Storytelling in content marketing is so powerful that it can increase your conversion rate by 30%.
But it isn’t just about getting your audience to feel or remember something.
Content marketing storytelling, as a particularly effective facet of digital marketing, is about making that story stick and becoming part of the narrative your customers tell themselves while they use your product or service.
Here are some tips and guidelines on successfully integrating storytelling into your content marketing strategy to attract the right audience and grow your business.
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What is Storytelling in Content Marketing?
Storytelling is when you tell a story that connects with your audience emotionally—and then translate that connection into actionable steps for them.
Storytelling in content marketing is a way to connect with customers, build trust, increase sales, and establish your brand as an authority in your industry.
The human brain has evolved to make sense of the world by weaving narratives from experiences and observations.
People are wired for stories. When you hear a good one, you're more likely to remember and act on it than if someone gives you direct instructions or facts alone.
Studies have shown that the human mind is 22 times more likely to remember something if it’s part of a story.
So, if you want your content marketing efforts to succeed, you need stories that will make people feel something and then take action.
Brands can use storytelling in several different ways, like the following:
- Create personalized narratives. Brands can tell the stories of their founders and employees or even share personal anecdotes about what it's like working at the company. These stories help customers feel more connected to the brand. They also give insight into some of the challenges of being an entrepreneur or employee at a particular company.
- Create a video highlighting the people who use your product or service and why they love it so much.
- Make an infographic that shows exactly how one person used the product or service. Then, explain how their experience differed from everyone else's using data points from multiple users.
- Write an email newsletter that shares highlights from recent events or activities. Include tips on how other people could benefit from them.
- Interview employees from different departments at the company who have exciting stories about what they do there every day. This can be especially helpful for younger audiences who may not know much about your industry.
What Makes a Good Story?
Content marketing storytelling is the backbone of any good content marketing strategy, so it's essential to understand what makes a good one.
Telling a good story is all about connecting with your reader.
Your content should be relatable and make them feel something—whether that's laughter, tears or anything in between.
The best stories are told through the lens of what the brand wants to convey.
For example:
- If you want to show off your expertise in a particular area, tell an anecdote about someone your product or service has helped. This is a great way to build trust with your readers and show that you're an authority in your industry.
- You can also use storytelling to educate your audience about something they don't know much about. If you're writing about how to fix car tires or make them last longer, tell a story about someone who had trouble with their tires and how they overcame it.
- If you want to show off your personality, tell a story that makes the reader laugh or smile. If you're going to promote a new product or service, tell how it came to be.
Why Should You Do Content Marketing Storytelling?
Storytelling builds loyalty by allowing you to personalize your brand's story for each customer.
When done well, stories can help customers feel like they know you—better yet: like they're friends with you.
The more people identify with your brand and share their own stories about it, the stronger that emotional connection will become between the user and the product or service you offer.
The great thing about storytelling is that it’s not just for content marketers. As a business owner, you can tell your own stories to connect with customers, build trust and increase sales.
Incorporating storytelling into content marketing allows you to communicate complex ideas simply and effectively, helping readers grasp new concepts quickly.
Your reader will also be able to remember what they've read because it's more memorable than traditional copywriting—and it lends itself well to sharing on social media to amplify its reach.
Here are some of the benefits of content marketing storytelling:
- It increases brand loyalty: Your readers will feel like they know about you, which will make them more loyal to your brand. This loyalty can lead to increased sales and repeat customers who love your products or services.
- It helps sell your products or services: Content marketing storytelling enables you to sell your products or services because it creates trust. Research shows consumers are willing to pay a premium for brands they trust.
- It attracts new customers: Content marketing storytelling attracts new customers by providing valuable information that will help them decide where they want to spend their money on products or services.
- It saves money on traditional advertising: Content marketing storytelling can be used as an alternative to traditional advertising because it doesn’t cost as much money for you to produce quality content that people will read, share, and comment on.
- It improves search engine rankings: Content marketing storytelling can help improve your search engine rankings because it contains keywords that Google looks for when ranking websites.
- It improves your brand’s reputation: Content marketing is an excellent way to show customers how you do business. When they read about the products and services you offer, they will learn more about what you stand for as a company and why they should choose to work with you instead of your competitors.
- It increases social media engagement: Content marketing storytelling can help increase the engagement your business receives on social media. When people read about the products and services you offer, they will likely share this content with their friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other platforms.
Tips for Effective Storytelling in Content Marketing
When it comes to content marketing, telling stories can be highly effective, especially when you're trying to connect with your audience on an emotional level.
However, there's more to storytelling than just stringing together some events or facts into chronological order.
A good storyteller knows how to use elements like character and setting to help the audience feel connected and motivated to take action.
Check out these tips on how to use storytelling in content marketing to your advantage.
- Define your brand's core messaging. Think about what makes your company unique and how that message can be communicated through content marketing.
- Convey your brand's values. Use storytelling to explain how your company's values align with the needs of your customers.
- Use storytelling as a way to humanize your brand.
- Share stories from employees and customers that show how they benefit from working with you.
- Tell stories about things like product development and customer service.
- Use storytelling to empower customers. Tell stories about your customers and how they were able to accomplish their dreams with your product or service.
- Use a good hook in your opening sentence or paragraph that will grab readers' attention right away.
- Write compelling headlines for articles and blog posts. The headline should provide enough information so that people know if it is relevant to them or not.
- End every story with a call to action, telling people what they can do next based on the story you just told them.
- The best kind of storytelling comes from real-life experiences—the type that resonates with people because they can relate to or identify with it.
- Understand how your audience thinks and why they act the way they do so that you can effectively communicate with them.
- The story should not be too long or too short. It should be told in an organized, easy-to-follow manner.
- The content is engaging and entertaining, and it keeps people hooked through to the end.
- Use humor when possible. It helps keep things lighthearted while still getting across the message of the story you're trying to tell.
Storytelling in Content Marketing: Final Thoughts
If you want to grow your business, try telling compelling stories. Of all the different types of content marketing that exist, storytelling can drive some of the most traffic and conversions to your site.
Most importantly, storytelling builds an emotional connection between you and your customers, which is good in the long run. 81% of consumers say they need to be able to trust a business before purchasing their products or services.
This is also why B2B marketers utilize storytelling. 62% of B2B marketing experts say storytelling is their most effective content marketing agency strategy.
For this reason, understanding how to use storytelling effectively in content marketing is one of the most valuable skills any entrepreneur can develop. Video production companies can also help with that.
