You might think storytelling is limited to a dusty novel on the shelf or a whimsical blog about somebody's distant travels. It doesn’t really belong in business, right?
Actually, storytelling is one of the most powerful marketing tools you can have.
Now, I’m not talking about those fake backstories that you might see from some less than sincere companies who are just trying to appeal to their market. We’ve all seen them. Storytelling should never be used as a slimy tactic.
I’m talking about real, honest stories. Stories that your customers can connect with, and in turn, let you connect with them.
Great stories bridge the gap between you and your audience.
I love that, don’t you?
You’ve probably guessed I’m a pretty big fan of storytelling by now, so let me tell you why.
I could write a novel about my love of storytelling, but I’ll rein it in a little for this email and focus on what it means for your customers.
- Identity - A relatable story guarantees a captive audience. When a customer can identify with something in your story, they are far more likely to be engaged with what you have to say. There’s a saying amongst writers: “Make your reader the hero of the story”. This applies to the stories you tell your customers. If they feel involved, they will be eager to read more.
- Emotion - Emotions are a tricky thing when it comes to business. Storytelling allows you to express emotion in a way that your customers can instantly identify with. As much as we love to deny it, many of our decisions in life are based on emotion. It’s what makes us human.
- Connection - Storytelling humanizes you. That’s not to say you’re secretly an android, just that a story can help you to express your own humanity. Humans love to connect with other humans. When a customer connects with your story, they are connecting with you too. With connection comes trust.
- Conversation - When you share a story that really resonates with your customer, they are far more likely to reach and connect with you. You will have established common ground with the customer, engaged them, and started to build trust. The best thing about this is that the customer will likely have a story to share of their own!
Do you have a story you could share with your customers that you think would resonate with them? I bet you do, and I’m sure your audience would love to read it.
I hope you enjoyed this email. I was thinking of turning this into something a bit more detailed like a blog post.
If that’s something you would be interested in reading, please feel free to reach out. I’d love to know.
