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So how exactly do you harness audience's ever-decreasing attention span? By giving them an active role in their content consumption process by publishing stories with interactive elements. Such tools can increase engagement, on-site dwell time, and social share rates. ProjectHubSpot and Playbuzz joined forces to scour the web for amazing examples of interactive storytelling. Each industry poses its own obstacles and unique characteristics, but share one common denominator: Interactive content works for all topics and audiences. Let’s take a look at a few examples from the ebook....
Really powerful marketing ideas are all born from simple psychological principles. Storytelling may be a popular buzzword now, but the truth is we’re wired to like stories. They help us better understand the world around us. Children learn social or moral rules through fables, we remember scientific concepts through analogies, and they help us relate to and empathize with others. When done right, storytelling engages your customer in the long-term, allowing them to relate to your brand’s personality and mission, and feel emotionally invested in your success. 80% of consumers want brands to tell their story but can’t remember a good example. So how do you do it right? There are no hard and fast rules but here are some ideas to help you tell your brand’s story through email....
Want to have more customers, opt-ins on your website and clicks on your “Buy Now” button? Do what Hollywood does -- use stories to sell your products and services. This makes sense: At some point, you've probably gone to a meeting featuring a PowerPoint presentation with charts and graphs . . . and wanted to poke your eyes out with a pencil. The reason: Stories, not data, are what inspire people. Stories, not bullet points, create customer loyalty, build social media platforms and increase sales. Stories create an emotional bond between your business and your customers. And today's technology helps us tell those stories in the many different ways it's given us to offer our message to millions of potential customers -- instantly. Yet, many businesses are losing customers because their methods of reaching them are outdated. Want to get people to buy your product? Then get them to listen. Here are three essential stories you need on your website to do just that:...
Storytelling shows awareness of how the brand is perceived in the market, knowledge of the technology behind the product and how it is differentiated, and the relationship with the customer experience.
Stories also allow you to express an opinion. Opinions matter, even if they’re controversial, because they help the marketing convey a sense of urgency about the story. Without an opinion, there’s very little passion. Both clients and employees will see right through this. And clients relish opinion, it challenges them to think.
And lastly, it’s about taking those stories and using them to connect the various departments within the organization itself and with clients. This allows marketing to connect better with pre-sales and sales efforts to deliver a more consistent and concise message. That message feeds back into the product roadmap, allowing for consistent improvement and adaptation to market needs....
Content marketers can learn about audience building & engagement from renowned author Robert Munsch. Improve your strategy with tips from a storytelling master!
Via Pedro Barbosa
I love this article and am using its tips and outline this week for several presentations I am doing. While it is focused on sales, this post follows the same pattern I use when teaching my MBA students on business communication and influential presentations.
Keep this article/outline handy because it works!!
This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story/it [A must read for storytellers and content pros - JD]
In the world of website development, they say content is king. In the world of training/education, you can provide truckloads of content, but it's really context that rules.
Why Include Scenarios? I like this article! Hey -- in business we are constantly having to educate people about our product or service. So here's an idea for you -- use scenarios in your presentations to get everyone involved in on-the-spot learning. Providing someone an experience of your company, product, service builds instant connection, rapport, and transfers knowledge. The author has a terrific diagram in the article about creating scenarios along with lots of great links. Now if you are a trainer, scenarios are not new to you, but I bet you will find the info and links shared here a valuable resource! Thanks @IdeaLearningGroup for sending me this link :) This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it ;
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Breaking the fourth wall happens in performance when an actor (improviser, comedian, etc.) interacts with the audience and brings them into the performance. It creates the “we.” It says to people that there is no wall between us and the audience. And, in the corporate space, it signals that there is no wall between the company and its customers.
Truly, there isn’t—there is only the shared “we.” Improvisers (I am a businessperson and an improviser) know this well. Without your best customers, you have no brand. They own the brand, so it’s time to let them in on where it makes sense. As I said to the attendees at the Visual Storytelling Institute Conference when I gave my keynote, “When you break the fourth wall to engage your audience, you create magic.” Because when you allow people to participate in the direction of the experience as it happens, you create a shared experience of “we.”...
