Throughout history, information was relayed most often via storytelling. Narratives were passed from generation to generation during meal preparation or around campfires. They served various purposes from education to entertainment.
Today, as a business owner, the art of storytelling might seem outdated. However, there are many reasons to harken back to the times of old and tap into the act of storytelling as a way to invigorate your current marketing strategy.
Storytelling allows you as a business to connect with a consumer, to create a relationship. Did you know that the average consumer is inundated by between 6,000 and 10,000 marketing messages daily? Of those thousands of messages, most are forgotten instantaneously. To exemplify this imagine yourself walking around a stadium full of people. You ask the name of each and every person with which you come into contact. Did you know even just a few hours later you would be hard-pressed to recall even one or two of those names you just heard? That’s right, the human brain simply doesn’t recall information that doesn’t make a discernible connection within the brain. That is where storytelling comes into play.
Stories are memorable. They make even boring information come alive and become relatable. Humorous stories stand out even more. In general, when you are formatting your marketing approach, your goal is memory recall. You want the information to stick, which means you want to incorporate storytelling as part of your strategy. This means that even if the person who hears your pitch is unable to recall very specific data, they will recall the end result of the information, and how it makes their life better. That, they will remember.
If your clients have a great experience with your service or product and they share that experience with you, share that story with prospective customers. Better yet, let your customers share their experiences with other prospects. Remember, today’s consumers are tired of in-your-face sales pitches. Instead, they want to hear the story of how your product solved a problem for your previous clients. Potential customers will pay attention.
This is a person who has what you desire….the ear of many potential customers. They also have credibility with a number of these people. Therefore, it’s a good idea to engage a social influencer, asking them to become a brand advocate for you, to tell their story related to your product or service. To share what it’s like working with you and what the product or service has done for them, how it’s made their life better.
Many businesses wisely use content marketing as a storytelling avenue. Blogs, white papers, ebooks, videos, webinars, and more all serve to help tell a business' story. They also intentionally incorporate backlinks and encourage other sources to link to their content. This in turn builds authority, ensuring a business is considered an expert in their field.
If you like the idea of storytelling as it relates to your marketing strategy but aren’t sure how to get started, contact us at fuze32 today. Let us evaluate your current marketing direction and suggest ways to move toward storytelling. We are happy to oversee your entire marketing needs as well to make the transition that much easier from your current focus to the incorporation of the art of storytelling.