Stories sell. As human beings, we're often drawn to the narrative -- in part because our complex psychological makeup wires us for the sharing of information through storytelling and in part due to our natural curiosity.
Studies confirm that social storytelling -- like gossip -- is responsible for more than 65% of conversations had in public. Sixty-five percent of all conversation is a lot of storytelling. So, it stands to reason that if you approach producing online content like you're sharing important information with friends, you'll gain more and better engagement with your brand.
At Thrive, we use elements of storytelling in all of our clients' campaigns, whether the campaigns focus on SEO, content, social media, pay-per-click (PPC), email or something else. Storytelling is also awesome for keeping your branding consistent across all channels.
Using Content To Tell A Story Draws Attention And Captivates
In today’s increasingly cluttered online marketplace, it's more difficult to attract and keep a reader's attention. In order to engage your reader, your content strategy has to be on point, and storytelling can help.
Storytelling is essentially translating your marketing message into narrative form. Online storytelling, like fiction, has a beginning, middle and an end. It has a hero or heroine -- perhaps you or your brand -- and takes the reader on a journey. It touches upon our basic human need to hear and be heard, and it delivers content in a way that doesn't feel like marketing. In this world of pop-ups and flashy advertisements, a story stands out as an island of calm in a frantic electronic world.
But in order to function as part of your content strategy, storytelling must be done right.
Plan The Right Content Strategy
Before you begin, you must have your content strategy planned out. Among marketers who bother to write out a content marketing plan, 60% find their efforts effective, as opposed to only 32% who find effectiveness among those who have only verbal plans.
Your documented plan should include your brand story. A brand story focuses on what differentiates you from the others in your industry. It can be linear or multidimensional, as long as it is ongoing. As your brand grows and changes, so should your story. Give readers insight into not only the high points but the challenges and obstacles your brand has faced. This allows you to tell them the story of a hero's journey, and position your brand as the hero.
Find The Right Hook
Fiction writers know to use a hook in the first sentence or paragraph of their novels. A good hook grabs a reader's attention and makes them want to read on. When crafting effective storytelling in your content marketing, you can borrow this fiction writing trick to hook a reader in one of four ways:
• Quotation: Use a quotable reference from a reliable source to pique a reader's interest. If it isn't obvious, make sure you explain the quote and its relevance to your subject matter.
• Statistic: Statistics are particularly useful for informational writing, and using numbers in headlines and subheads are among ways to attract readers.
• Question: Asking a question is a useful way to prompt readers to think. Questions add intrigue and help readers clearly visualize circumstances. Just make sure you answer the question afterward.
• Anecdote: This is a story-within-a-story hook. Anecdotes are short stories you can use to develop an instant rapport with your readers and connect to the topic.
Use The Right Visuals
Many of today's online readers struggle to head past the headline, but a stunning image can catch their eye in a fraction of a second. That image needs to not only capture but hold their attention. That’s where great storytelling comes in.
According to a report by Social Media Examiner, 37% of today’s marketing professionals agree that, second to written content like blogs, visual marketing is an important content form for their businesses -- and 74% are using visual assets. But today’s consumers have evolved and the image type is now more critical. You can’t just slap any old picture up there and think it'll work. You have to tell a story.
Of course, video is a great way to do this, but more businesses are turning to multimedia stories to drive engagement. Multimedia platforms offer unique ways for fans and readers to interact with brands. For example, the GE Open Innovation Challenge invites readers to invent the next solution to a global problem in their storytelling campaign. While Marriott International is currently testing its VRoom Service, where customers get to experience a virtual reality tour of exotic locales from the comfort of their hotel room before stepping foot outdoors. Receiving content from the Marriott brand in the form of a story binds the reader to the brand in a visceral way.
Other brands are using multimedia in various ways, and technology is rapidly evolving to offer more and better ways to tell your story quickly and vividly.
When choosing visuals for your brand, there are several best practices to be mindful of:
• Keep it consistent. Match your brand's style with every image.
• Make it engaging. Skip the cheesy stock photos and pick images that tell a story instead.
• Use video when possible.
• Add numbers and quotes when possible to tell the story.
Content marketing is still evolving. Every year, there are more and better metrics to determine how well storytelling as a content strategy is working for brands. As more influencers turn to storytelling platforms that include images, video and interactive pieces, there seems to be a subtle shift in the art of online storytelling. Businesses are leveraging the human element. They're using storytelling not only to market their products and services but to become relatable and to build trust.
Today's consumers demand authenticity and integrity from brands, and your content marketing should focus on creating stories that resonate with the needs and emotions of your particular audience. From my perspective, the more compelling your brand story is, the more likely your online marketing efforts will benefit.
