Running a business can feel like living in a world of data figures and strategies. While those are important pieces of entrepreneurial life, it’s important not to lose touch with your creative, more personable side. Storytelling in marketing is actually a very valuable tool! It helps you connect with your audience in more authentic ways than simply flashing numbers around.
If you’re not leveraging storytelling in marketing, you should be! Have a look and see why…
What Is Storytelling in Marketing?
You may be envisioning books from the children’s section of your public library when you think of storytelling. But storytelling in marketing isn’t the same as storytelling to a room full of kindergarteners. In fact, it’s probably a whole lot easier, because effective marketing stories come from your own personal experience—the stories floating around in your own head!
The point of storytelling in marketing is to ignite a spark with your business audience. You want potential clients to read your words and think, “Wow! I’d get along great with this person” or “Hey! I can totally relate to their mission.”
Effective business stories often capture personal bits about yourself or your business while teaching on valuable topics related to your niche.
For example, if you’re running a social media management business, you might share a personal story of struggle and triumph. The more visceral and relatable your story, the more likely you are to instill confidence in your target audience.
Why Is Storytelling in Marketing Important?
Not sold on storytelling in marketing? It’s time to reconsider your stance! There are three key reasons why stories can boost your business.
It Helps You Establish a Connection with Your Audience
Clients aren’t drawn in by intriguing metric figures alone. They’re attracted to the chance to build trusting relationships with actual people. What better way to prove how human you are than by sharing your stories?
As a B2B business owner, your stories are doubly important because you’re calling out to fellow entrepreneurs! Exposing your casual, sincere voice throughout your marketing allows your fellow business owners to relate. They’re working to grow their brands, as well. So they’re more likely to understand your unique struggles and motivators.
Your Business Will Stand Out From the Competition
Storytelling in marketing is a brilliant way to set yourself apart from competitors in your niche. Every brand should have a unique driver—something really compelling and original that makes it stand out.
Consider some of your favorite brands. Whether it’s a particular type of clothing, cars, or shoes that comes to mind, what about their story helps them shine?
The special thing that fuels your brand doesn’t have to be enormous in concept. Rather, it should be something relatable—snippets from your personal journey into business, perhaps.
It’ll Prevent Media Fragmentation
Let’s face it, the Internet opens your business up to a world of competition (literally). But it also opens your business up to a world of opportunities to meet the right clients! You may think that staying broad with your marketing will help you attract more clients, but narrowing your brand through stories is actually the better play.
Social media platforms like Instagram are great for storytelling in marketing. By pairing your unique “brand tales” with compelling imagery, you’re likely to connect with loads of people. It helps that so many social media platforms come with sharing capabilities, so you can easily promote your stories across platforms with ease.
How Can You Use Storytelling in Marketing?
There are a few natural times when storytelling in marketing really works out. If you’re finally ready to embrace (or refine!) your unique narrative, have a look at these five tips.
Use Storytelling in Your Content Marketing
Stories can make your content marketing approach more compelling and relatable. Blogs, videos, or engaging social media posts are the ideal stage for storytelling in marketing.
Picture your potential clients cyberloafing on the couch at the end of the day when they come across your brand material. They are likely to be more engaged with your content if you speak casually and from the heart about your business journeys.
And skip the promotional mumbo-jumbo! The most effective content marketing stories work to build relationships, not sell specific packages or services.
Bring Storytelling Into a Specific Campaign
On the other hand, storytelling plays a different role in campaign advertising. Potential clients often have an easier time selecting the businesses they’d like to work with based on common goals or values.
For example, your business can set out to donate a portion of its profit to an organization that represents something close to your heart. It could be a medical research facility if you (or someone you care about) has experienced a medical condition, or a children’s organization if you like kids!
Share honest stories about why you link to the organizations you choose. Clients are sure to notice and gain respect for your brand.
Build a Brand Story
The pièce de résistance of marketing stories is often the story about how your brand came to be. And don’t just slap that tale on your website’s “about” page and forget about it! Spread it far and wide anywhere your business is talked about.
People are drawn to stories of struggle, self-doubt, and triumph! They want to know about what makes you tick…and all about how you’ve arrived at your happy ending (becoming a successful business owner, of course).
Share Stories From Your Customers
This is the one time your marketing stories don’t have to come from your own brain! You can leverage your client’s success stories with your business to draw in new clients.
Nothing says “you can trust us” quite like a rave review from others who have been in your potential client’s shoes. Share how your most successful clients first came to you and how (exactly) you’ve improved their lives.
You’re sure to get bonus points if you get permission to reference specific business names, use their exact words of praise, or gain the endorsement of someone well-known in your industry.
Showcase How Your Business Got Its Start
Every superhero has an origin story. What’s yours?
Okay—you may not be a superhero! But you’ve accomplished major things in your professional life and need to brag about it somewhere. If you’re serious about storytelling in marketing, you have to include the story of how your business was born.
Hop in front of a video camera for this one! Your tone of voice and facial expressions support the highs and lows of your story. Maybe you had a bad experience working for a larger company when you decided to tap into your entrepreneurial abilities. Or maybe a loved one encouraged you to begin a business that helps people!
Whatever the inspiration was behind your earliest business moves, share it! Your clients want to know.
Storytelling in marketing is an extremely powerful tool if you know how and when to use it! You don’t have to steal the show at every business function or produce a compelling story for every client onboarding meeting. Simply pour more of yourself (those delightful, personal details) into your marketing to take your business to new heights.
You don’t have to handle storytelling in marketing on your own! I’m here to support you—book a discovery session today.
