Storytelling: what it is and why it matters for brands

Have you ever thought about the difference that transmitting messages in story format can make for your company? The answer is: a lot! And it is that the storytelling It is the art of telling a story in an attractive and sensitive way, to bring the reader closer and make them feel part of it.

Using this resource, you will get your customers to bond with your brand through the sensitivity generated by your stories and this will make your brand unique, even though there are many similar products on the market.

Throughout this text we will understand what is storytelling, what is its importance and how can you apply this concept in marketing. In addition, we are also going to share some good examples of storytelling and free courses to delve into the subject.

So shall we begin? 📝

What is storytelling?

The concept storytelling is the ability to tell stories from interesting narratives. The meaning of the word has its origin in the combination of the words “story” (“history” in English) and “telling” (nominal form of the verb “tell” which means “count” or “narrate”).

In the business context, this is a technique focused on generating engagement (engagement) with the audience, who tend to get more involved when the content captivates them. In this way, the idea is to look for plots and narrative formats that capture people’s attention.

Have you ever come across an ad that made you want to keep watching until the end? Well, chances are that ad told a story that piqued your curiosity.

This happens because, since the beginning of time, human beings have communicated through stories. Whether it was hunting in the Stone Age, or a trip a friend took on his last vacation, a narrative is capable of engaging us much more than a vague tale without a hint of drama — that “what happened? ” that makes us want to discover the end of a story.

Why is storytelling important in marketing?

The storytelling It is a great marketing ally when it comes to capturing people’s attention and reminding them of your brand. After all, in a world with so many stimuli, it is necessary to stand out to stay in the memory of the public.

In this sense, narratives are powerful allies. According to a study by psychologist , leader of the so-called ‘Cognitive Revolution’, people are 20 times more likely to remember something they heard in an organized narrative.

This is because by assimilating the , this sequence of events takes on meaning. Therefore, when you have a narrative that speaks of what your company offers, you create more opportunities for the public to remember it.

Do you want to know how to create engaging stories? Then read on! 📖

What is the hero’s journey and what does it have to do with storytelling?

the hero’s journey (or monomyth) is a concept created by the American to define the typical structure of stories and myths that have been told since human beings transmit their knowledge through narratives.

In this theoretical model, Campbell defines a basic model or general path of twelve steps that define the structure of a large number of popular stories, in which the protagonist (the hero) leaves the ordinary world to face a great challenge and return victorious. to their place of origin. This estructure is the next one:

the ordinary world: the protagonist lives his normal life.
the call to adventure: You are presented with a challenge or an adventure.
The rejection of the call: The protagonist refuses the challenge or takes too long to accept it.
Meeting with the mentor: The protagonist finds a mentor who will help him overcome the challenge.
The crossing of the threshold: At this point the hero leaves the ordinary world to enter the magical world of his adventure.
Tests, allies and enemies: The protagonist learns the rules of the magical world as he goes through trials, discovers allies and enemies.
The approach to the secret cave: Approaching the great challenge, the hero withdraws and returns to some of his initial questions.
The proof: a great challenge for the protagonist of the story, which, to be overcome, will require a transformation.
The reward: After overcoming the challenge, the hero earns a reward, which will represent his transformation.
the way back: The hero returns to the ordinary world, but wonders if he must first face the greatest test of all.
The resurrection of the hero: climax of the story, the main challenge of the protagonist, which will require all the transformation he went through during the journey.
The return with the elixir: the hero returns to the world with an elixir that will help him transform the ordinary world as he was transformed.

In the image below, you will be able to see this trip graphically.

A modern example of the hero’s journey

Not only myths and ancient stories follow this format. Modern narratives continue to obey this order and are highly successful. Do you want an example? The original trilogy of the Star Wars saga, in which our hero is Luke Skywalker.

