Every brand faces the same challenge today – how to stand out and be seen in a crowded marketplace where you only have a few seconds to grab people’s attention.
That’s why storytelling is so important. We’ve written about the benefits of quality storytelling and even shared some tips in the past, but there’s something else brand and content marketing teams need to keep top of mind.
It’s not just about telling a GOOD story. It’s about telling the RIGHT story.
But what exactly does that mean?
Finding the Story Within the Story
One of the benefits of working at an on-demand agency like Version A is that I’ve had the opportunity to speak with marketing leaders, subject matter experts, sales reps, and product specialists across a wide variety of industries. They tend to have one thing in common – they’re very passionate about the brand they’re promoting.
Passion is great. In fact, it’s essential.
But it’s important to remember your potential customers may not be as passionate. Your product or service may save them time or money or simply bring them joy, but it’s unlikely they’re going to want to spend a lot of time talking or reading about it. Nowadays, most people want information delivered to them in an easily digestible, bite-size chunk, whether that be in a blog, a social post, a video clip, or some other type of asset.
The way to do that successfully is to find the story within the story. You have to sift through all of the information you may think is valuable or interesting about your product or service and figure out what specific angle or detail will engage a particular target audience. In other words, if you only have their attention for one minute, what should you say to them?
If you can answer this question, then you know how to tell the RIGHT story. A story that will engage a potential customer, educate them about how your product or service benefits them, and (perhaps most importantly) stick in their memory so when it comes to buy, they think of your brand.
But it’s easier said than done. And it’s what we help our clients with every day. So we’ve got a few tips to share.
4 Tips for Crafting the Right Story
1. Remember it’s not about you (or your product or service). Yes, your job is to increase brand awareness and revenue, but your customers don’t care about that. They care about what your product or service can do for them. So your customer should be the main character in your story. They shouldn’t feel like they’re being sold something. Instead, they should walk away feeling you understand their challenges and needs and that you have trustworthy advice to share.
2. Tailor your story to your target audience. Not every customer is the same, so the right story for one buyer isn’t going to resonate with another. This is why detailed buyer personas are essential. Use them to customize your stories and be sure to tell your stories on the right platforms for each target audience. In fact, a list of where each persona typically spends time (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.) should be part of your buyer personas. Don’t forget to revisit your personas each year. Are they still relevant? Have pain points changed? Does a new persona need to be added? Adjust your storytelling to match the most current personas.
3. Think small. In the world of brand engagement, bigger isn’t always better. Your opportunity to stand out is over in the blink of an eye (or the scroll of a finger). Be brief. Get to the point.
4. Be human. The right story will stir up emotions. It will make the reader or the viewer feel something. That’s how your brand becomes memorable. So while you’re trying to be brief, you don’t want to seem cold or formulaic. A bit of a humor, a personal anecdote, or a clever phrase can go a long way.
What’s Your Story?
These tips can get you started down the path of figuring what story is right for your brand. If you get stuck or just need a little helping hand, we’re here to assist. Helping clients tell the best version of their brand story is what we do each and every day. It’s the Version A story.
