We love Storytelling. We love hearing a good story. We love telling a good story, and we LOVE seeing the reactions our stories evoke in the people around us. We hope they will be received so well it either has people in fits of laughter, crying for joy or sobbing for an imagined pain (hopefully not all at once!).
Many people think the art of Storytelling is intricate, and only a few talented individuals have the skills to bring an idea, memory or information to life using the power of words. A sentiment that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Anyone can be a master storyteller because we are all made of stories.
Brand storytelling is growing in popularity; it is the cohesive narrative that weaves together the facts and emotions that your brand evokes.
In addition to giving your customers reasons why they should buy a product or service, you also need to start sharing the story behind the brand:
- Why do you exist?
- Why should customers care?
- How will you make their life better?
The human brain is wired to respond to well-crafted narrative — neuroscience proves that Storytelling is the best way to capture people’s attention, bake information into their memories, and forge close, personal bonds.
Brand storytelling is no longer a nice to have. It is a need to have!
Storytelling will give your business greater visibility, profit, and impact.
Every great story has a few key elements that can capture our imaginations and keep us coming back for more.
Firstly:
SET THE SCENE:
Ask yourself: Where did this adventure begin?
Where and when you choose to start your story plays a big part in what will be your overall narrative. If you make the mistake of selling to your followers before first introducing yourself, you run the risk of alienating people. Many of us need the background story to help remember what it is you do and which problems you can solve in my life.
We experience the world through our senses, so take the reader’s hand and guide them every step of the way; showing them the good, the bad and even the downright ugly. Be as honest as you can. As the great story writer Hemingway once said: “Write the truest sentence you know and go from there.”
Great brands eventually outgrow their origin stories. Instead, they morph in our imaginations to represent feelings, moods and experiences.
None have been quite as direct as Coca Cola to make the connection between emotion and brand with their ‘open happiness’ slogan.
ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE:
We have all been in a situation where we have met someone and thought to ourselves, ‘this person won’t stop talking about themselves, and they haven’t asked me a single question’. A meaningful conversation is a two-way street. People want to talk. Create space in your story that allows for movement and spontaneity to explore your narrative.
It can be easy to forget that establishing and maintaining a brand is about the conversation we are having with our clients. It can be easier to focus on what we are bringing to the table, rather than establishing a good brand story that people will grow to love. But this is the part that sets you apart from the rest because you can bet your bottom dollar that there is someone else out there who has the same or very similar services that you offer.
On average, we see around 3000 advertisements a day. They’re all designed to grab our attention and teams of designers and copywriters go to any lengths to get our eyes to linger for just a split second longer than usual.
What are you doing to stand out from the crowd?
The Netflix series Black Mirror explored this idea of engagement in the film ‘Bandersnatch by offering viewers the choice to take control of the story.
ESTABLISH THE MAIN CHARACTER:
Have fun with your brand image and be reflective of how people see it. If the characters aren’t relatable, why would anyone want to listen to them? This example of KRAFT Mac & Cheese has given a voice to the product itself and made sure that if anyone is after Mac and cheese, KRAFT will be there to answer the call.
Believe it or not, you’re not the hero in the story. Your brand is the guide. Not quite as glamorous as you had probably hoped. It is your potential clients who are overcoming all the odds, winning the day and saving the world. You’re not Luke in the story; you’re Yoda.
As storytellers and brand builders, we have only a tiny window of opportunity to make a good impression. Storytelling is the way we open up and invite people to look at us with the hope they will help us to carry on our story. Before asking people to reach into their wallets to spend money, we must first build trust through good, honest communication.
Begin by leveraging visual Storytelling to bring your stories to life.
As humans, we are wired to process visual information more efficiently, so much so that it makes our stories more memorable.
Did you know?
- Visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text by the human brain.
- 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual.
- People can recall 65% of the visual content that they see almost three days later, compared to 10% of written content.
For companies to cut through the noise, focus on how your visuals can support or take the lead in your storytelling efforts.
Are you ready to tell your brand’s story?
Not yet convinced?
Listen to our podcast episode on Storytelling:
