In a world where we’re bombarded with marketing campaigns left and right, it can be hard to get your product or service to stand out amongst the static. While it can be tempting to present your prospective clients or customers with statistics that demonstrate your offering is the best for them, it’s important not to overlook one of the most powerful tools in your marketing toolkit: storytelling.
The power of storytelling
While the methods have evolved over time, humans have used storytelling as a means of connecting with one another for as long as we’ve existed. From cave drawings to words on a device screen, people have always loved to engage with a well-told story, and sharing stories continues to be one of the foundations of our most impactful communication.
Researchers have long studied the effectiveness of storytelling on the brain. Studies have shown that our brains are more active when listening to a story than listening to presentations of data and statistics. When presented with statistics or straight-to-the-point bulleted lists, only the two language processing parts of the brain- the Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas- are activated to process the meaning of the words we are reading or hearing. When listening to or reading a story, however, the parts of our brain that process events that are happening to us are activated along with the language processing parts, depending on the elements of the story we are experiencing. For example, if you are hearing a story that describes the taste of food, the sensory cortex of your brain activates to process the details in the story. This gives us the feeling of experiencing the story as if we are active participants.
This added engagement makes for a more memorable experience when stories are used in marketing. While knowing the data behind your sales and customer satisfaction might be meaningful to you as a brand, a well-delivered narrative can have a larger impact on your potential customers by evoking feelings in your audience that inspire them to buy your product or hire you for your services.
If you own a bakery, for example, use language that evokes the senses when discussing your menu. You don’t just have chocolate cake on your menu, you have a rich, moist chocolate cake draped in velvety ganache that melts in your mouth. It might sound extra, at first, but it will inspire your customers to stop by for a slice by tantalizing their senses and allowing them to imagine what the experience of eating your cake is like.
Stories over stats
Stories also humanize your marketing by helping you to establish a connection with your potential clients and customers. While data has its place in marketing- we find metrics that let us know how far our content is reaching invaluable and some customers do respond to mind-blowing statistics- having stories that bring your data to life and ground them in the real world is what’s going to get prospective clients and customers interested in what you have to offer. Even better, having stories from your established clientele not only helps to give you valuable feedback but strengthens the bond and relationship with those clients because it shows them that you care about their experience. That organic relationship can go a long way in promoting your brand.
Scroll through a For You Page on Tiktok- the world’s most visited domain in 2021– and you’ll find that the majority of ads that you come across are not just packaged advertisements created by the brands themselves, but stories regarding the product or service shared by actual content creators on the app: how a service has improved their life, why they connect to a brand, how they’ve integrated a product into their daily routines in a way that they can never see themselves going without it.
At strategysmith marketing, we find customer testimonials to be a highly valuable content resource when creating marketing content for our own clients; we like to try to work a couple of reviews from Google or Facebook into our clients’ social media strategy each month. This practice not only allows us to humanize our clients’ marketing by sharing firsthand experiences from their real customers about their offerings, it also gives our clients an opportunity to thank a customer for their business and recommendation on an individual level and fosters the relationship between the two.
If you’re a dentist, it’s one thing to tell potential patients that you perform root canals well or provide the percentage of successful root canals you’ve performed, but it’s better if you can share stories about how your patients generally feel no pain during their root canals, recover quickly, and have had their lives improved by your services. It’s even better to share stories from existing patients about the pain-free root canal experience you provided for them and how your care for your patients was immediately evident through their interactions with you.
Photos can tell stories, too
Social media presents an opportunity to not only tell customers and clients how great what you have to offer is, but you can show them too. If you own a coffee shop, not only showing your menu offerings but the ambiance of your cafe can drive customers to your shop who are looking for a place with a certain feel to hang out or get some work done. Showing customers hanging out with their friends on your patio not only tells that story that you have great coffee, but shows that you have a destination that brings people together.
The photos, or even better – the videos, in your marketing content, when well used, not only sell your product but allow your customers to visually live the experience that you offer, and that will draw them in for more.
When it comes to your marketing, stories have power; and in the age of social media, it’s easier than ever to share your stories with your prospective customers.