So, You’re a Marketer? Now, It’s Time to Be a Storyteller… Here are 3 Reasons Why.

Storytelling is a culture creator.

Since the dawn of civilization, great minds have been sharing ideas, philosophies, and life lessons that have transformed whole tribes, communities, and societies. More importantly, stories can transform the individual person. They can open minds, hearts, and hands to help make the world a better place.

Stories are deep within us.

They’re ingrained in our psyche. We intrinsically react to a good one. This is no less true in the world of branding and marketing. Our stories may be told less and less around a campfire, and they may be less and less about keeping ourselves safe from some impending physical threat, but they’re not less - when they’re good - as poignant and purposeful as ever.

In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of storytelling in marketing, and how weaving a cohesive narrative through every aspect of the marketing funnel can help your brand stand out and stay remembered.

#1 Storytelling Builds Connection

The power of storytelling enables marketers to connect with their audiences on an emotional level. Storytelling connects people and drives deeper relationships. From the earliest recorded history, cavemen used stories to communicate.

Take for example an ad that chooses not to focus on the business or organization, but chooses instead to focus on how that brand’s offerings can add value to someone’s life. No matter what the ad depicts, whether it's a father enveloping his son or daughter, or a parent embracing their pet, the ads focus more on what the brand represents and has to offer than the actual product or service itself.

Remember, we as consumers don’t buy things, we buy the promise of things. This is why it’s just as important to focus on integrity in your brand storytelling. We’re here to make connections, not coerce consumers into buying something they’ll regret.

#2 Storytelling is a Method for Learning

One of the things that make stories so meaningful is that they convey knowledge and meaning. As marketers, we should be constantly learning about the world we live in, our brands, and consumers. Stories, among other things, have the ability to transmit knowledge and meaning as they transmit observations, firsthand experiences, and stories about those experiences.

The power of storytelling is that it can be a valuable tool for marketers to learn what's happening in the market and how it will affect their customers, consumers, society, brands, and businesses.

#3 Storytelling Engages a Fragmented World

A story can be both a tactical and strategic tool in a fragmented media world, allowing marketers to engage consumers. Because media fragmentation is so prevalent, consumers are not only looking for different experiences, but also for different ways of delivering those experiences.

Why would a consumer give you time? Storytelling isn't just a creative marketing strategy. It gives audiences a whole new way of connecting with your brand.

How to Craft a Story in Marketing and Branding

Now that we’ve briefly touched on why storytelling in marketing is important, let’s explore how to begin crafting a narrative.

Your brand doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel or save the world — but it does need to have a specific story that gives your audience a chance to envision how your product or service will help improve their world. And to do that, you’ve got to start with the problem that you solve.

Describe and Define the Problem

To help you better understand how to position your brand, you need to identify and define the problem your business or organization addresses. Your audience may be missing something and the space or industry you operate in may be lacking something without people even really realizing it… until it’s too late. To define a problem, below are three things to remember:

The subject of the problem is an ideal customer (i.e. who are you targeting? Knowing this will help you craft your messaging).

Remember, you don’t create the problem — you solve it! Once you know your audience, identify what’s lacking in their lives and in the space your brand operates in.

Be specific! Don’t say people need sneakers or “We sell designer fashion”. Instead, say something like:

“Are you suffering from runners foot pain needlessly?”; or “Tired of looking like last year’s clearance rack?”

Share the Solution

When promoting the solution (which is your brand), you need to be clear on how that transformation is a direct result of customers finding your product or service.

For instance: Kevin was tired of spending half of his paycheck on clothes that were boring and wore out after a couple of washes.

This solution begs the question: How did Kevin fix this? The answer to the question of how the transformation happened is:

Your company listened to his concerns and created fashion-first style with high-quality materials.

A narrative as simple as this can help you create a brand that is them-focused. People aren’t interested in your brand, they’re interested in themselves. But the way you attract them to your brand is by offering them something that will improve their lives.

Starbucks is Starbucks because it offers the world something it loves — coffee. The question really is, what do you have to offer?