Storytelling - content marketing tool

|  reading time: 2 min.

Storytelling, a content marketing tool, is basically the telling of a story that grips and means something to the audience, a tool which conveys the right image of a brand and somehow pleases its audience. A story becomes more private, more realistic and different from a set of content lines. It becomes more effective and that is the power of storytelling; to tell and listen to stories is something natural to Man.

Roger Dooley, author of “Brainfluence”, states that first of all the brand should be able to show what it possesses in common with its consumers, thus creating the “liking” effect. Later on he emphasizes the importance of the story, claiming that live testimonies are far more effective than product promotion. Consequently, if the story is good, you have better chances of getting the consumer’s attention and even deepen the consumer’s connection to the brand.   

There are several models of storytelling:

-       Stories that teach;

-       Stories that may include classic lessons or quotes;

-       Personal stories (of a founder or collaborator);

-       Stories based on customer testimonies;

But, as any other marketing technique, it isn’t as easy as it seems and it should follow a set of parameters. The story should:

-       show what is intended and not (just) tell it. You should use specific situations. These elements should be fully integrated into the story so that your target audience may experience them and decide for themselves;

-       always be in tune with the brand’s DNA. It should reflect its values, show its core and reflect its image and personality;   

-       be simple, accessible and understandable;

-       hit a soft spot. They should generate emotion and be emotional, have some sort of utility and demonstrate they were written by a person and not a machine;

-       be conveyed through different channels but always be consistent;

-       include imagery and graphics;

-       maintain a strong and positive feeling throughout the whole story;

-       include consumer’s opinions. 

In conclusion, a very interesting way to tell a story can be through video, which has 12 times more likelihood of getting fans and being shared.