Content Marketing and Storytelling: A Tale As Old As Time
How do most stories start? “Once upon a time…” “In a land where…” Storytelling is one of the most effective and illustrious methods of communication and has been for thousands of years.
Storytelling has become an integral part of marketing, drawing in prospective clients and keeping current ones, building and maintaining strong relationships. While we know it works, how do we use storytelling for effective content marketing?
Think of your favorite fairytale, these types of stories have a structure that we all know and love. Storytelling in Content Marketing works the same way, constructing a narrative that can evoke an emotional response. The strategy will analyze what the brand’s story is and what they want the message to be towards consumers. A brand that utilizes storytelling is leveraging a powerful tool to gain trust and foster relationships with clients.
As humans, we’ve all grown up hearing stories from books or passed down to us through family. Our constant surroundings with storytelling are nothing new, but the use of it in content marketing is for some brands. A well-told and executed story can be more memorable to the public than just a simple advertisement or branded messaging. Thinking outside of the box is one way that marketing teams can cultivate these stories and create new clients. Here are a few ways to use storytelling in your content marketing:
Visuals
Visual storytelling is a great way to help your clients further engage with your content. Statistically, most of the population are visual learners; by adding graphic elements you are connecting even more with your audience. Whether your content is talking about current events, famous historical people, or adding a graphic that goes with what you are talking about in your content, visuals are a great way for potential clients to internalize your message.
Keep Branding Consistent
While it may seem obvious, it is imperative to keep your branding consistent across the board. This decreases the chance of confusion among prospective clients, when they see your content with its consistent look and feel, they will automatically think of you. Your brand story should appear in some way in your content marketing.
News is Good
Becoming a thought-leader in your respective field of work is another way to approach and appeal to prospective clients. Using storytelling to your advantage, you can both educate your users and put forth thought-provoking content. Acknowledging current events, financial news, popular culture and holidays can add more to your content strategy.
Success Stories
By sharing success stories of your clients, you are focusing on the consumer and not yourself. This can help generate real life connections between content and those who interact with it. This adds another layer of relatability, credibility, and authenticity. Client wins and good news stories can generate an emotional response, like that of when a story ends with a happy ending.
In Conclusion
Storytelling Content Marketing can form an emotional or personal connection between the client and the brand, while being less focused on promotions or advertising. This leads to being perceived as more authentic and is often preferred amongst consumers. Forging this relationship can lead to turning prospective clients into longtime ones.