Successful brands and companies achieve this through compelling stories that resonate with their target audiences . Humans naturally enjoy hearing narratives that evoke empathy . This is why marketers have developed a strategy for marketing products and services using storytelling. So , what exactly is the importance of storytelling in digital marketing , and how can it be used to persuade?
What is storytelling?
Storytelling is the art of telling stories to convey a specific message. These stories often focus on people and entertaining events , the marketer expresses the image they want to project of their product. To attract its target audience, the story must incorporate the values and emotions it hopes to evoke.
Therefore, the story must be engaging, inspiring, moving, useful, and above all, easy to understand . Furthermore, it must include several characters, a protagonist, a plot, obstacles, and a moral. In short, good storytelling must contain the essential elements of a narrative text .
How important is storytelling in digital marketing?
Since antiquity, stories have always shaped lives. If they contain enough detail and emotion, the reader will automatically connect with them . Brands then use storytelling to help people understand that their products can add value to their lives .
In fact, there are 5 reasons that demonstrate the importance of storytelling in marketing:
- establishes a strong and deep connection with the public.
- adds a human element to the content, and therefore to the brand as well.
- It inspires consumer confidence. In fact, 92% of consumers prefer story-based advertising.
- It presents a more appealing image of the brand and therefore helps to defeat competitors.
- encourages internet users to promote the brand if they are satisfied with the story, through word-of-mouth.
To touch the customer's heart
Currently, many companies use online platforms to develop and transmit messages to their target audiences. Storytelling in digital marketing consists of communication strategies made up of persuasive sales arguments .
In fact, internet users are bombarded with marketing ads as soon as they open a website. However, they tend to avoid this type of advertising because they're fed up with it. Their brains are now accustomed to rejecting trivial information and retaining creative stories that capture their attention. They seek out content that best interests them .
To achieve this, brands must seek to capture a consumer's attention by connecting with them on a more personal level . In this case, a company that wants to transform its ordinary product into something extraordinary must market it using storytelling.
To apply storytelling in a marketing strategy , it is important to understand the basic principles of storytelling.
The basic principles of impactful brand storytelling
Not all companies are able to use storytelling in their marketing strategy . However, there are simple methods to implement storytelling and improve customer connection .
Choose a relevant main character
A story needs a main character to be complete. This could be a hero or another charismatic figure, but the important thing is that the reader can identify with them . The protagonist must be interesting and engaging to leave a lasting impression on the audience. The entire story should revolve around them to allow people to understand them. Furthermore, the main character is meant to win the readers' hearts and remain central to the narrative.
Put the best elements of the story at the beginning
Instead of saving the best parts for last, you need to put them at the beginning of the story. The fact is, you have to grab the reader's attention right from the start to hold it until the end. They'll then automatically share the story with others. So, the brand must focus all its efforts on the title and the introduction of the story .
Add a plot
The plot is the disruptive element of the story , that is, an element preventing the protagonist from achieving their goal. It can also be called "conflict ." It is necessary to engage the reader and keep them reading .
To create a conflict-ridden context, simply give the main character a goal. Then, an unforeseen event arises and presents an obstacle to achieving it. In this way, the reader will identify with the hero who encounters difficulties they wish to resolve or a goal they want to reach. The story should show the protagonist initially facing setbacks but ultimately overcoming these obstacles thanks to the product of the brand being promoted .
Maintain the consistency of the story
The narrative must remain consistent throughout to maintain the reader's trust. The brand must preserve and convey a positive image to potential customers . If the story changes, the consumer will perceive it as misleading advertising designed to entice them to buy a product or service.
Create an emotional connection with the reader
Readers are often emotional, and it's this aspect that drives them to buy a product or service. The story must therefore convey a message that resonates with the customer through powerful and persuasive content . A close connection will naturally develop between the reader and the brand. The consumer will immediately want to buy the product. Marketing analysts call this "unconscious desire to buy .
Storytelling is a powerful tool in marketing . Their mission is to determine which story best reflects their product or service to attract potential customers . Indeed, storytelling always conveys a message to the reader. The goal is to persuade them to take a certain action, so that their interest is converted into a purchase. Therefore, to encourage the target consumer to buy, the story must be well-crafted, persuasive, and engaging . The brand can choose the medium it wishes to use to tell its story (a video, text, or images).
