How Can Small Businesses Use Storytelling In Their Marketing?
Storytelling is a powerful marketing tool that taps into the natural human drive to tell and hear stories. Though it may be a new concept for some small businesses, it is a tried-and-true way to grow your business through customer engagement.
In this post, we will examine what storytelling is and review the benefits of using it in marketing efforts for small businesses.
The Importance of a Well-crafted Story
Storytelling is the sharing of a narrative with the purpose of conveying information and capturing the imagination. Narrative is a powerful tool to share one’s message in a clear and memorable way. By making your company more human, you enhance trust and persuade people to take action by connecting with them emotionally.
Studies show that stories have a stronger impact on brain activity than data or numbers, resulting in improved retention and recall of information.
How to Start Using Stories in Your Marketing
Once you’ve determined that storytelling is a type of communication that would be effective in growing your business, here are some tips to get you started:
Identify a specific marketing objective
Think of an outcome you want to achieve with your marketing campaign. If increasing traffic was your goal for this year’s marketing efforts, then crafting an engaging story might be the way to go.
For example, if you are a cleaning company that has a Brick cleaning service, you may want to share stories on how your services are eco-friendly or convenient.
Do some research
Before writing your story and sharing it online, gather relevant information about the industry or company you plan on marketing and any unique selling points you want to highlight in your brand or story. This will help ensure that what you share is authentic and relevant.
For example, if you are launching a new product or service, talk to existing customers or get feedback from them about what they like about your company or product.
Interview and interview again.
Writing a story isn’t easy, especially for small businesses who may not have much experience in creating a narrative to follow. For this reason, it’s important to start early so that you have time to think and establish your message before publishing it.
Therefore, it’s best to interview with other people in your industry who can help you test your story and make changes accordingly.
Talk to a Storytelling Coach
Many small businesses can benefit from the help of a storytelling coach. These professionals are trained to work with companies that want to create better narratives so that they can be effective at communicating their brand messages.
A coaching session will help you determine whether telling stories is right for you. However, it won’t take the place of putting in the time and energy into creating a hook that’s targeted at an audience that you believe will resonate with your company or message.