Note:

1. The ordinary world: Luke Skywalker lives an ordinary life dismantling robots.

2. The Call of Adventure: Princess Leia Organa calls Obi Wan Kenobi to the rebellion and Luke goes with him.

3. The rejection of the call: Luke’s uncles, with whom he lives, don’t want him to leave.

4. Meeting with the mentor: Obi Wan trains Luke to be a Jedi.

5. The Threshold Crossing: Luke calls Han Solo and the friendly Chewbacca to take him to Princess Leia.

6. Test, allies and enemies: Luke discovers that Darth Vader is a very powerful enemy.

7. The Secret Cave Approach: Master Yoda trains Luke and discovers his Jedi powers.

8. The test: Luke confronts Darth Vader

9. The reward: Luke discovers his full power as a Jedi.

10. The way back: Luke and Leia discover that—we know the movie was released decades ago, but if you don’t want to spoilersdo not finish this part of the text— they are brothers.

11. Resurrection of the hero: Luke meets with the mighty Darth Vader and discovers that he is his father.

12. The return with the elixir: Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, Han Solo and Chewbacca achieve their rebellion and defeat the Galactic Empire.

How to use the hero’s journey in marketing?

When we talk about applying the concept of hero’s journey In marketing it is normal, at first, to think of putting the company in the leading role. But could the public identify with these kinds of stories?

The secret to making this format work for your content is to focus the role of the hero on the customer and position your company as the mentor, the one who will help the protagonist overcome a challenge. In this way, the public will see your brand as an ally when it comes to solving problems.

It is worth mentioning that the concept of the hero’s journey is not the only one that exists when creating the narratives of your company. However, it is proven that this model tends to captivate the public, due to the large number of success stories that have used it.

Learn more!

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How to do storytelling?

There are many ways to do storytelling — or telling stories. That’s why we created a step by step guide to your strategy.

But it is not a magic formula! Keep in mind that telling stories is not a gift. It is a skill that can be developed with study, training and dedication. So don’t be discouraged if it seems difficult at first: it’s entirely possible to become a good storyteller.

1. Know your audience

The first point to create your campaigns using storytelling is knowing your audience very well. As with many digital marketing strategies, this is the starting point because depending on who your buyer person or your ideal client, could be attractive one or another story.

2. Set your goals and formats

Before you start creating impressive stories, understand what your goal is with a given campaign and what formats you’re going to use to achieve them. Are you going to create content on your blog? A video for a ? You can of course change the format if you find something else might work better, but you have to start somewhere.

When creating this strategy, a marketing plan can be a powerful and very useful tool. It is a document in which you will record all the information about the campaign you are creating and you can guarantee that it works correctly.

3. Define the story and the way it will be told

Finally, it was time to define the story you are going to tell. Some examples of materials that can be used for the narrative are:

customer cases: stories of real people who used the product and got a positive result.
Advice applied to the context of the audience: A brand that, for example, doesn’t sell clothing directly, but teaches people how to achieve a certain style when dressing — which includes its products.
The history of the brand: instead of standard text on the about the company page, a story of what motivated the creation of the business and how it came about
Stories in entertainment pills: entertaining content that is linked to the niche of the business.

Just as important as the content itself, so is how it will be narrated to grab the audience’s attention. To make your story generate interest, consider a few tips:

engage curiosity

Arousing curiosity in people is a great way to get them to pay attention to a story. Therefore, try to generate it when doing storytelling.

Create ID

When people identify with the character and the events, the chances of them “absorbing” the content increase significantly. Hence the importance of knowing exactly which audience to target through the story.

Authenticity above all

Doing what everyone else is doing may seem great, but how do you stand out in the midst of so much information available? One of the possible answers is to trust your authenticity. Tell original stories!

Don’t forget your purpose

Even when telling stories that don’t showcase your product directly—some examples will surely come to mind—never forget to include the essence of your company. What problems are you looking to solve? What is your purpose? Make sure this message is part of your story.

stick to reality

As boring as reality may seem at times, it is important to stick with it. Obviously, you can narrate a story that gets interesting, but never make things up.

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