What is a company that you really like? Why do you really like them? Often it has something to do with how they make you feel. What is the feeling that you get by using their product or service or by spending time in their store, on their website, or engaging with their brand?
We may all agree that Apple iPhones might not be the best smartphones on the market. Still, so many of us are compelled to buy them. Sure, you can mention usability, design - and those things matter, but they also tell a very compelling story.
They present to you a narrative of what you become when you use Apple products. And most of us like the story, or the version of ourselves, that is sleek, fashionable, and presenting ourselves in public with their products. It is all surrounded by feelings, emotions, and stories that we either tell about ourselves or that the companies tell us, that we want to be part of.
Narratives and storytelling are key concepts in marketing, sales, and branding today. The competition is fierce and having the best product or service from an objective standpoint will not necessarily win you the race. So what will?
Create a story or a narrative that your customers and target group want to be part of.
Many companies are leaning into this approach and harvesting the power of stories. But it might be a lot harder in some sectors compared to others. What if your product or service is a highly complicated, technical solution? What is the story there? Well, the key is to start with the people.
Your people make the product
Good stories often revolve around people. It’s always people who make products, who come up with products, and who use them. The idea behind most products or services is to solve a problem or a solution that some people have encountered or might encounter.
So companies are always about people and their problems. This is a key thing to keep in mind when starting to integrate storytelling into your marketing. Great storytelling often takes the starting point there. The story might be about the people producing your product or delivering your service. Who are they? Why do they care about the company and what you do?
It can be highly compelling to put a human face on your company, even if you are about high-tech products. Wondering why you can’t just showcase all the incredible features and make the sale? Read our blog about tech to non-tech and see why it’s important to consider your sales strategy and target group when selling highly technical solutions.
Customer impact
Another way to put the human at the centre of the story is of course to tell the stories of your customers and how your product or service is making their lives easier. This can also be in the format of a testimonial, which can be a great tool for marketing as well.
Human beings like stories. We understand and relate to them. They are much easier to digest and put into context for us than being bombarded with loads of technical information. If you are also interested in communicating a bit broader and creating more brand awareness and public interest in your brand, storytelling, especially in the form of videos, can be a great option.
Videos are also easily shareable on social media, and a story in video form has the potential to go viral... A really compelling story has the power to go beyond your sector and niche if you are managing to connect to deeper, human values and experiences.
Your company is filled with stories
So to get started on storytelling is really to start looking for the stories within and around your company. Think about what you are enabling with your work and your products. What is your product or service making possible or how are they improving or even changing people’s lives?
When you have a good story or an interesting person it is important to focus on the person and their personal experience. Don’t make the story feel like awkward, sponsored content. You don’t want any of the “Company X is great and I just love everything they do.” That doesn’t seem authentic or inspiring and people will feel put off by the obvious self-promotion.
In a good story your product or service is the underlying element that is central to the story, but on the surface, it’s the person you are talking to, or about, that is at the centre of the story.
Crafting a story
To craft a good story you need to present a few elements to the audience.
- Start with the background story. Think about those ads in which people have a headache and are introduced to a “magic” pill or health solution and adapt the concept to a more realistic scenario. What was your customer’s situation before they encountered your company? What problem or struggles were they tackling or trying to overcome? You want to get a clear picture of the before situation, of the key issue so empathy is your key strategy.
- Jump to the current context. Again, here you don’t need to detail or even mention your company or product, but more about what started to happen after they got access to your product or service. This can obviously be a lot easier in video since you can show your product, service, or even brand in a subtle way that doesn’t need to be said out loud but is still sending a signal by showing a person working with your product or service while talking about how the situation has changed.
- The outcome. Finally, you are showing the current situation after the subject of the story has been using your solution and is now able to reflect on the benefits it brought. How did his or her life change? How was the problem solved or improved? No matter whether you’ll mention your company/product or not, it is crucial to keep in mind that the person is still the star of the show. Not the product, not your company. It is about them, what they have achieved, and how life is better for them now. This is the real story and that is what should be coming across to the audience. They should understand the human impact and potential of your product or service.
Storytelling is not about every single feature or how nice it looks. It is about how it is changing people’s lives. That is what you want the story to communicate. How is your high-tech technology ensuring more people can survive cancer; or how are your forestry or engineering solutions improving the conditions of the natural environment, preserving local biodiversity, or supporting the local community?
There is always a story.
Look at the supply chain, look at the location of your factories or offices, chat with your data you already have. What story does you data have to tell? How are people engaging and interacting? Who are the people that make up your brand? Make them tell your story.
Not sure where to start? Book a free call with us and we'll help you tell your story.
About Stinne Vognæs:
Stinne is a professional storyteller, helping companies translate products and services into meaningful stories. She is passionate about cultures, communication, writing, entrepreneurship and storytelling.
Visit her LinkedIn Profile to learn more.
