Increase the Impact of Your Marketing Through Storytelling

Guest Post by Monica Davis

Humans have told each other stories for as long as they have walked the earth. Indeed, storytelling is one of the things that makes us unique. Oddly, the importance of this universal human impulse is often forgotten in business in favor of objective information and metrics. However, storytelling is a better way to connect with customers on an emotional level, because emotions are typically what drives customers to act. Through stories, you can communicate clearly and succinctly what your business is about, including the advantages of your product. Facts and figures are great, but there is no substitute for a compelling story if you are trying to attract customers or clients.

How do you share your brand with the world? How do you communicate what your business is about on a massive scale? And most importantly, how do you build a connection with your target audience in a meaningful way that moves them to action?

The secret is publicity. But, once you have their attention, what do you say?

It all comes down to narrative.

Any brand you’ve seen and loved—from your favorite go-to expert to ultra-successful mega-corporations—has these five key stories at their foundation, and successful business owners turn to them in every single media appearance or publicity opportunity.

1. Brand Story

This is the story of your brand, books, or business. Think of it as your mission statement and a superhero origin story all in one. This story defines your brand image—internally and externally.

Usually, the founder will use a brand story to tell how the business came to be and highlight the business’s values and culture.

Stories are very important for your brand because they contribute tremendously to your brand’s image.

2. Personal Story

A personal story is, simply put, a story from someone’s life. In general, personal stories give the audience insight into who you are as a person and are fantastic for sprinkling into speaking engagements or interviews.

Often, people use personal stories to share how they overcame obstacles to reach where they are today—sort of a point A to point B journey.

3. Product Story

Product stories are like personal stories in that they are stories about your product, book, or service. They are extremely flexible, and the objective is to spark your audience’s interest.

Often, product stories share how the product was developed, why it came into existence, the problem that inspired the product, or even how a customer used the product in a unique or creative way.

4. Customer Story

You may have heard customer stories framed as testimonials. These are one of the most powerful types of stories and are very similar to personal stories in that they are the personal stories of your customers.

The objective of customer stories is to convey authenticity, trustworthiness, and social proof to your audience. Customer stories must be genuine if you want them to be effective!

5. Employee Story

The fifth and final type of story all business owners should know is the employee story. Employee stories are engaging because they take your audience behind the scenes and add a human element to your company. Through employee stories, your audience gets a glimpse into the inner workings of your company and discovers how every person involved makes a difference.


Why Storytelling Works

Storytelling is an important part of every business and it leads to increased conversions and sales, but why exactly does it work?

People don’t like being sold to, but they love hearing stories.

Storytelling is an ethical method of something I call covert selling. It allows you to appeal to people’s emotions and build a connection long before an offer is even on the table. It is a much more authentic way of connecting with a potential customer that shows you value them more as a customer than as just a sale.

What could your business look like tomorrow if you had a compelling, coherent narrative? How about next week? Next month?

No matter your situation, your background, or business, you can experience a transformation through the power of storytelling.


About the Author

Monica Davis is a business mentor, the founder of Exceptional People Magazine, an award-winning TV producer and host, media coach, and master communicator with over 21 years of experience in the media industry. She’s helped hundreds of professionals, entrepreneurs, and CEOs advance their mission and vision through powerful and unforgettable brand narratives.

Her company, Atela Productions, is the recipient of eight 2019-2020 International Hermes Awards and has been named among industry-leading brands such as AARP, Deloitte, Hilton, IBM, Pepsi, and Fidelity Investments for conceiving, designing, and implementing innovative ways to brand, communicate, and market. She is the author of Start Your Business Right and  Welcome to the Top: Secrets to Success from Leading Entrepreneurs.

Davis is available for coaching, training, webinars, and other online events. To learn more about these opportunities or to let her know about your interest in doing an event, contact Davis at http://www.exceptionalmediacoaching.com/contact.

Start Your Business Right by Monica Davis

About John Kremer

John Kremer is author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, the Relationships Matter Marketing program, and many other books and reports on book marketing, Internet marketing, social media, and book publicity. -- .

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