By Eric Somarriba
Marketing, at its most basic level, is the conveying of information. You could reveal the next hot product in a massive press conference or a one-sentence social media post. Either way, the goal is to convey the necessary information to buyers. Today, there is marketing happening everywhere you look at all times. With all that information, many will simply forget it if it isn’t memorable. One of the key ways to get a potential customer to remember your product is a story. Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools in marketing and across all of human history. Stories bring people together and have the power to effect great change in the world. In marketing, proper storytelling for what your brand represents can be what sets you above the rest. This article is here to explain the power of storytelling and what it can mean for your marketing strategies.
Marketing Choices is a team of creative marketers that are ready to elevate your brand. We understand the impact storytelling has and want to show you how it can work for your brand. Below we’ll explain just how useful a good story can be.
The Power of Storytelling
Since the dawn of human communication, we’ve been telling stories. From ancient cave paintings to the cinematic universes of today, stories unite everyone. Parents can tell the story of how they met to their children and bring the family closer. Or two friends can recommend to each other a show to watch that brings them together. Stories are a powerful human connection tool, and it’s the same in marketing. In marketing, instead of connecting with family and friends, you’re bringing your audience closer to your brand. Forging that connection and staying in your audience’s mind can then lead them to engage more with your product. Neuroscience studies show that stories work with the parts of the brain dedicated to emotions and decision-making. That’s exactly what marketing is trying to accomplish too, and storytelling is a bridge to that goal.
Emotion and Narrative
A classic example of storytelling in marketing is sad pet shelter commercials. Many remember growing up and seeing these ads that feature sad music and heart-wrenching pictures of animals. In this example, we have two of the primary elements of storytelling, emotion and narrative. Naturally, the emotional impact is tugging on the heartstrings of those watching to try and gain sympathy. It makes the viewer sad at first, but then they see that there’s hope for these animals. Just like a movie or a book, a marketing story also needs a narrative with conflict, resolutions, and characters. In these commercials, the conflict is that there are mistreated animals and the resolution is donating to the shelter. With this story, not only has the shelter conveyed what they do, but they’ve made an emotional impact as well.
What exact emotions and narrative you use will naturally depend on your product. Sadness is powerful but different marketing objectives will need a different tone. In other cases, you’d want to have a positive narrative about the good your service does. Or you’ll want to harness the emotion of fun when explaining your product.
Types of Stories
The story you want to tell in your marketing needs to be in tune with your target audience. You’ll want to research the stories that they positively respond to the most and transplant those elements into your stories. If you were selling sports equipment, you’d maybe want to tie it into the potential goals of your target audience. In an advertisement, you can show the story of an aspiring athlete making the team and winning the championship. Naturally, you’d also show how your product helped them with that goal. You’re selling your product but tying it into the kind of story your target audience would relate to.
The medium of the stories you tell is also important. Stories can come in all kinds of forms, from movies to books to video games. In marketing, you can use mediums such as videos, blog posts, or case studies. Just like above, you’ll want to see the kinds of stories your audience engages with and the form they take. It may depend on where your audience is. A younger audience may respond better to video-based stories found on social media. In comparison, an older audience may want to read it out on a blog.
Storytelling with Marketing Choices
We hope this article was useful in explaining the basics of how powerful storytelling can be in the world of marketing. Stories stick out to people and they can transcend beyond just a marketing strategy. By using narratives and bringing out the proper emotions, your brand can form deeper connections with your audience. It all lines up into a story that reflects your audience’s goals and shows them the emotions your brand represents. Storytelling is a key part of any marketing plan and its significance will only continue to grow.
If you need help finding the story of your brand, contact us right away. From developing a marketing strategy to managing campaigns, Marketing Choices can handle your content marketing and online advertising needs. We are a team of smart, social, and creative people who deliver colorful solutions for our client’s marketing plan. To contact Marketing Choices and learn more about our services, you can email us here. We look forward to helping you through your journey!
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