Humans have been telling stories long before they have been able to put pen to paper.
“Stories create genuine emotions, presence (the sense of being somewhere), and behavioural responses," says Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center.
When a person is listening to or reading a story, it actually creates emotional responses in the brain and images start forming in their mind. For example, when reading a fairy tale, such as
Red Riding Hood, the reader is able to imagine the surroundings being described and feel the same emotions as the characters, such as the surprise and fear Little Red Riding Hood felt when she found out that it was the wolf, and not her grandmother, hiding in the bed.
Now that you understand why storytelling is so important, it’s time to find out how to include it in your marketing strategy.
Here are three reasons why your brand should start telling stories:
1. Stories can have a good impact
In 2018, Apple published a YouTube video titled
Apple Watch — Real Stories where four people told stories of how their Apple Watches actually saved their lives.
These types of stories show consumers the impact certain products have. This, in turn, makes them realise the benefits of having that product and how it makes their lives even better.
This is something all brands should strive to do. Tell a story that consumers can relate to and that allows them to see why they cannot live without your product, or how much better they’d be off with your product or service.
That is the power of good storytelling.
2. They humanise the brand
Stories give your brand the opportunity to connect with consumers on a human level. A brand that did this really well is Dove with its ‘#ArmsUp’ campaign. The campaign had women talking about how they prefer their underarms, despite society always encouraging women to have ‘perfect’ underarms. Again, the stories told are all different people with their own opinions as to what ‘perfect’ should look like, making this initiative highly relatable and
human.
For far too long, brands have tried to be perfect and encourage people to be perfect. But consumers no longer want the perfect picture, they want the raw and real details, and storytelling as a great way of giving them exactly that.
3. Stories are shared frequently
A great way to get exposure for a brand is to have content that is sharable; this results in it reaching countless people, and it’s all because of good storytelling. Stories tap into human emotions, making your brand’s content relatable and easier for consumers to engage with and share with friends and family.
For example, back in 2013, the first-look trailer for
Frozen was just Olaf the snowman and Sven the reindeer. The trailer shows Olaf sniffing a flower; he then sneezes and his carrot nose slides all over the ice below. Sven sees this, and they proceed to try and catch the carrot before the other one does. When Sven finally manages to reach it, Olaf has a look of sadness on his face, up until the reindeer puts his nose right back.
The trailer didn’t give much context as to what the film was about, which builds anticipation and suspense prior to it being released. Brands can do the same wherein they tell a story that gives consumers a sneak peek of new products and services. By the time your product or service is launched, your customers will be more than ready to go out and make a purchase!
What is one of your favourite stories told by a brand? Let us know in the comments section below.
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*Image courtesy of Pixabay