Storytelling and your brand.

To truly connect with an audience Storytelling becomes a very important part of that connection.  We all see how people become more engaged when a story connects them to the goods, service, products, etc. that we offer.  People desire a personal connection between a brand and their purchase decisions.   So developing great storylines that related to your brand story and the connecting points with your brand really do have an impact.    Jenny Holt once again lends us her thoughts on how to weave storytelling into the marketing programs and storyline you wish to present to your audience. 

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Storytelling connects people with your brand.

How To Weave Storytelling Into Your Branded Content

If you doubt the power of storytelling in marketing, consider the case of the spoons. Researchers posted a set of spoons for sale on eBay. In one test, short descriptions accompanied each spoon. In a second test run, the researchers published a short story alongside each spoon. The spoons accompanied by a story earned 64% higher bids.

Storytelling is key to using branding to increase your profits. How can you ensure that you weave excellent storytelling into each piece of branded content that you put out to your customers? Here are three steps to follow.

Include a Beginning, Middle, and End

A part of the power of story may be the ability for stories to affect our brains in a way that is different than the information that is not in a story pattern. Neuroeconomics Professor Paul Zak studied the way the brain responds to stories. He found that stories have the power to evoke emotional response and empathy. To do this, the story must have a beginning, middle, and end.

Think of every piece of content as a mini story. In this way, you are packaging your message in a way that is designed to get a response from your reader. If you find it hard to turn a fact-based message into a story, try adding a character and plot. Introduce your character, speak about a journey of some kind, and finish off by providing closure.

Make Characters Relatable

Your content should include characters, and you want to make those characters people that your customers can relate to. If your target audience is teachers, for example, include teacher characters in your content. When adding quotes, pull quotes from teachers rather than board directors, mayor figures, or principles.

Stay True To Your Brand

In order to produce an authentic piece of content, you should stick to your overall brand story. Use the content to make your brand’s story stronger. Highlight the brand’s values, beliefs, and purpose. The characters, setting, and plot structure that you use for a single piece of content needs to fit in with your company’s image as a whole.