When it comes to marketing communication, everyone is talking about storytelling these days. For good reason. When done well, the elements of narrative in your communication efforts helps you connect with your customers in a genuine and meaningful way and make your brand more memorable.
Since humans are hardwired to respond to storytelling, narrative is powerful enough to cut through the cacophony of modern life. The problem is a lot of companies don't think of themselves as a brand with a story to tell. They think they're a boring company simply selling products. Branded of course.
And I'm here to tell you, that is not true. Every brand, no matter how "boring," has a special aspect in their storyline that is a great story waiting to be told.
Case in point: products don't get much more boring than toilet paper, right? That didn't stop Quilted Northern from creating commercial spots so memorable I'll never look at a roll of toilet paper the same ever again.
What are some ways you can have fun with your brand's story and offer your audience interesting ways to connect with you? Here's how to get started.
Remember that you have many stories to tell. Try different approaches for the different stories you have to share — as well as different approaches for different audiences, different platforms, and different mediums. Who are you? What do you do for others? How do you add value? How do you help your customers? What makes you different? Answering these questions is how you can pull stories out of your organization and make them relatable to your customers.
Mine the details. Look at the most emotional, heartfelt and frustrating moments in your business and career and dig into those details to show how you are different. How did you get here? Did you stumble along the way? Why didn't you give up? Or why do you get back up after you did give up? Did a down year give birth to a new product line? Relatively speaking, you could be selling anything, working anywhere, living anywhere. Why this? Why here? Why now? What brought you to this moment? Inquiring minds want to know.
Good stories hit a nerve. Think of the stories you most remember – brand or otherwise. Chances are, they hit on your emotions and made you think of your past, your future, your goals, your family, your history. They make you analyze where you’ve been, where you’re going, where you are, who you are. They made you think introspectively. They were sincere, moving, and inspiring. They weren’t about end-column pricing, waived set-up fees, or free next-day shipping. (Okay, truth, I always remember free next-day shipping, but you know what I mean.)
Go beyond the page. Your brand’s story should exist beyond the page… err, screen. It’s not just the copy on your website or blog. Use the benefits of storytelling and narrative in everything from your product copy to your About Us page and your social media voice. But don't stop there. Your story can unfold in infographics, as a podcast, a video series, interviews, live talks, webinars. It can be told as a cartoon, a series of interviews, a behind the scenes documentary, a play starring your staff, a photo series featuring various items on each employee’s desk.
A compelling brand story helps your audience connect with you and genuinely showcases the many ways your business is beneficial and relatable. I think we've only just started to scratch the surface of how storytelling will breathe new life into marketing. With the technology available to us today, the possibilities are endless. And that’s awesome.
What are some ways you can reimagine your brand story?
Aubrey Collins is the director of marketing and communications at MediaTree, a supplier of branded digital entertainment cards. She fell in love with the promotional products industry in 2011 at her first PPAI Expo. She shares her perspective on everything from the industry, what parenting continues to teach her about business, to what marketing campaigns make her cry on her blog. Connect with her on Twitter or email her atacollins@mediatreegroup.com.