It’s simple. Brand storytelling is powerful stuff when done well. When done wrong, It’s as ineffective as Donald T’s presidency. Or Joe's for that matter (yep, we went there).
But what exactly is brand storytelling? And why do you need to jump on the bandwagon now, if you haven’t already? In a nutshell, it’s the art of delivering a single message or story narrative consistently across multiple channels. Or how we like to put it; brand storytelling has the power to create relationships with your audience that last.
When incorporated in your overall content marketing efforts, well-crafted stories are single-handedly the most powerful and authentic way to shift consumer behaviours, change perceptions, and most importantly increase revenue for your brand.
There’s a lot of noise out there. Tens of millions of companies are competing for love online and putting out content, faster than an AK47 loads, to grab people’s attention. And the internet is to blame for all this by making it accessible to everyone.
It’s no longer enough to throw a few pretty posts, some smart statistics and a handful of testimonial’s your customers’ way and expect them to clean out your shop. Instead, wrap your messages into stories that take people on a ride. That simplify information. That provoke an emotional response from your audience.
When you master the art of using stories to share your brand’s history, challenges, or value propositions, prospects will appreciate your authenticity and want to come back for more.
The mix is delicate, but so beautiful when orchestrated correctly. When we read, see or listen to stories that resonate with us, parts of our brain become so engaged, they light up like a Christmas tree. Our brain patterns align with those of the storyteller and the brain begins to blur the lines between the story narrative and our own ideas and experiences, which in turn releases a neurotransmitter called dopamine. The pleasure drug! Pretty amazing stuff right?
So we covered the science part. But how do brands actually evoke all of the above in people like you and us? Through consistently craft and deliver stories that go beyond their products and services.
True. One doesn’t go without the other. You write copy for good stories, and you write stories for good copy. Confused yet? Let us break it down. Think of copywriting as your best pick up line ever, that gets you an “oh you are so funny”, and a phone number. Now, brand storytelling is really where you put in the work and give him/her a taste (and do it consistently) of who you truly are until you live happily ever after. Figuratively speaking.
Good stories create deep emotional connections and turn your brand into an experience. An experience your prospects start to appreciate, then trust, then love over time, if you involve them in what you do as a business, and keep showing up for them without deviating from your narrative.
We follow the three C’s like our lives depend on it. For us, powerful storytelling comes down to three things that can get your brand to the next level. The first C stands for connection. People don’t realize that storytelling is a connector that is part of your content marketing strategy to create an emotional affinity with your audience. Boring stories won’t build connections, but stories packed to the rafters with personality will.
Creativity is our second C. Storytelling is not marketing but instead a creative by-product that tells your audience all that you are, and all that you do without overloading it with factual information or sales pitches.
Lastly, the third C stands for you - the customer. Great stories are told for the customer with just the right amount of commercial objectives mixed into it. It’s a balancing act so many brands stumble on, but if done right, your bottom line will thank you kindly for it.
