Telling a story is something important, from the ludic part to the informative one. For companies, this can be an essential marketing tool and it has a technical name: storytelling. When it is well executed, this technique helps strengthening the relationship between the company and the public and also boost campaigns.
Currently, the access to information is very broad, anyone can search for varied subjects and this impacts the way brands relate to their public. Involving people by means of a solid strategy is more and more important and it has a positive effect in any segment. Storytelling makes it possible due to its basis of execution.
In this post, we will show you what this technique is about, how it can be used and what its basis of application are. Check it out!
What is storytelling?
Storytelling is, in theory, a marketing technique that is applied to campaigns with the goal of generating value to a product or service. In practice, it proposes a story, such a film or book, in which there is a script that is focused onto this strategic objective of the company.
There are several ways through which you can make a storytelling strategy and this is what makes this tool so interesting. Videos and texts are the main means of building it, and nowadays there are some variations available. A good storytelling campaign can be built today through the Instagram stories of a brand.
In the end, the important thing is to tell that story and create an impact onto the public. This method of involving people include some factors which make storytelling really effective, generating feelings and ideas in consumers.
Emotional involvement
In a time when contact is artificial and too fast, this technique has a great emotional appeal in its execution. In storytelling, brands create narratives that can make different feelings emerge in the public. In the stories that are being told, emotional appeals are naturally used with responsibility. Part of that is done through the humanization of the brand that generates a proximity with the public, which is so much searched for nowadays.
For that to happen, it is necessary to have some elements in the storytelling campaigns so that they can create joy, commotion, nostalgia, fun and many other feelings. This technique uses these principles as a basis for the campaigns that are produced, always touching the feelings of people on the other end.
Empathy
Creating engagement is fundamental for brands to be able to present their products and services in the long term, keeping the public near. Nothing better than telling a story that relates to the reality of the customer. This way, he will feel that the brand can offer a solution to his problems.
Many companies apply that to storytelling through actions that include testimonials by consumers. In this case, the script is just like the one used in movies:
- there is a character that has a problem that needs to be solved;
- he searches for some resource for help, but he is not successful;
- finally, he finds the product or service provided by the company;
- there he gets the solutions he needs;
- in the end, he tells the story of how the brand helped him solve his problem.
This timely order is followed with the goal of generating the necessary impact for engaging the public. Consumers identify with the character’s problem, they see that those testimonials are really true and, finally, they start trusting the brand and believing it sells the perfect solution that he needs.
Strategically guiding the public
Storytelling is an excellent way of guiding the public through a journey of consumption, from the moment of capturing their attention to conversion. Actions that tell stories bring a feeling of approval to the product or service. This happens because these campaigns present solutions and add value to the brand from the inside out, creating a positive image and a relation of trust, which is something that engages the public and keeps them near.
After this, the brand can work on guiding users through the journey of consumption. The next steps are related to working on engagement, tightening ties and, finally, offering conversion, which is usually a purchase.
What are the pillars of this technique?
A good storytelling campaign needs to be built on the basic pillars of this technique. This will guarantee that the brand will transmit the ideal image and, what is more important, be able to conquer the public. Read more to discover what the basis are for developing a storytelling campaign.
Authenticity and innovation
A good story can told once again, but it needs to be renovated. It is normal to have an increase in the use of storytelling, but brands need to escape the “cake recipe”. Good basis make sure the goal is attained and brands need to develop different campaigns, with unique proposals which can boost their impact. Innovation is fundamental for getting to this point. This way a company can be authentic and bring something new to the communication with its public.
Using data to highlight your point
Data are the proof that something that is being said is really true. Consumers deal with a broad selection of brands, so bringing reality to the table creates credibility. Campaigns that carry information are better accepted and they create the feeling of “fair play”.
Consumers are not innocent to the point of not understanding that campaigns are made with the intent of involving them. However, storytelling techniques that show data and real testimonials can achieve this proximity in a true manner that is impactful. This is very well noted by the public.
Connection to the public
It is necessary to always search for the connection to the public. This comes through several details: approach, language, elements used in the campaigns, testimonials, quality production and, as we have mentioned, the emotional factor.
Each one of these elements, when applied to the storytelling technique, generates different sensations and responses in those consuming the campaign. These reactions mean that the brand has achieved the point of connection and is, therefore, closer to involving and engaging the public.
Your brand will innovate once it brings good storytelling actions into the market. Consumers like having something new and they understand that, when a company does that through a solid proposal, it deserves a vote of confidence.
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