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Here's Why Your Company Needs to Use Storytelling in Marketing

Opened books. Storytelling in marketing Seafoam Media

Want more customers, fans, and e-mail subscribers? We're always looking for new ways to innovate with marketing—using clever promotions, finding extremely specific long tail keywords, A/B testing headlines, or with other ideas. This is all fine and dandy, but at the end of the day, those tactics are only going to be as effective as your ability to emotionally connect with your audience. In other words, using storytelling in marketing.

Imagine your marketing strategy is the salesman for your brand. The key difference between an average salesman and a great salesman is that the great ones are able to seamlessly transition the conversation from strictly business, to one of care and concern. A great salesman wants to know more about you, your needs, and understanding why your product or service would be important. To accomplish this, they start with the handshake—but it doesn't stop there! A great salesman will also tell you their story, and find ways to relate to you.

Storytelling in marketing starts with humble beginnings

Which company would you be more likely to connect with? The one that goes on about how extremely profitable and successful they are? Or the one that is honest about how they got started in their business, and the trials and tribulations they faced to become what they are today? Everyone likes to feel like they are buying from someone who has been in the same situations as them before. That's why so many companies nowadays are using storytelling in marketing, and being transparent with their founder's back stories.

For example, one of our clients, E&B Carpet Cleaning, has a great story that many people can relate to.

The owner, Brian, experienced a hardship (having his car backed into) but then realized he could create a positive experience from that event. Using his insurance money, he purchased a portable carpet cleaning machine, and began doing business while attending school. Eventually, he graduated, and had saved enough money to purchase an official vehicle from his company. From there, the business grew from one van to multiple!

As you can see, Brian's story has several elements that make the story relatable: it mentions how things were just starting out, a conflict that was dealt with (the moment he knew he should do something with the situation), and what happened in between the beginning and where E&B Carpet Cleaning is today.

As Brian's story shows, your story doesn't have to be particularly long to be compelling. In fact, it's best to keep it short and concise enough that a reader can understand where you're coming from in 60 seconds or less. This will ensure that you keep your reader's attention and they remember the overall gist of what you're trying to say.

If you want to stand out when the competition in your industry is fierce, make sure to take full advantage of telling your story whenever possible: on your website, embedded within emails, brochures, and so forth. Your story is unique, and if it strikes a chord with the customers you're trying to reach, they'll forget about everyone else. Share it everywhere you have a presence! When you tell your story well, your best customers can tell it, too. An emotional connection builds powerful brand advocates, and lasting relationships for your business.

Need help putting your humble beginnings into words? We can help! Contact our team and we'll work with you to incorporate your company's story into your overall marketing strategy.

 

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