If you decided to strike up a conversation with a friend about your company’s latest marketing initiative, you might not hold their attention for long.
But what if you decided to tell them a story instead? It still has something to do with marketing, but it’s not immediately obvious. I’d wager good money you’ll hold your friend’s attention for a lot longer. Even if the story isn’t that great!
There’s a good reason for that. As suggested by cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner, facts are 22 times more likely to stick with us when they’re being shared through a story. It’s why you’re probably going to remember more about the movie you watched last night than the commercials that were on TV. There’s an element of story at play.
Storytelling can bring immense value to your brand. It can demonstrate why customers should care about your products or services in ways that other marketing techniques just can’t replicate. Stories play to emotions in order to make customers feel a certain way. This can be powerful.
Oh, and it’s 2020 so we’re not just talking about traditional storytelling. We’re talking about digital storytelling.
Here’s three easy ways to improve your brand’s digital storytelling.
Leverage the latest. What differentiates digital storytelling form traditional storytelling? You guessed it. Technology. If you want to get the most out of what digital storytelling can offer, you need to look to the latest in social media, trends, and tech. Look at how your audience is consuming their media and cater your efforts through those mediums.
This year, we’re seeing a variety of trends impact how marketers tell stories via social media. One example is the rise of ephemeral content (Influencer Marketing Hub’s top social media trend for 2020). Ephemeral content refers to content like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram stories. They’re ephemeral because they’re only around for a limited period. Stories on all three platforms stick around for just 24 hours. They’re quick, digestible, and perfect for storytelling. I mean, story is literally in the name.
Cause marketing. Supporting a cause is one of the best things marketers can do to not only strengthen their brands, but also tell their stories. When you support a cause that aligns with your brand values, you demonstrate to your audience that there’s a story to tell.
Thanks to digital storytelling, cause marketing has become even more valuable to brands. With the power of video, you can use social media to show your audience why your brand is aligned with its chosen cause. Every cause has a story, and every brand has a story. It’s your job to show how those stories intertwine.
To learn more about cause marketing, click here to check out three reasons why your brand should give it a shot.
Content that shows off your customers. Without your customers, your brand story would be incomplete. It’s the impact that your brand makes in the lives of your customers that makes the story. How does your product or service affect their lives? This answer can vary wildly from person to person. Everyone has a unique experience and a unique story to tell.
With digital storytelling, you can tell the story of how your brand has affected your customers. This can be in the form of testimonials, user-generated content, etc.
Marketing With CoGoBuzz
Want to make all of your marketing efforts easier? Get started with CoGoBuzz, our state-of-the-art digital marketing service.
With our service, you’ll engage customers on the devices they use most, both in-store and out. Learn more about your customers thanks to the automatically-developed customer profiles we create for every login to your in-store HotSpot. On top of that, you’ll take advantage of a fully digital SMS-based loyalty program that simplifies engagement to a simple text message, allowing you to engage and communicate with your customers wherever they go.
Click here to learn more about CoGoBuzz!
—
Has your brand tried digital storytelling? Sound off in the comments!