Consumers are savvier than ever these days. They (we) are bombarded with marketing and advertising every day, on social media, on websites, in magazines, on billboards, on TV.
Which is why big brands and small are seeking out new and innovative ways of connecting deeply with their audience and building trust. Brand Storytelling is a major part of trust marketing, but what it is it and how do you use it to help grow your empire?
What is Brand Storytelling?
Have you ever watched an Ad on TV that brought tears to your eyes? Or an online video that had you in stitches of laughter? That’s brand storytelling at its best.
We all love a good story, don’t we? Stories that spark our imagination, that light us up, stories that give us the giggles and stories that choke us up. We even love stories that make us mad as a snake.
It’s through sharing our stories that we build relationships. It’s those emotional moments together that build connection.
And, as we tell our personal stories, we reveal our core values and beliefs.
Big brands are using the power of telling relatable stories, just like the ones you’d share with your friends, to evoke emotions and create this same kind of connection with their audience.
When you get the warm fuzzies watching a brilliant Advert, you’re very likely to have the warm fuzzies about the brand.
How Do You Ace Brand Storytelling?
Here are 5 ways to master the art of telling an inspirational story.
1. Evoke Emotion
What you want is for your characters to be so relatable and their story to be so evocative that your video goes viral.
Touch people’s hearts. Inspire. Motivate. Tease.
Align with your audience’s core beliefs and values.
Make your audience fall in love with your characters and there’s a good chance they will fall in love with your brand.
One of the best stories to tell is the story of how your company began. This works especially well if you’re a family business or started out as a family business. History, told well, can be poignant and beautiful.
Or you can detail the evolution of your company, through the eyes of your employees. Have them tell your story.
3. Tell Your Story Everywhere
Another secret to acing this kind of storytelling is to tell the same story via all media and across all platforms.
Your campaign may start with awesome Video Production but it doesn’t end there.
To use your video to its full advantage make sure you
- Flight it on TV, in movie houses and on aeroplanes
- Share it on as many social media platforms as possible
- Upload it to your YouTube channel
- Embed it on your website and tell the story again within your written content
- Make your video downloadable and your audience will Whatsapp it or email it to their friends
- Take pictures of the characters in your story for magazine advertising, billboards and email marketing
4. Build Relationships
Connect with Influencers, TV personalities, Radio Personalities, PR Agencies, bloggers, digital marketers and social media influencers. They will help you tell your story and give it their unique angle. Influencer Marketing builds tremendous trust and rapport.
5. Build Loyalty
Interview your most loyal customers and have them be the ones telling your story or sharing your story with their friends. Create a membership site of raving fans. Create forums.
Invite customers to workshops and seminars where you teach them something valuable or give them the opportunity to meet the people in your video so they can see they are real people.
Get people talking about your marketing campaign. Social proof builds loyalty and trust.
Have you used brand storytelling to your advantage? How have you reached out and connected with your audience? Which platforms have created the most connection?
