Storytelling: The Bread & Butter of Content Marketing
Storytelling can be an extremely powerful tool for marketing and communications to connect with their brands’ target audiences. Understanding what makes storytelling influential and how to leverage it is key to content marketing.
Storytelling can be defined in many ways
HubSpot: “Storytelling is the process of using fact and narrative to communicate something to your audience. Some stories are factual, and some are embellished or improvised in order to better explain the core message.”
Marketing Insider Group: “Brand storytelling is ‘using a narrative to connect your brand to customers, with a focus on linking what you stand for to the values you share with your customers.’”
And, my favorite:
Forbes: “Storytelling is a fundamental human experience that unites people and drives stronger, deeper connections.”
No matter how you describe it, one thing remains true: storytelling allows audiences to make their own assumptions and draw their own conclusions, rather than telling them what to do, think or feel. It “enables marketers to develop a deeper connection with the audience,” according to Forbes.
The future of branding is storytelling
“In today’s fast-paced, overly-automated, and digitally-driven society, humanity is becoming the new premium.” – Forbes
Incorporating stories derived from real people and experiences make brands relatable. With a crowded marketplace, these deep, meaningful connections with consumers are influencing their propensity to purchase your products or services, therefore affecting the bottom line.
Take Google’s 2020 Super Bowl commercial, for example. You may remember it was a tear-jerker. It tells the story of an old couple’s love, where the device becomes a solution for forgetting their greatest memories.
Watch Google's 2020 Super Bowl commercial
You may never remember whether the product was shown or how many new features it has, but you remember how it made you feel. There’s power in that.