5 Essential Elements of Storytelling to Amplify Business Growth
“And do you know what is the most-often missing ingredient in a sales message? It’s the sales message that doesn’t tell an interesting story.” — Gary Halbert, Direct Marketing Guru
Nothing attracts the audience more than a great story!
The well-known CRM technology company, Salesforce, specializes in a specific form of brand storytelling: they let their customers tell their stories.
Customers who have used Salesforce to expand their businesses are featured on their ‘Success Stories’ page(i).
Why is this a compelling brand story?
Letting your customer be the hero makes your audience feel more connected with your brand as they can relate to real people.
In fact, 90% of consumers who read articles about customers’ success stories said it influenced their choice to make a purchase(ii).
That’s how powerful storytelling is!
In this article, we’ll discover the superpowers of storytelling in business and the essential elements to tell a compelling story that resonates with your audience.
What is Business Storytelling?
Storytelling in business refers to the technique of telling a tale instead of listing facts. It enables you to create a narrative and establish an emotional connection with your audience.
In a world where we are constantly overloaded with information, a compelling story can help you stand out from the crowd and attract customers.
Let’s look at what it does when businesses employ it in their marketing strategy.
Why is Business Storytelling Important?
When facts are interwoven into a story, people are 22 times more likely to remember them(iii).
That’s why stories are important!
We have been hearing and telling stories as humans for a long time. It is a crucial component of how we communicate on a daily basis. It fosters relationships, increases customer retention, allows for the sharing of ideas, and helps in the comprehension of various viewpoints.
When used properly, storytelling for businesses can transform a brand into a legacy. It helps businesses to stand out and win more customers.
Here are a few benefits of storytelling in business:
- Boosts customer engagement
- Builds emotional connection
- Makes your message more memorable
- Fosters long-term relationships
- Humanizes the brand
- Boosts conversions
Types of Business Storytelling
Top brands are highly aware of how business storytelling can significantly expand their target market and help them develop a loyal customer base.
However, understanding the various types of storytelling can help you give a clear idea of how to use each one to its full potential.
Customer Stories
These include testimonials, feedback, and customer interviews that show how well a business is catering to its audience. Gather information about how your brand or product is transforming lives, then turn it into a captivating story.
Origin Stories
Customers are significantly impacted when a brand’s fascinating origin story is highlighted. Origin stories revolve around the founders of the brand, their inspiration behind starting the brand, and how they are going to help people with that. Even if people don’t use your products, they will always remember these interesting stories.
Event Stories
It contains videos on exquisite events that you organize related to your business or the story of a specific product that is yet to be launched.
Product Stories
Product stories are created when a new product is introduced in order to engage customers and promote the brand without spending more on other forms of marketing.
However, in order to turn your business into a household brand, you need to figure out what types of storytelling work best for you.
A great story not only holds the attention of the audience but also enables you to leave a lasting impression that future generations will remember.
Let’s discuss a few essential elements of storytelling that can help you do just that.
Top Elements of Business Storytelling
Humanizing your brand by storytelling helps make your brand more relatable, increasing brand recognition, sales, and consumer loyalty.
Here are some crucial storytelling elements that can help you craft successful stories:
Theme
A theme gives you a focal point around which you can build the entire story. It motivates you to direct your choices regarding what to include and what not to include in your story.
Character
Choose a character that your target audience can relate to and empathize with. If your audience can relate to the main character of your story, they will pay closer attention to your story.
Mission
Be direct and concise with what you want to communicate and how you say it. Keep your mission in mind and then tell your audience who you are, what you do, why you do it, and for whom you do it.
Obstacle
The obstacle’s objective is to increase the suspense so that the audience is engaged and brought into a state where they feel they are physically experiencing the story’s events.
Plot
Plot structure includes the introduction, conflict, climax, and conclusion, which wrap up all the story’s loose ends. It typically starts with a problem and concludes with a resolution.
Moreover, strive to win the heart, not the mind by creating a compelling brand story. This means that whenever possible, make your content more customer-centric, which your customers enjoy reading or can easily relate to.
Let’s talk about a few tips and tricks that can help you create a good story.
Tips & Tricks to Craft a Good Story
Developing a brand story that your customers can identify with is crucial but it’s also important to make sure that it’s inspiring.
Here are a few points to keep in mind while crafting a story:
- Think about how your product can help the customer go forward by highlighting strengths, and enhancing benefits.
- Use a variety of strategies to keep the reader engaged and interested throughout the end. This can involve contacting customers and specifically mentioning them in your stories. For instance, a customer used your product to overcome a challenge.
- Keep your actions consistent at all times. Make sure to polish your tone of voice, keep your brand messaging straightforward, and keep your content for a wide audience. This promotes comfort and familiarity.
- Use fun elements to make it interesting. Always attempt to inspire and end on a positive note.
- Make sure the reader has something to think about. Try to put yourself in the reader’s position before sharing. Remember, a good story is worth telling and creates a lasting impression.
Wrapping Up
For an eternity, people have interacted with one another through stories. The connections that bind us are stories, whether they be fables, fairy tales, metaphors, or manuscripts. In business, storytelling gives you a competitive advantage as it can help you cultivate leads, expand your brand, and create a more devoted, engaged audience. Storytelling, if used correctly, increases profitability over time, enhances customer satisfaction, and converts leads into paying customers.
Incorporate your brand’s message into a story using engaging content that will hold the interest of your audience. Drop us a line at [email protected] and we’ll take it from there.
Statistics Reference:
(i) Customer Success Stories- Salesforce
(ii) Wyzowl
(iii) Harvard University Press