3 Tips for Creating Better Engagement With Storytelling
By: Henry Mortimer
There are many reasons why we say storytelling is the most effective, persuasive and compelling way to engage with others and inspire them to act.
For example, a good story is hard to resist. Consider the success of the weekly podcast “Serial,” which recounted the incidents surrounding a real-life 1999 murder in Baltimore. The first season of the 12-part, audio-only series was downloaded more than 40 million times in less than three months.
That means many people took time out of their busy schedules to listen to one woman narrate a story, for upwards of an hour at a time, week after week, just to find out whodunnit. That’s what we mean by effective engagement through storytelling.
In other words, storytelling, like marketing, is the art of getting people to care about, and choose to listen to, what you have to say. Here are 3 tried-and-true tips of storytelling sure to help you boost your ability to engage with your audience.
- Don’t deliver just the facts
At the core of every story are the basic facts: details about the setting, the cast of characters, the sequence of events that take place, etc. The audience certainly needs these to comprehend a story. But a simple catalog doesn’t really inspire a connection between writer and reader.
We feel much more engaged when we hear a narrative, rather than just the facts. Stories can help your audience feel a certain way about the features of your organization or its services, and they allow for shared experiences.
- Stories keep them listening
Once an audience starts to pay attention, a good story can encourage them to keep coming back. Think about “Serial” again: storytelling can help you make intimate, personal connections that resonate with an audience in ways that facts cannot do.
Put yourself in your audience’s shoes and ask, “What would I want?” and “How does this organization make me feel?” Forming these types of relationships can boost customer attention and retention, as the people you reach begin to identify with your brand and share their experiences with others.
- Turn values into action
Humans experience our values emotionally: they are what actually move us to act. Because stories allow us to express our values as lived experiences, they have the power to move others to action as well.
Consider this: what’s more effective for convincing your child to behave? Telling him or her, “Don’t take candy from strangers because something bad might happen” or “Have you ever heard the story of Hansel & Gretel…”? The former often goes in one ear and out the other; the latter tends to make a lasting impression.
Other factors to consider when incorporating stories in your marketing are:
- ensuring that your story is relevant to your target audience
- learning tried-and-true storytelling techniques
- using various means and methods to reach as many people (in as many ways) as possible
However, learning and practicing the basics should help you make a meaningful connection and begin to engage with and inspire your audience in new and powerful ways!
There are many reasons why an organization may consider an update to their brand. Maybe their logo is visually outdated. Maybe changes to their target audience require different identification. Maybe they simply want better recognition.
Whether you are looking to update your current brand or simply refresh your organization’s look, Redstart can help. Contact us today for more info.