“The beginning is the most important part of the work. “
Plato
Brands need to tell stories more than they need to advertise. Audiences want to be engaged by brands not just be another sales statistic. The brands that tell the best story will be the ones that have the most engaged customers.
Despite our familiarity with storytelling since childhood, sometimes we are very bad at it when comes to applying the principals to marketing. It is hard to shake off the legacy of decades of broadcast marketing. It worked so well for so long we often only pay lip service to the power of social networks and online marketing.
Yet great brand stories work and so we need to embrace storytelling. We need not be just any storyteller but need to be great storytellers. It will be the best storytellers that will capture people’s imagination.
How do you tell stories that matter?
Make Your Audience Curious
We all love a good page-turner, something that is hard to put down. We are curious by nature. Great storytellers know this and lead us on a journey where we feel compelled to find out what happens.
When you are telling your brand story you need to arouse your audiences curiosity. When your audience know what is going to happen next why should they continue to listen to your story.
The best brands know this and start their story in an unexpected place, which immediately hooks their audience. The way to do this is to think about your story and then think about how you can tell it in a more creative manner.
Give Your Audience A Special Insight
This really is a no-brainer as most people want the to feel they belong to “the special inside track”. Brands that tell a story that allow their audience a special insight are giving their audience added value.
Obviously there are plenty of stories a brand can share that give their audience a special insight. Think about what makes your organization so different from your competitors and how it got there. These are the stories you should be sharing not just the commonly known brand promotional material.
Make Your Stories Matter
If your story does not create audience value it is not worth telling. Brand stories need to add value to your audience’s life. Think about stories that are entertaining, educational and engaging.
Create stories that have an emotional impact on your audience. Tell stories that inspire change in your audience’s world. Remember a great story is a story where the audience is in a better place than before reading your story.
“Things don’t have to change the world to be important. “
Steve Jobs
Storytelling is a craft that can be learned and there are many articles online showing you how to construct a good story. However stories need to be compelling and that is why you need to make your audience curious, engaged and provide added value to their lives. Start all your stories by asking yourself how well do your stories address these issues and you will be on the road to successful storytelling.