Effective Techniques For Emotional Brand Storytelling
Storytelling is the process of painting a picture through words, sound and design to share information, elicit a response, and inspire action. Everywhere around us, stories are being told. Whether it’s a blockbuster movie selling out in theatres or a simple retelling of a funny incident among friends, we tell and are told of these stories everyday.
Marketing is another platform in which storytelling can exist. This method is essential in marketing communications because through storytelling, you can create new connections, share and receive information, compel and be compelled, and make your brand appealing to your audience. Through emotional and effective brand storytelling techniques, you can also influence your audience by using a narrative pattern they are familiar with.
Here are some storytelling techniques and tips you can use for your digital marketing content strategy.
Determine who you’re telling the story to
Knowing your audience is a key part in creating good content. By knowing who you’re telling your story to, you know what they want to hear and how they want to hear it.
Doing research beforehand is crucial in creating a buyer persona for your audience. Through this, you get to know their pain points, their motivations, their online behaviour, and more. Data-driven storytelling techniques are more likely to prevail and bring you the Return On Investment (ROI) and results you need. The more you know about the people you want to target, the better you’ll know how to appeal to them.
Besides that, having knowledge of your audience can also help you write a hook that will entice them to check your brand out. A well-written hook should be something that captures their attention immediately, whether it’s by being catchy, by addressing their main concerns, or both.
Have a message, an arc, and a call-to-action
Now that you know who to tell your story to, the next step is to determine the message, structure, and the call-to-action. Having one unifying message helps keep your story coherent and easy-to-follow, while a narrative arc details your beginning, middle, and end. Otherwise, there would be no structure or flow to your brand story, which would leave your audience confused. Finally, a call-to-action (whether it’s something subtly weaved in or more overt) can help motivate your audience to fulfil your goal for the campaign.
There are several storytelling arcs you can employ for an effective brand narrative. For example, you can portray your brand story as a Cinderella-esque type of narrative to compel your audience to root for the underdog (you) over other companies. While these arcs are typically seen in TV shows, movies, and other forms of media, you can incorporate this in your content strategy for digital marketing when using narratives for your marketing tactics.
Make use of visual and emotional brand storytelling techniques
Visual and emotional brand storytelling techniques can enhance the way you market your company and your product. Using visuals is beneficial because they are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain compared to text, and 92% of customers prefer viewing ads structured like stories. Furthermore, emotional brand storytelling helps you tap into the hearts of your audience, make memorable first impressions, and influence people to follow your call-to-action. It also creates a connection that’s quite powerful and goes beyond the typical transaction, leaving long-term effects in the process.
There are many ways to incorporate visuals and emotions in brand storytelling. For starters, you can create educational content through fun, easy-to-follow visuals. You can even make use of different platforms such as email, social media, and more to amplify your storytelling techniques. Just make sure to follow what type of visuals and emotions that appeal to your audience based on your audience research.
Include your audience in the story
The story shouldn’t just end with the brand as its core “character”, rather, try incorporating the audience into the story to make them feel part of your story as well.
Encourage them to tell their own stories through user-generated content. User-generated content is beneficial because it helps add to your curated content, increases social media reach, and provides adequate insight about your audience. Not to mention that it positions the audience as a crucial character in your brand’s journey. This helps make them feel important, allowing you to earn their trust and loyalty in the process.
With the right visual storytelling and emotional brand storytelling techniques, coupled with effective narratives, you can use your brand stories to your advantage, marketing-wise. That being said, not everyone can become a powerful storyteller overnight. Brands may require expert help to get their stories across to their audience.
Discover the power of storytelling in digital marketing with the help of an agency in Australia. Check us out at No Standing and let’s discover the best way to tell your brand’s journey! Send us a message and we can set a date to discuss your brand’s story and how we can translate that into a content strategy for your digital marketing plan.
