Storytelling - The Key to Connecting with Customers
Stop trying to market your company. That may sound strange but by trying to sell your product or service you may actually be driving potential customers away. No one likes a hard sell and customers are savvy enough to know even when you are trying to be less direct.
So what is the alternative? Be engaging. Spark interest. Tell a story. Tell customer why they should care about your company. But, above all, do not be boring!
Why Storytelling
Humans crave connection and storytelling is the oldest way to convey ideas and develop deeper connections. We, as business owners, can use storytelling to help explain what our product or service can mean to our customers in a way that keeps their interest and helps them relate to the material.
Storytelling is also a powerful method for education allowing us to use stories to transmit information in an engaging manner. Done well, complex themes or concepts can be broken down into easily digestible pieces while our customers are intrigued and want to know more.
Storytelling will give your customers a break in the vast sea of online media. It allows them to build become interested, identify with the story, and ultimately feel a connection with your brand.
Last, storytelling can give your company a large voice, no matter what size company you have.
The Art of Storytelling
Storytelling is an art form. Like all art, it requires vision, creativity, skill, and practice. It can be fact or perhaps a parable with a message. If you are stuck when creating your brand’s story, try using one of these main themes:
David vs. Goliath
Perhaps your business had to overcome some adversity or you have a client that, with your help, was successful against a much bigger corporation. For example, you could be a small family run business that is making a name for itself by using eco-friendly products which other big firms do not do.
Rebirth
Using the rebirth story, you can tell about how your product changes the course of someone’s life. For example, if you sell athletic shoes, you may have a customer who was able to overcome a health issue and is now pursuing a better life through exercise.
Quest
This story tells about the highlights, struggles, and ultimately triumphs of getting from point A to point B. For example, say you are a contractor who helped a family get into to their newly renovated home after a devastating fire.
Journey and Return
This is a great way to tell about your company if it literally allows one to go off and regroup like a travel agent or figuratively by temporarily giving a customer a reprieve from the daily grind. Think about commercials where a product’s scent reminds someone of another time or place or the latest Toyota RAV commercials.
Comedy
Who doesn’t love a story that makes you laugh out loud? Unfortunately, this is the hardest type of brand story to tell, but if you do it well, it can be very successful. Geico is a genius at this.
Rags to Riches
Everyone loves these stories: the small town girl makes good, the poor boy has a dream that comes true, or the company no one thought would amount to anything becomes world-renown. I once knew a real estate developer that keeps a picture of the literal shack he grew up in at his house as a reminder of his humble beginnings. At the time I met him, he just bought the most expensive home ever purchased in the U.S. It’s a story he tells over and over again, and it helps him connect to anyone.
Conclusion
Your brand is what defines your mission. Storytelling is the way to communicate that mission to customers in a way that captures their interest and creates a bond.
It is more than just what you are saying but also how you say it. A good storyteller knows his audience and connects with them at their level. Listen to your existing customers and hear what they say about your brand. What intrigued them in the first place, and what kept them as customers? Do some sleuthing, then, write a story about it.
Need help getting your message out there? Contact Charlotte’s Web Designs today to help you write your story.
5-star Google-rated Charlotte’s Web Design, LLC is a sole proprietor web design and digital marketing firm specializing in custom, professional websites, SEO, branding, logo design, digital marketing, content writing, and graphic design with over 35 years of technology experience currently working with over a hundred small businesses. Please contact me for a free consultation.
