Storytelling: the art of telling stories by Win Innovation

We all like stories. We bit our nails waiting for a week to see the new chapter of our favorite series, we love going to the movies and as a kid we couldn't go to sleep without our parents telling us a story first. The human being is a narrator by nature, and the experts in digital marketing know it very well. 

That is why the storytelling, or the art of telling stories, has become a fundamental resource to reach our client. But what exactly is it? In this article we will tell you all the secrets of this very interesting resource and how you can include it within the online marketing strategy of your own business.

What is it storytelling?

The storytelling it is only the ability to make and tell stories, with the intention of transmitting a message that will last in all those who listen to them. Times change, and advertising has to adapt to them if you don't want to stay behind. In the middle of the Internet, it is consumers who choose the content they want to see and when, so the invasive advertising tactics we were used to watching in the media, especially on television, have been completely out of date. That is why the approach must be different, and that is where the storytelling. 

In the words of Maya Angelou, American writer: "people will forget what you said, forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.". The fundamental thing is to appeal directly to the emotions and feelings of the client. It is the consumers who must occupy the center of history that we are going to have, and not our brand or product, so that they can feel identified with it and so it is much easier that once the time comes they do the action we seek in relation to our brand (which is defined as call to action, or attention call).

Get to know your company: if you want to tell a story that will last in the mind of the viewer, you must be very clear about your values, mission and vision of your brand. This will also allow you to know what reaction you seek to provoke in the customer and it will be much easier for you to create a call or call of attention.

Meet your customers: we're not all excited about the same things. It is important that, like you know your company, you also meet your potential customers and create a profile for each type. Be aware of their characteristics, what they are excited about, their desires... and create custom stories for them, so they can connect more quickly with your story.

Coherence and honesty: despite the general idea of advertising and marketing, telling a story is not the same as telling a lie. If your brand is associated with a series of preconceived values among your audience, it is more effective that you enhance those strengths that you try to row in another direction. 

Otherwise, you could understand that you're lying and offering an image of something you're not, generating distrust among the public. At the same time, the message you send must be consistent with the history you are telling: the strategy of storytelling it only makes sense if continent and content speak of the same, otherwise the message will lose all its strength.

Keys to create a good story

• Structure in three acts: it is recommended to follow the classic division of presentation, knot and outcome. Emotion is the key to history: our protagonist must overcome an obstacle or problem that is presented to him in order to achieve his goal. This transformation (or hero's journey) is the one that generates the dramatic tension that makes the viewer remain attentive to what we tell him.

• Create characters that generate empathy: the good storytelling is the one that hugs, and some good characters that the viewer can identify with are the key. In advertising it is common to use a series of archetypes directly associated with the brand image to be communicated, known as "archetypes of Jung." Find which one fits your company values (or several) and create stories around it.

• Choose a tone: humor and satire are very common resources in the storytelling, as they relax the tone of history and make the viewer feel more empathy towards our brand. However, care must be taken to include these elements, as they are more complicated to use than it may seem. Choosing a tone suitable to our history, that fits our brand, and playing in a subtle way with the mood will make our advertising win.

• Power your product: your product must be the solution to the problem that the protagonist of your history is facing. Highlight your strengths as you do with your brand image.

• Invites action: once the viewer is hooked to the story, you have to file a claim, tell him what to do next. However, you cannot force your client's reaction abruptly. Everything has to be implicit in the message. Considers the storytelling as a whole.

The benefits of storytelling it brings to your digital marketing plan there are many: it helps make your brand more easily identifiable and recognized by others, updates your image and generates stronger links with your customers. World-known brands Coca-Cola, Ikea or Nike they have been using this resource in their advertising campaigns for decades. 

If you also want to take your company to the top and renew your image with this resource as interesting as it is storytellingfrom Win Innovación in Córdoba we invite you to contact us so that you can develop your digital marketing strategy together with great professionals in the sector.