Storytelling in Marketing

Storytelling, an ancient art and partly a science too, has never been more relevant in business, than it is today. The principle factors of Content, Word of Mouth, Social Sharing and Human Connection can be leveraged in the arena of business too. Storytelling is THE fundamental human activity, even when we are talking to ourselves. Storytelling in Marketing goes beyond merely narration of stories.

Conveying the story of your brand is not a new concept.

Using storytelling as a marketing tool has

become a strategic priority.

There is a world of difference between boring, soul–less content, which most companies continue to create and stories that not only stick but also engage the person. We will examine how to create stories, nurture them, create engagement with the audience. It is no surprise, then, that storytelling needs a strong focus on what people want to hear and share. If we keep this in mind, we will see a lightning shift from the traditional ways of corporate messaging to a connected content strategy, wherein people are the key.

Evolution has hardwired our brains for stories. Study shows, when we hear a story, it triggers the same area of the brain as when we experience an event. There is little distinction between story and experience. Stories make our heart rates go up, release chemicals (good or bad), put ourselves in the shoes of the character. Nearly 60% of people remember stories, while just 5% remember statistics. And what does marketing do ? Throw in more and more statistics. OMG !!

There is a high decibel noise, out there, about storytelling in Marketing, with people (read that as experts) advocating all kinds of advice, articles, blog posts and many other hyped up stuff. The one thing lacking is clarity on what a story is and how best to connect with customers through storytelling. This will be our focus in this blogpost.

Storytelling in marketing is about making right choices, creating stories that people (or clients) can relate to.

If you are a good storyteller, there’s no limit to what you can do.

Stories break down walls, build trust and influence people to act.

Let us examine the ingredients required for a good story, a story with power, to create that emotional connect.

1.     Should tap into Emotions

Stories need to trigger emotions in people. Emotions come from imagining, visualizing, conflicts, a tug of values. People do not respond to facts and logic, people react to emotions.

2.    Should paint a human face

Stories can never be the sterile stuff about an inhuman process or a standard operating procedure. Stories need to paint a human face on an issue, with which we can relate. People do not care about processes.  People care about other people.

3.    Should connect us to our core.

At the core, we are humans – with positives and negatives. Maybe a little less or more, but both have to be there. A story displaying only positives or negatives, is not us. We are not black or white but a million shades of grey.

4.    Should have a human angle.

Human angle includes factors like conflict, disappointment, frailty, courage, determination, pain, pleasure, love, hate, sacrifice, emotional bonds, and many more. With these factors in the story, in good measure, we see a human side, which is quickly compared to our personal side. This brings the emotional connect.

5.    Should have a tugging situation.

A story without a tugging situation, will never bring out, the ups and downs, the win-or-lose situation, or a “What will  happen next ?”. A tugging situation, raises the stakes in a subtle way, thereby appealing to universal or shared values.

6.    Should show what led to the ending.

The ending need not always be a happy one, though happy endings resonate more with the audience. A right step or decision, taken at the right time, in the face pressure, is what gives power to the story. Stories are not about tall or false claims, but about adversity, vulnerability and hard decisions.

Emotion wins over logic, when it comes to storytelling.

Every compelling and powerful story needs to have a beginning, middle and end. The metaphor is of a three–legged story stool. These 3 legs are

1.  Character – The story derives its power by becoming the face of a character pursuing a goal, while facing some challenge. It evolves and grows to show how the character overcomes the challenge. This is what creates the interest, by introducing an element of conflict, uncertainty  and drama.

I remember the story of the world–acclaimed singer, a legend – Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. As a teen, he wanted to learn music but was discouraged. He ran away from home, to find a Guru, who could quench his thirst and yearning. After a series of false starts, he found one and learnt at his feet.

Do you see the character evolving, the drama and conflict of a penniless youth, thirsty for fulfilling a dream ?? I suggest you search for such stories at your workplace. This needs to be matched against the elements like who is the target audience, what are the goals of these customers and how we can relate to the character, who was also struggling to overcome similar challenges. Ideally, the target audience should be able to relate to this character — whether a public figure, a fellow employee, or a fellow businessman.

2.   Connect with Emotion – If the character is the blood vessels, then emotion is the heart of storytelling. Think strategic application of emotion in a real business scenario for a real purpose.

Ask – what does the audience want to know and do. To unlock the ‘do’ part, you need to stir up some powerful emotions. Emotions trigger decision–making. If you want a decision (to buy your product / service) you will have to trigger an emotional response. No boring talk about what you do. Focus, instead, on why you do it. Get personal, tell stories about who you are, what you were, how you came from there to here and how this relates to where you are today. This will resonate with the emotions of the target audience.

3.   Less is more – Keep it short and relevant. Shorter is better, not just in terms of the length of the story but also less stuff – only relevant stuff. The key is to use essential details, not disconnect by adding unnecessary details.

Learn to take risks. Learn to express yourself, with passion, without hesitation. This will help build your reputation. Selling your products and services, will happen on its own.

I have said enough. I have much more to share. I will continue in the next blog on this topic, in October. Till then, look forward to your feedback and comments.