Thanks to social media, content is king. But there is a major difference between creating engaging content and simply creating posts. This is where storytelling in business comes in handy! Whether you want to touch a nerve, reach a new audience, or boost your sales, storytelling is the most powerful tool in your arsenal. As humans, we love a good story, and when it resonates it can drive us to take action when nothing else can.
Think about it. Would you rather read, an interesting story or a sales letter? If you were to read a compelling story and a features and benefits comparison, which do you think you would remember a week from now? And which are you more likely to buy, a story you can see yourself in, or a product that does x, y, and z?
Sure! There are times that every brand needs to highlight a product/service’s features and benefits! But these should not be the driving marketing message. If you think back on your most recent purchases, chances are you’ll find a story that resonated with you, and that drove your decision to purchase.
So, how can you use storytelling in business?”
Share Stories About You
You hear it time and time again — people buy from companies they know, like, and trust. And part of getting to know a brand is by hearing its founder’s stories! Your potential clients want to know how you came to be in business, what experiences drive your decisions, and the lessons you learn along the way.
These stories do not have to directly relate to business to be powerful, either. That anecdote about the time you were nearly arrested for not having a valid driver’s license is the perfect lead-in to a blog post about keeping your records organized and accessible. Or perhaps sharing the story about how you accidentally sat two warring families together at your wedding reception. This story is just what you need to drive a point about relationship building home!
These stories are otherwise known as, “social proof”! When it comes to effectively using storytelling in business, the stories about your clients are incredibly useful in your marketing and branding strategy. Now you may be wondering, “What kind of stories should I share?” Do not stress over this, they are not very hard to find! Testimonials, white papers, case studies and the like are all stories. They all showcase how you and your products/services change lives or businesses for the better.
Even if your company is brand new, and you may not have your own success stories, you can share about past experiences working with other brands. You can even share common knowledge case studies, and focus on the point you are trying to make!
Share Stories About Your Products and or Services
Yes, even your products have stories to tell. For example, why did you decide to create that new program? What will it help your clients achieve? Who needs and who does not need your product/service? Your potential clients will walk away with more information about your products/services than they would by simply reading a sales sheet. More importantly, they will remember it, and they will understand/see how the products/services actually work!
Clearly, stories have a lot of power when it comes to branding and marketing! But before you go on a story rampage, weigh out whether sharing the story is appropriate to share depending on the time and the setting. Just because the story is fun, does not mean you need to share it! Make it applicable, and make sure it represents your brand! Look at my brand, for example. Our primary color is a bright hot pink. So I probably would not write an article about how wearing black is the only appropriate color in business. Why? Well, it completely contradicts the look and feel of our brand!
If you can tie your story in naturally and appropriately that is your golden ticket to better branding, more sales, and a more profitable business. We love seeing how companies use storytelling in business! And we cannot wait to see how you tell yours!
Pro Tip: Networking is another extremely beneficial time to make use of storytelling in business.