13/03/2014 By Waka Reading Time: 2 Minutes

“Those who tell the stories rule the world.” – a proverb by the Hopi Native American tribe.

Everyone tells stories. The act of storytelling has always been in our DNA and it influences how we communicate and relate to each other.

Today, about 78% of CMOs consider content marketing is a crucial part of business. Brands, from all sizes, benefit from the magic of storytelling. Thanks to modern technologies, it is much easier (and cheaper) to tell stories and diffuse them.

Why should we be bothered?

Nowadays, having a fine quality product and strong sales team is no longer satisfying. Smart brand owners are always one step ahead. Powerful storytelling not only boosts your sales, but also builds a strong brand identity by creating positive feelings among customers.

Storytelling is the art of communicating to reach, persuade and connect with people – in both emotional and impactful way. Of course data and numbers are still important to persuade your customers and clients. BUT, they don’t do much in humanising your brand, says Social Media Examiner. That’s what makes your business/brand more interesting, unique and relatable than others.

The principles of powerful storytelling

So what make storytelling more powerful?

Say, your brand has a story already, but perhaps it is somehow inconsistent and all over the place. Well then let’s have a look at 5 keys to powerful storytelling.

#1 Be truthful AND creative

Always be truthful on why you started the company and your brand value. Be consistent, but also be creative and elaborate. You don’t want to give all you have at once because you want your audience to keep coming back for more. Captivating, surprising and engaging – can your story tick all these boxes?

#2 Clarity and simplicity

Simple is always better. Why, you ask? Because simple things can have strong impact on people. At the end of the day, all you want is to produce positive emotions. Unfortunately, a complex and intricate concept is not likely to deliver that. Remember, it takes only several seconds to form an impression that determines how your visitor experience your web page.

Our project with a global liqueur brand, Molinari achieved high impact with simple and clear narrative – transparency. The audience get the story in a matter of seconds, because there is nothing that confuse them.

#3 Include a personality

A normal sales person would use dull words like ‘best-selling’ or ‘award-winning’. Such words are losing the real meaning and customers are no longer buying them.

Storytelling doesn’t require fancy words. Brand stories should be told with a brand persona, a living, breathing entity, says Brand Stories.

Give some idea from which/whose perspective you are communicating. After all, this will bring your brand into life and connect with audience emotionally (Global Writes).

So why don’t you infuse a personality into your product? Once you have one, your product itself is ready to build a relationship with each customer.

The VW “Lemon” was successful in infusing brand persona

#4 Good design factors

Great storytelling is always accompanied by compelling design. Imagery has to be beautiful, powerful and impactful. And of course, they have to match your purpose and narrative. Take an example of an eCommerce design. Stories behind the online showcase can connect with consumers easily. The typography, imagery, colour and texture all reinforce certain stories and narratives they want to convey – such as Oi Polloi‘s retro lifestyle from the 60s and 70s. 

#5 Embrace the beauty of sharing!

Once you have consolidated your story, now it is time to share! The more you share, the more valuable your brand will be. Use social media channels wisely and efficiently for storytelling – as different social media platforms have different functions and audience.

American Express’s use of simple imagery to convey a ‘story’ through Facebook.

Final thoughts

Story is an integral part of marketing strategy, and storytelling is a powerful way to connect with relevant audience. So, why not infusing powerful storytelling into your website/ eCommerce?

Strong and simple story, combined with technical skills, is what distinguishes a good website from great website. So have you got one yet?

Sources: sterlingcreativeworks.com, Appnova.com Oi Polloi, Brand Stories, FirstinPrint

 

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