Many marketing experts have understood the place and importance of storytelling in the marketing mix, BrandTruth included, but many still don’t quite understand its role in the brand’s relationship with their audience.
We get it that there needs to be a balance between campaigns that drive awareness and those that deliver commercial value. But we also know that when you tell enough of the right story, the commerce will follow. True storytelling taps into that authentic narrative that make customers fall in love with your brand.
Many brands however still do “Storytising” instead of delivering the real authentic messages that are needed to connect with audiences. By telling stories in the right way, you allow your audience to use their imagination which creates a much more immersive and interactive brand experience.
Globally, this growing area of expertise is highly sought-after by marketing agencies and marketing departments. Here are some of the reasons forward-thinking students should consider this as a promising career opportunity:
People connect with people
Being perceived as “human” instead of “just a brand” creates a facet of emotion that people are able to relate with much quicker and easier, other than just simply fulfilling a customer need. That sense of “you know me so well” creates a deep connection and feeling of loyalty towards brands.
It creates a much more personalised experience
Brands are now able to better position a product or service other than just pitching all its benefits. Storytelling enables brands to become more in touch with the reasons behind using the brand. To find out “why” that need exists, brands are now learning to speak directly to, and answer that need.
It’s the most authentic way to engage with your audiences
In a world of instant communication, customers have learned to spot insincerity from a brand much easier than in the past. By using its own unique voice when sharing their stories, a brand is able to better position their marketing campaigns and create broader awareness without trying to merely make a sale.
It breaks through the clutter
Within the current explosion of video content across digital and social media channels (for example last week’s launch of Instagram TV), it’s become more important than ever for marketers to break through the clutter. If a brand is telling a story and not selling a product, people are more inclined to listen and interpret it using their emotions and not just product receptors.
It takes the customer on a journey
A campaign shouldn’t be just a one-stop promotion, but rather a journey that the customer can participate in, emotionally invest in and when possible, enjoy. Ultimately, if shared in the right way, a brand’s story has the potential of turning an average customer into a loyal-for-life customer.
By connecting with your audiences on such a deep personal level you are able to build relationships that resonates with customers’ true desires and needs. And if you keep in mind that some elements of storytelling will most likely play a part in the future of all branding and marketing activities, who wouldn’t want to be a part of it?
by Wayne Flemming, Founder of BrandTruth Integrated Content Practice™
