How Brands Can Leverage Storytelling During The Pandemic

Storytelling grabs people’s attention, which is why brands are adopting this approach. During the ongoing global pandemic, companies that are utilising storytelling successfully are able to connect their brand’s message with the values of their consumers, helping empathise with the crisis at hand.

Consumers are no longer finding interest in businesses putting little effort into their messaging, instead, they want to connect with a brand on a personal and intimate level. This being said, the use of storytelling as a core marketing strategy is predicted to increase to conform to consumer needs and keep up with sales amongst the pandemic.

The Importance of Storytelling During Coronavirus

As mentioned previously, businesses need to adapt to storytelling to get their message across effectively. Through the use of storytelling, brands will have the ability to connect facts with emotions, which can later be converted into sales. This method of marketing can also increase company visibility, profit, and overall impact on their consumer base.

With a countless amount of brands currently competing in the digital era, this is a chance for a company to help itself stand out and create a resonating message that captivates an audience. Simply listing products on a website no longer cuts it, and the companies who don’t evolve and adapt will be the ones to fall behind. As for your own eCommerce business, this article will give the opportunity for your brand to learn all skills needed to successfully execute storytelling marketing.

How To Leverage The Power Of Storytelling

When it comes to businesses using storytelling to increase conversions, brands should recognise that this method is not about straightforward promotions and marketing of products, but about learning how to connect and understand consumers.

Before your company takes on its own storytelling approach, it is important to consider these key factors:

Create Something Unique: As mentioned previously, your brand will need to think out of the box when it comes to creating a story. Your brand will most likely have a ton of competition within its field, so thinking creatively will help your brand stand out and resonate with consumers. If executed successfully, your company is 22 times more likely to be remembered by someone. 

Build Loyal Consumers: By enacting storytelling amid the crisis, your company has the chance to build something greater than an interested audience, you create a loyal customer base. Through great storytelling, your platforms become a welcoming space for consumers to engage with one another and better interact with your brand directly as well as understand what you stand for as a business.

Show That You Are Helping: With the pandemic dominating everyone’s lives, it’s important that your business shows how it has been participating in helping different communities amidst the chaos. You want your consumers to know that your efforts are making a positive impact on society which will then make your customers feel better when they buy from you. Storytelling for luxury brands should also consider this approach as they are looked at by consumers as companies with larger responsibilities and users expect more from them based on their heritage.

Open Up To Your Audience: To show consumers your human side, try opening up to your audience. The pandemic should not be a taboo subject for your users, so being open and talking about how your business may be struggling, can really make an impact on your consumers through increased relatability.

What Your Business Should Avoid: People during these times are likely to be sensitive about certain subjects, meaning that your business should not be making inappropriate jokes about the pandemic or any negative commentary on other companies within the industry. Overall, people do not want negativity right now.

By working on incorporating these points into your storytelling strategy it can make a difference on the wider perception of your brand identity. While it may take some time to accurately develop, keep in mind that the results will be worth it once it has been executed successfully.

Brands Using Storytelling

The brands below have utilised many different marketing approaches and have found success in using storytelling to increase conversions:

Adidas: Footwear company Adidas shed light on how its company donated 100,000 masks to healthcare workers and over $3.25 million to the WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, as well as, $1.35 million to the China Youth Development Foundation. Being a well-known and respected company around the world, it was important for Adidas to illustrate just how much they could truly give back to communities when they needed it most.

Corkcicle: Water bottle brand Corkcicle took to Instagram to emphasise that through every purchase, they would allow customers to choose their business of choice to have the brand donate money towards. This was a fun and caring approach to get their audience involved during the pandemic as well as increase revenue.

DoorDash: DoorDash teamed up with RED to donate not only $500,000 to the Global Funds COVID-19 Response but offer limited-edition merchandise to consumers to raise awareness and donations.

Takeaways

Despite the pandemic bringing chaos and disruption to nations around the world, it’s also been a time for businesses to learn better ways to connect with consumers and communities outside of their industries. The use of storytelling in marketing strategies is likely to increase as time goes on with audiences still wanting to empathise with their favourite brands. Luckily for businesses, as Forbes puts it, “emotions drive to purchase more than logic.”