Traditional marketing techniques rely on winning consumers over with branded content. They offer some mildly interesting content and interlace the brand in with it.
The average consumer knows that this sort of content is thinly veiled advertising. And people are increasingly tuning out traditional advertising of any sort. This is a challenge for those who continue to use traditional marketing alone. So where does storytelling come into the picture?
What Story Should You Tell?
To address this increasing lack of interest in branded content, companies need to look in a new direction. Well, actually, it is looking in an older direction. Consumers like storytelling. Using storytelling is key to grabbing and keeping modern consumer interest.
Why should you go in this direction? A recent survey done by Yahoo! and BBDO shows why:
- A full 57 percent of consumers want to know more about the background of a brand.
- About 55 percent want companies to show why a consumer should care about the brand.
- A full 45 percent actually look for stories about the brand.
If you have not been using storytelling in your marketing, you have been missing out on a big opportunity to connect with your target audience.
One direction to go is to tell the story of how your company came into being. There was a reason why you opened the company in the first place. Was it to serve a particular purpose? Was it to bring a higher quality service or product to the market? People love to hear how something came into being and why it happened as it happened.
You can also create a fictional story that embraces what the brand stands for, without bashing people over the head with it. Have you seen the Dos Equis commercials that feature the "Most Interesting Man in the World"? What about the Old Spice ones? These grab the viewer's attention by expounding on the adventures of a fictional character. It is only at the end of the commercial that the character speaks about the brand's product.
How To Tell A Compelling Story
Successful storytelling for your brand requires a few critical components:
- Authentic voice
- Define the setting
- Attention-grabbing main character
- A concise but definite story arc
When you can capture those components, you are well on your way to capturing the attention of consumers. That is how you get started with brand storytelling.
Branded content is not going to go away anytime soon. However, smarter companies are starting to diversify their internet marketing content to include the storytelling aspect.
Questions and Final Thoughts
How can you use storytelling in your marketing efforts?
