective phrases such as “Listening is everything” and “Get Spotify free.”
Conclusion
Effective storytelling assists businesses in establishing a genuine connection with their audience. Understand that your average customer can be influenced by a compelling story that resonates with them and motivates them to take action. Therefore, enlist skilled writers and storytellers, understand your audience, and craft an authentic and emotionally compelling story that convinces customers you can address their needs. Quality content is cherished and remembered for years to come.
