Let’s be real. When was the last time you weren’t exposed to marketing communications in some shape or form? In the 21st century, advertising is everywhere: sprinkled through social media feeds, at the top of our google search results, and even in our bathroom stalls. There appears to be very few limitations when it comes to companies trying to reach us in any way possible, and we keep working harder and harder to block out the noise.
For entrepreneurs, the consistent bombardment of advertising has interesting implications. On one hand, as an individual you can likely concur that your attention towards and perception of advertising is not overly positive. On the other hand, you recognize that you, too, need to market your business in order to continue fueling your passion. The dilemma arises--how can you reach new and current customers, create conversations, and build relationships without contributing to the clutter?
Contemporary marketing also has to incorporate goals more extensive than simple brand awareness. It’s not enough for your target audience to merely know your name. To build long term relationships with your customers, an emotional connection is certainly a prerequisite. So--how can entrepreneurs a) gain the attention of their target audiences, and b) create an emotional connection? The answer lies in storytelling: a content marketing essential that is so much more than a buzzword.
What is it?
According to HubSpot, “storytelling is the process of using fact and narrative to communicate something to your audience.” It uses the basic elements of narratives that we learned back in high school (i.e. a beginning, a crisis, and a resolution) in order to communicate valuable information about a brand, a product, an idea, a person--basically any kind of offering that’s being put forth--and frames that offering as the protagonist of the story.
Google’s Year In Search campaign is a great example of storytelling--using cultural events and other familiar moments with Google as a central feature in order to communicate their inherent benefits, all the while inspiring viewers to continue searching for heroes in their own lives. Note that storytelling can be used through various media, video especially!
Why does it work?
Experts in psychology and marketing alike have outlined numerous reasons why storytelling is an effective form of communication! Here are just a few:
“Human memory is story-based.” - Roger Schank
A story contains and presents cues for the audience that can trigger both awareness and emotional connection/understanding. When we hear stories, we connect and compare our own experiences with that of the narrative in order to better comprehend it. The more connections we have between the story and our own experiences, the more the story is retained in our memory, and the more we can relate the brand/offering to ourselves.
Stories build communities
Hearing stories, we can access universal truths: familiar themes relevant to most audience members that are often underlying in classic literature, religious texts, old wives’ tales, and so on, that transcend cultural contexts. Tales of the hero, or of heartbreak, as examples, unite listeners/viewers and build community through its collective appeal, connecting the audience despite individual differences.
Stories give clarity
Stories are useful to solidify abstract concepts, such as the inherent benefits of an offering, and they effectively communicate the intangible factors that a brand might bring to the table. Consumers aren’t only seeking functional benefits such extensive tech specs or specific services. They have underlying needs, such as self-expression or belonging, that your offering can also fulfill. Outlining those inherent benefits through storytelling communicates them clearly--without sounding like a sales pitch.
Stories work as treasure maps
Why do people consume anything at all? To move from a state of need to one of satisfaction. Stories map out the path to a better state, outlining how customers might achieve their goals with the help of an offering, which acts as an inspiring and motivational point of reference for customers on their journey.
Stories are told and retold
What is by far the best and most trustworthy form of marketing? Word of mouth. As customers ourselves, we tell our own stories to our friends and loved ones about our experiences (positive and negative) with brands. Not only that, but we also share stories of all varieties to engage with pop-culture. Therefore, as stories revolve around conversations, they can be very effective in spreading the word.
How do I tell a good story?
Storytelling takes practice--multiple drafts, revisions, creative stamina, etc., but it’s important to remember that it is a skill to be learned, you don’t have to be born with it!
First, consider your target audience. This can be a smaller subsection of your overall target market, like non-users, or brand loyals, for example. Ask yourself who will benefit the most from the story you’re telling, who will it resonate with, and who will be most likely to respond? Defined target audiences are absolutely essential in any marketing activities--so be sure to nail this!
Also, all marketing campaigns should have an underlying goal. With this story, are you working to build community, educate your audience, motivate them to act, convey your brand values, or something else?
Next, good stories often follow a formula of a status quo that’s interrupted by some form of an inciting incident: something that occurs to shake things up in the protagonist’s world. This could be applicable in your brand story itself--what happened in your life that encouraged you to pursue entrepreneurship, or enter the industry that your business is in? Or, it might involve status quo in the sense of the gap your offering exists to fill, and the inciting action that urged you to fill that gap.
Your story might then outline all the conflicts you underwent in pursuing entrepreneurship, or it might refer to the pain points common in other offerings. The quest to resolution is never smooth in real life, nor should it be in your story. Though conflict evokes feelings of strain and struggle, that’s what keeps things interesting, exciting, and real.
Finally, the resolution of your story should involve the protagonist (i.e. you, as an entrepreneur, your offering, or even the customer) chasing action, or continued action in the face of conflict, in order to achieve a desire or restore balance, thereby creating a new status quo.
Remember the key elements of storytelling that make the process worthwhile! The best stories must be entertaining, educational, universal, organized, and memorable. At the end of the day, if your story isn’t interesting to you, it certainly won’t be for your target audience. Keep practicing, incorporating storytelling into your marketing efforts big and small, and keep writing your company’s story as you go--through growth, the ups and downs of business ownership, and the community you’ve established, you are the protagonist of your very own story.
Learn more about digital storytelling and content marketing through AWE’s program, Digitally Solid. Registration for the Spring 2020 cohort is open now!
