Marketing 101 | The Power of Storytelling
As humans, storytelling is a pivotal part of our history; storytelling also plays a large role in the spreading of our ever changing histories. Marketing is all about telling a story and convincing others to believe it. This belief is crucial to them making the next move of buying into your product or service offering. But how does one create a story that not only is believable but also sells?
It requires first that you have a product or service worth telling a story about, and one such that also demands being shared with others. From there, it requires a good story teller. The best story tellers know that these stories are not lies but rather a story that perhaps bends the truth a bit or exaggerates a feature to help buyers to tell themselves the same story.
Stories in marketing often involve getting others to believe what you tell them your product can do. For example, shoes that can shape your gluteus maximus will sell well to women (or men) who are looking to do more in the small amount of exercise time they have available. It will also help buyers to believe and buy-in to the idea that your back side can look better with little effort.
As a marketing professional, it is your responsibility to tell stories honestly and truthfully. Moreover, your product or service must offer value to buyers, and that value must fall in line with that which you convey in your stories. If they do not, you are misusing the power that you hold as a marketer, and misusing the power that stories hold. Listeners of stories can be brought into the scenarios, internalize any emotions involved, and can often visualize themselves in the situations being presented. As such, it is important that you use storytelling correctly and morally.
There are a few components needed to ensure that your storytelling is successful. They include:
- Knowing your audience. Who are your listeners? How do their views on the world change? How does that change the way your product is perceived? Know these things so that you can better tailor your messages and offer them something of value.
- Knowing your own story. This is somewhat self explanatory, but know your story. Once you know your story, get it straight by staying consistent.
- Staying consistent. To follow off of item #3, consistency can help to reiterate trust and cultivate successful and beneficial relationships between companies and buyers.
- Being authentic. Maintain this authenticity; you never know when the customer will start paying attention and it ought to be one of your biggest concerns to ensure that they see you acting authentically. Selling customers on unauthentic tactics is not beneficial for either party involved.
Storytelling can be a powerful technique, but ensure that you do things correctly. Get advice if you need it, and don’t be afraid to ask your customers what they want. They are often more than willing to share their opinions.
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