With the current technology and fast paced world that we live in, a sense of humanity is something that society is looking for. We are now used to getting everything automated, online or convenient. However, the human touch has been lost.
In this environment, brands need to survive by connecting with audiences through emotions and differentiation as means of getting their attention. If you're stopping to think about how to achieve these three objectives, brand storytelling is likely the solution.
What is storytelling in the marketing perspective?
It is a fact that humans have been telling stories forever and our brains have evolved to love them.
In marketing, storytelling means to use a narrative to convey a message. The objective is to pull at the audience's heartstrings and engage with them on a much deeper level than before. In other words, make the viewer or reader feel a connection strong enough, to take action. Once you connect with the audience, the second part will be selling the product/ service.
So…How is storytelling the solution to survive as a brand in the current world?
As I mentioned before, the three actions that a brand needs to survive are connecting with the audience by emotions, differentiation and attention.
Emotions
According to Judy Willis on The Neuroscience of Narrative and Memory “The experiences we have with narratives starting as young children establish supportive conditions in the brain for learning and remembering, based on a foundation of emotional connections to the experience of being read to or told stories.”
Our society got used to stories. Once you know your audience, you need to think about the emotions that you want to evoke in them. Your brand needs to be memorable, thoughtful and REAL. Your audience is most likely to remember the feeling they got from your message than the actual content of the message. The power to connect with real stories and experiences is the key to real engagement. What is your objective on the message, campaign or image? What does your audience need from your brand? Share your backstage, process, employees’ stories, etc.
Storytelling does not just reflect emotions; it also shares the personality of your brand. This is one of the things that will differentiate you from the rest of the competitors.
Differentiation
In the crowded marketplace and standing out as a business is more important than ever. Nowadays, it is not enough to have a quality product or service. Everyone is sharing the same objective and message. So, what are some of the ways to make your brand different from the others?
The answer is: using storytelling in order to share your brand’s personality. How do you want to be perceived? Do you want to be sincere, sophisticated, excited, competitive, etc?
Stories do not just make you stand out; they also take up the most valuable thing from your audience, TIME. If your audience is taking the time to read your story, make it worth it!
Get the attention
People are used to living at a fast pace. However, even the busiest person stops to listen to a good story. If your story makes the cut (with emotion and personality), people will pay attention to your brand. A good narrative is the oldest method to hold someone's attention.
Now that you understand how to use storytelling to survive among your competitors, it is your time to take action and use it in your next brand’s content.
Remember to be REAL and evoke emotion.