"Marketing is all about telling a story. You’ve probably heard some variation of this a thousand times, but how often do we actually see that playing out in real life?" - says Pia Silva
But copywriting legend Gary Halbert adds: “Do you know what is the most-often missing ingredient in a sales message? It’s the sales message doesn’t tell an interesting story.” Will be honest, when I meet my client's storytelling is a first world problem and then we end up with visuals - the dark side at the end of the tunnel. I am not exaggerating. For small businesses who are either solopreneurs or simply self-employed until they grow - being creative and giving out a story is quite an overwhelming task to do.
But hey, let's have a look at Why Storytelling Works!?
Although the human brain is able to process emotional and empirical information, research has shown that emotional responses are stronger than rational responses thus decision-making isn’t logical, it’s emotional. Unlike facts and figures, stories elicit emotional responses. One research study found that an emotional response to an advertisement has far greater influence on a person’s intent to buy a product than the ad’s content does (2-to-1 for print ads and 3-to-1 for TV commercials).
Narrative cuts through distraction. When the human brain focuses its full attention on something, all unnecessary information then gets filtered out. Jonathan Gottschall, author of The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human claims that “In normal life, we spin about one-hundred daydreams per waking hour. But when absorbed in a good story we experience approximately zero daydreams per hour. Our hyper minds go still and they pay close attention.” When you use storytelling in your marketing, your audience is more likely to remember your message.
Not only is telling a story a tried-and-true method for getting attention, but an engaging story will also keep attention. Comedians, salespeople, and skilled presenters know that telling a compelling story is a tested and proven method for grabbing attention and keeping your audience mentally engaged. If a story is any good, it draws you in and you want to know what happens next. @zenbusiness
OK, what's next?! Being Creative for a solopreneur or business beginner is a multitasking hardcore journey - story itself if you may. They need to be Social media managers, accountants, photographers, copywriters, advertisement experts, customer service hotline, etc. To sit and think about a story that relates to their product - is like a smack in their face and the last straw in building business. Not for all of us writing, or visual creation is easy. It takes a lot of effort to go through not only building skills but also letting go of insecurities.
Here You are some practical advice for Any Storyteller from Anthony Sills.
Show, Don’t Tell: Instead of boring prospective customers by blathering on about yourself and your business try using stories to convey your expertise, relevance, humanity, and values. Here’s an example: Recently, I wrote some copy for a business looking to catch the attention of some talented potential employees. Instead of talking about the “opportunity for growth” we shared the story of an employee that started as a receptionist and rose to a management position. Sometimes stories are the most effective structure to share information and connect emotionally.
Human beings use narrative to make sense of the world around us: As your prospects and customers struggle with life’s problems you can use stories to answer important questions. How are you different? How can you help? Why should I buy from you? Well-crafted stories can show people the benefit of choosing your product or service. We make sense of the world around us by telling and listening to stories. Take advantage of this fact in your marketing.
Every story needs a hero: Set yourself apart from other businesses by talking about your customers…not yourself. Use customer success stories to help undecided shoppers relate to your past customers. These can be in the form of case studies, testimonials or word of mouth. When satisfied customers sing your praises, it’s more credible than anything you could say.
The human brain is wired for stories: Use stories to get and keep attention and forge an emotional connection. People make decisions emotionally and then support them with logic. When you take advantage of the human predilection for story, you can influence thoughts and behavior.
Use the Rule of 3: There is an old storytelling and writing concept known as the Rule of 3. The premise is that things that come in threes are funnier, more memorable, and generally more engaging. You can find evidence of this everywhere from fairy tales to memorable speeches to Hollywood movies. Use this technique to make your stories more effective.
Let's stop for a moment. Whatever you are going through or you are in the stage of your business be open with yourself about how comfortable you are by building stories, visuals and texts. If you are not. I really suggest thinking about taking someone in the team who can do that. An investment that pays off Your nerves and creates a foundation for your communication sometimes pushes you to the creative side too.
Enjoy the growth, my monsters!