Why Marketing and Storytelling Go Hand-In-Hand

With the businesses becoming more fragmented with digital development and the democratisation of marketing activities, storytelling has never been a more valuable tool to leverage. Utilising story telling can help expanding your audience as well as having a lasting impact on your clients.

 

Here are three key reasons why marketing and storytelling go hand in hand:

1. It allows you to be unforgettable

People tend to remember stories 22 times more than facts and figures alone. In fact, it is this salience of stories in people’s minds that creates a lasting impact for your brand. Especially since markets today have become more saturated, having a memorable brand pays. If your potential customers associate your brand with its story and recall details that speak to them on an emotional level, they’re far more likely to engage with your brand.

To create an unforgettable story, businesses that focus on having a clearly defined narrative and a strong vision, driven by the central story throughout all marketing activities are more successful than marketing efforts that are less consistent and improperly defined. Now is also the perfect time to rethink your marketing goals and how you will focus your attention on building a memorable story throughout your branding that will only grow as you develop your business.

2. It actively changes behaviour

Storytelling is a powerful tool that elicits emotional responses in people. We tend to engage more with stories because they connect us based on empathy and a shared understanding of experiences. Irrespective of your message or target audience, telling a compelling story is critical to creating marketing that is a true call to action for your market.

For instance, the importance of having a focus beyond making a profit has rapidly grown in recent years. People actively factor in social impact and sustainability into their purchasing decisions. This means that the way you craft your story has a significant impact on whether customers will be compelled to buy from you instead of your competitors – having a well-defined story accompanying how exactly your company is making a difference is critical to ensuring that your brand is memorable.

Additionally, when people resonate with your brand’s story, whether it be your drive to make an impact or your persistence against all odds, a sense of humanity is brought to your brand. And in a time where interaction with brands has become more automated, that sense of a human touch is priceless.

3. It allows you to develop a following

People are drawn to companies and brands that resonate with them. A critical pillar of loyalty amongst your clients is their attachment and belief in your brands story, which is what compels them to continue coming back and supporting your brand. Your brand story can be crafted to appeal to a certain subset of customers or those with key beliefs that allow you to reach your target audience.

Brands powered by a drive to break the status quo, like Apple for instance, have been rewarded by creating an extremely loyal following, pathing the way for success for future products, ultimately based off a story of innovation and using technology to create something truly disruptive. In Apple’s case, their story of persistence and making lives easier that has only been further built on in recent years, exemplifying the importance of a strong foundation of a story in creating business success.

While marketing has recently steered towards the direction of increasing automation and growing the use of the suite of digital tools available, the necessity of storytelling to create a human touch that people resonate with is imperative to attracting and retaining your target market and creating business success.