What's your story?
Written by our guest blogger Melody Hayes.
Whether you're a closet blogger, entrepreneur, or small business owner, learning to tell your story is essential for developing your brand engagement online. It may be challenging to dive into telling your story if you don't first know what it is you want to share with the world. But as you uncover what's most important about your brand and how you can pair this with what's most important to your audience, you'll be able to reach them more effectively.
Why storytelling is important for your brand.
Beyond the facets of fairytales and happily-ever-afters is the idea of online storytelling.
When you recall stories from your childhood, what are the things you remember? For some, it may be the epic battle for freedom, the underdog becoming a hero, or the dog making its way home after getting lost (Homeward Bound anyone?). The reason these stories are important to us is not due to the plot or the entertainment value. The important part about these stories is that we can relate to them. We feel connected to them in some way. Whether it's the characters, the situation, or even the location of where the story takes place, our favourite stories (the ones that invoke those nostalgic feelings), are the ones that feel close to home.
When we hear a story that we relate to, the feel-good hormone in our brains (oxytocin) increases . More than just learning facts about something and using our cognitive processing abilities, stories resonate with us to create an emotional response and connection.
If you're selling something that requires a high-involvement purchase, there may be more merit to creating mostly cognitive advertising. But even larger businesses that specialize in business-to-business (B2B) advertising are starting to develop marketing strategies around storytelling to increase brand awareness and customer engagement. We often think of targeting customers through an evoked emotional response as merely for business-to-consumer based advertising. But B2B advertising can also create a deeper and more valued emotional connection between businesses .
What does brand storytelling look like?
Marketers have been using storytelling to sell their products or services for a long time. For example, television commercials used to feature desperate homemakers struggling to clean their kitchen floors when suddenly a hero comes in to introduce them to the best mop in town. The advertiser is telling a story about an everyday problem to connect with their audience in hopes that it will lead them to buy the product.
Today, brands have the golden opportunity to communicate with their customers through social media and online platforms in real-time. More than just broadcasting an advertisement from a single brand to many users, brands can now connect with their target audience daily through online marketing strategies.
A single advertisement (like the example of the retro mop commercial) may have told a relatable story to a broad audience, but it would have had little ability to authentically engage the customer. Over time, marketers have learned that customers recall their experience with brands through narrative processing.
Layman’s terms? Customers are usually more engaged with brands that they've had some kind of connection with. A brand’s story ultimately comes down to telling a consistent narrative about what your brand stands for, why it exists, and why it’s important.
How to tell your story:
As media has evolved, more ways have developed for how to tell effective stories about a brand, especially online.
One of the most effective and widely-adopted online storytelling methods has been the use of social media.
Social media platforms are designed to encourage social connection (hence the name) in a way that traditional media can’t. These social platforms have honed-in on the idea of storytelling in the past five years through creating their appropriately named “story” features. Companies like Facebook know that both businesses and individuals want to connect in an immersive and interactive way. One way is through storytelling directly through their story feature. But brand storytelling goes well beyond using the story feature on Facebook or Instagram. What it really comes down to is having a consistent narrative about your brand throughout every aspect of your online campaign.
For some practical examples of brands that are taking storytelling to the next level, check out this article.
Creating a narrative first starts with knowing your value proposition - what you bring to the table that is unique. Once you understand your brand’s unique identity, it’s important to determine who your target audience is and what they relate with. Creating a cohesive narrative that tells your audience who you are and also connects with who they are, is the key to brand storytelling success.
Another important component? Pay attention to what your customers are saying about your brand online and interacting with them. You as the business are responsible for directing your narrative, but your customers are just as important in the continuation of it. The more you interact with your customers online and develop a positive brand image that reflects your desired narrative, the more your customers will not only trust your brand but see the consistency in your brand story.
If you’d like to learn more about how to develop the story for your brand or business, or are not sure where to start, contact us here.
Melody Hayes specializes in social media management, content creation for social, website and blogs, Facebook Advertising, and copywriting.
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