For thousands of years, humans have used stories to communicate and establish connections with others. Oftentimes, storytelling has the power to influence people’s emotions, motivating them to act.
In the world of marketing, where it’s all about convincing the target audience to purchase your products and services, storytelling can create a strong bond between your brand and the consumer.
In our day and age, customers are repeatedly bombarded by marketing messages and information. One of the advantages of storytelling is that it makes you stand out. If you would like to find out how to use storytelling in your marketing strategy, here are a few ways.
Brand Story
A compelling story about your brand can uniquely resonate with your audience. It lets them know your history and sets you apart from other competitors. As a start, you can look back at your brand and identify key moments and milestones that shaped it. You can creatively share that on a YouTube video or an infographic on social media. There is a lot of information you could include. For example, if you sell handmade crafts, you can share significant product launches or major turning points in your history.
Understand your Target Audience
To create a story that resonates with your audience, you must know them well. One way to do that is by researching your audience demographics, behaviour, and preferences. For example, if you sell crafts like pottery, sculptures, or woodwork, you need to know if the audience you are selling the products to, will be interested and likely buy them. To gauge their interest, find out if they are looking solely for any of these products or exclusive ones.
Create a Compelling Narrative
The final step to market your product is to create a compelling story with a striking narrative. The beginning of the story must catch your audience’s interest, introduce the product, and finally share its background.
If we go back to the handcrafts example, you can share stories about people who make these handmade crafts and where they are sold. It is important to showcase your brand positively, letting others know how they contribute to the community and its growth.
Brands that Mastered Storytelling
Coca-Cola
In a single year, Coca-Cola makes $1 billion from the sale of its products. The company sells 1.9 billion bottles per day. With so much popularity, you might wonder why the giant soft drink company would use storytelling in its marketing strategy.
Coca-Cola has long wanted to be a brand that showcases itself not as a drink maker but as a part of people’s lives. To establish rapport with its customers, Coca-Cola created the “Share a Coke” campaign, where personalized bottles with people’s names became a global phenomenon. By personalizing their bottles with names, the brand created a sense of connection and shared experience among people in local communities.
Airbnb
Airbnb wanted to change its perception as the poor cousin of hotels and resorts and showcase itself as a brand that connects people and inspires them to travel. They created a section on their website highlighting real stories of hosts and guests sharing their unique experiences and connections. The storytelling category on their website differentiates their brand, making them stand out as a facilitator of authentic travel experiences and cultural immersions.
Nike
For almost four decades, Nike has used the “Just do it” slogan to encourage people to be their best and pursue their dreams, come what may. They launched the “Just Do It” marketing campaign in 1988, which quickly gained momentum and became their slogan.
Most recently, they started the Nike Training Club, which has a downloadable App with inspiring stories of athletes and tips to achieve fitness goals. Nike uses these stories to market their products indirectly.
A compelling story can change people’s perception of your brand and inspire them to interact with it. When your story is relatable, memorable, emotional, and inspiring, it draws people to your brand and makes them purchase your products and services, increasing your profit!
David Messiha | Contributing Writer