Business storytelling is becoming more and more important this year. You are constantly telling stories about your business. Whether that story is told in a speech, in ordinary conversation with co-workers or customers, or on your website or advertising or packaging, your story is aligned with the public face of your company and it must be carefully crafted from your DNA. So, once you have a clearly delineated DNA, you need to start to create business stories that embody that DNA. Here is a proven system you might employ. And of course, you can also invent your own methodology for business storytelling if you prefer. The key thing is not mine vs. yours, but to understand your Brand DNA and then systematically tell your brand story in a way that helps disseminate the message of your brand....
The most innovative, disruptive brands across all industries have one thing in common: They are storytelling masters.Warby Parker built an eyeglasses empire by billing itself as a socially conscious lifestyle brand, and itcarefully curated content to share that story. Startup Thinx has a new panty solution to disrupt the $15 billion feminine hygiene market, and it’s boosting brand awareness with feminist content and an emotional connection to consumers. Dollar Shave Club markets itself as a cheap—and cheeky—alternative to store-bought razors, serving up humorous tips and quirky puzzles to keep its community engaged.
Part of these brands’ success is rooted in the ability to tell stories with an emotional connection. Emotion tends to play an outsized role in consumer behavior. MRI imagery has shown that when evaluating brands, people tend to use their emotions over information.
The emotional effect stretches from B2C to B2B companies. If B2B buyers are emotionally connected to a brand, the buyers are 50 percent more likely to purchase those products, according to Google’s research with Motista and CEB....
Perhaps your business is telling great stories, too.
While it’s wonderful to talk about yourself, your story about customer service, or your family story about overcoming odds, what you really have to ask yourself when it comes to effective storytelling is what your audience is also asking:“What’s in it for me?
“Allow me to give you some scenarios to show you what I mean, and at the end I hope you’ll have an ah-ha moment about your content being a conversation (or not)....
Earlier this year, Latitude set out to understand audiences’ evolving expectations around their everyday content experiences—with TV shows, movies, books, plot-driven video games, news, and even advertising. We began by speaking with leaders in the emerging “transmedia” space to investigate the challenges and the opportunities that today’s storytellers are encountering. Then we asked 158 early adopters from across the world how they’d like to experience stories in the future. During the course of a generative, online survey, participants were asked to play the role of producer; they chose a narrative (a book, movie, TV show, plot-driven video games, news story, etc.) that they know well and re-invented how audiences might experience that story. Some of the ideas participants suggested are possible today even if they don’t exist yet—while others require technologies that are still several years coming.... [Excellent study worth reading for content producers and storytellers - JD]
Fab Biz Story Example for Marketing!
I was at a meeting today and my friend Barbara showed me this postcard (see photo above) she received in the mail from the motivational products company Baudville. Barbara runs Mind Masters, a small business coaching enterprise. As we passed around the postcard we all remarked at how personalized the card was -- mentioning Barbara and her company by name. Now that impressed us! But even better yet, I love Baudville's creative use of story for promo purposes. From what I know about Baudville, it seems their culture is in alignment with their marketing -- which is what we want. Anyway, this is a terrific idea and story! We were all smiling as we read it. If you are not able to read the text on the photo above, here is the story: "Once upon a time, a company called Baudville offered Barbara $25 to give their products another try. Barbara accepted the offer, but saving a bundle on some amazing employee recognition tools was just the beginning. As Baudville products circulated Mind Masters, joy erupted, scattering polka dots and moonbeams throughout the air. Goodwill became contagious, productivity soared, and spirits rocketed into the stratosphere. Some even say a unicorn was spotted that day. A miracle? Nope, we get that all the time. And that's how Barbara saved the day (and $25)." What a hoot! And you can do this too for your biz :)) Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone and chat with you next week. Keep sharing your stories! This review was written by Karen Dietz for her curated content on business storytelling at www.scoop.it/t/just-story-it ;
Stories are powerful. We put together this little demonstration to inspire our people make more emotional connections. I love his short video about why stories work so well to make information meaningful and memorable! I share it with you today for 2 reasons: It looks like it would be a very simple video technique you could use for sharing your own business stories. If you need to demonstrate the power of storytelling in your work, share this video! Hope this video gets your week off to a roaring start.
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Engaging content encourages readers to spend more time on your site. Learn how other brands do it with more than 40 interactive content examples. Recommended reading! 9/10