Storytelling is the perfect medium for businesses. Here are four core principles to keep in mind to connect and inspire trust.
Whether your business is big or small, you will rely on marketing. When done correctly, advertising gives people a reason to choose your brand. With thousands of options at their disposal, it’s essential that the message is powerful enough to catch consumers’ eyes.
Storytelling is the perfect medium for businesses because a story is gripping, suspenseful, and full of inspiration. Think of all the times you’ve been to the cinema and walked away with your mind blown. You might not be Tarantino or Scorsese, yet your marketing can have the same impact.
The key is to invest your resources into projecting the best possible story. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs come unstuck at this point as the temptation to go “Hollywood” takes over. While drama is a component of storytelling, it isn’t the most critical aspect.
Here are four of the core principles that your company has to keep in mind if it wants to connect with audiences and inspire trust.
Tunnel Vision
Having tunnel vision doesn’t mean you’re rigid or inflexible. These traits are unhealthy because they convince you not to listen to other ideas, and when you only hear your voice, you lack a diversity of thought.
In the world of storytelling, tunnel vision refers to channeling your focus. Setting the parameters for the story is essential if you’re going to stay on brand and deliver a compelling message. An ad needs to be engaging, but it also should pinpoint the concerns of customers and provide solutions.
To do that, you must understand:
- Who’s telling the story
- Why you’re telling it
- The time and location
- The protagonists
- The goals and challenges of the story
As well as setting the scene, the above should act as reference points so that you never go off track. Refer back to them regularly to ensure you’re going in the right direction.
Consistency
With tons of marketing mediums available, it’s easy to use a separate tone of voice for individual communication channels. Please don’t. Switching up the message, as well as the brand features, will confuse people. Audiences won’t know if they’re dealing with the real business or an alternative version, and they’ll bounce as a result.
A ToV is essential, yet so is your advertising materials. For instance, if you have a logo, there’s no reason to tweak it. It should be the same on your website as well as your social media accounts. Repetition drills the brand into the customers’ minds, raising awareness of the company.
If you’re unsure how to maintain a consistent voice, you can opt for video production services and web design solutions. Hiring professionals means the marketing materials will flow because the outsourcers are experts concerning reliability and consistency.
Don’t forget to review and analyze the data. By doing this, you’ll spot consistency issues as the numbers will highlight why audiences are leaving or are not engaged.
Unnecessary Details
Setting a scene is vital because it transports the audience to your new world. Getting them there is important as they won’t be emotionally invested if they don’t engage with the material. That’s why details are necessary. What is unnecessary is including too many of them – they don’t add value to the story.
If anything, they make it dull and ruin the flow. Keep it simple and incorporate the stuff that you want them to feel and mull over. This usually includes how you felt, why you felt that way, and your humble beginnings.
It doesn’t involve the clothes you were wearing at the time or the day of the week. A smart tip is to gauge what’s interesting and what’s tedious. The former will grab the attention of the audience.
The latter will turn them off instantly.
Be Genuine
Authenticity is probably the most important element of an incredible story. Consumers aren’t stupid, and they understand when they are being patronized. You may not see it, yet it happens all the time in advertising.
Take banks, for example. A couple of years after the biggest recession in a generation, and they release adverts attempting to convince working people they are on their side. Of course, this only makes you angry and rebel against the message.
Therefore, you shouldn’t be overly dramatic as it’s tacky. You do want to be witty and funny because everyday people react positively to these traits. Also, be transparent. Audiences prefer it when you tell them what’s in it for you instead of making out as if you’re doing it out of the goodness of your heart.
Over-the-top tales won’t fool anybody.
