Have you ever come across an advertisement, on the Internet or on television, with a way of narrating that catches your attention, engaging characters and an exciting story? Well, it is very likely that to create that content they used the famous narrative technique known as storytelling.
It is nothing other than the ability to tell stories with an attractive and elaborate plot, whose purpose is to capture the reader’s attention and awaken feelings of empathy and curiosity. Putting it into practice, the messages are transmitted more easily and… Attention, it is proven! Sales increase.
More and more entrepreneurs, brands and marketers use Storytelling in their strategies.
After all, it is not enough to have good ideas and transmit them in any way. It is essential that the story involves your audience so that the message reaches, is absorbed and understood.
In this sense, those who succeed are those capable of creating attractive messages that maintain the engagement of the public with a well-defined final objective: to sell more. And the best way to do it, as we have been telling you, is through Storytelling.
But… Let’s get to the point.
Do you want to know what it is storytelling And how to apply this narrative technique to your content, be it ads, emails or blog posts, to attract more buyers to your business?
So, keep reading this post!
Beforehand, don’t miss the Tips dedicated to the subject, with valuable tips for using this resource and not stopping selling.
VIDEO | Storytelling, how to use this resource to sell online? | Tips
In this sense, it stands out who can create a communication that can attract people and keep them engaged, until they feel safe to make the purchase. And the best way to do this is through storytelling and storytelling.
Do you want to know what storytelling is and how this technique can help you attract more buyers to your business? Keep reading this post!
What is storytelling?
Storytelling is an English term that means “to tell stories”. However, this technique goes far beyond mere narrative creation.
Storytelling is the art of communicating an idea, through words and visual resources, in a narrative with a beginning, middle and end. This technique is frequently used in the field of TV and advertising and, of course, in .
In practice, storytelling goes far beyond this definition, making it a powerful tool for building a lasting relationship with your readers and potential customers, provided it’s used the right way.
But you may now be wondering, “But why do I need to tell a story to get people to buy my product?” And the answer to this question is very simple: the human brain more easily retains stories than data.
Storytelling activates parts of the brain associated with sight, sound, taste, and movement that can influence a person to choose one product over another, even though both promise to solve the same problem.
If you’re looking for insomnia products, you’re more likely to relate to the story of someone who shares the same problem than the demographics and data about it.
The difference between the ads is in the focus: while the demographics draw attention to alarming numbers, the story humanizes the product/service and brings the brand closer to the consumer.
In a nutshell, the sooner you master the art of telling stories to your audience, the better your business results, whether in sales or engagement.
Why is Storytelling so important?
Telling good stories through storytelling is not only important for increasing audience retention. By putting this strategy into practice, you will produce much more compelling and unique material that is more likely to convert.
But the advantages go far beyond that:
1. Connect people and products, generating empathy.
As we said, emotions influence cognitive processes. In this sense, storytelling makes it easier to captivate your audience.
It’s much easier for us to feel connected to a brand or product when the message is told through an engaging and exciting story.
This generates empathy and identification with the product or service offered, which helps to win and .
2. Promote the brand more subtly
Let’s be honest, nobody likes intrusive ads that are trying to sell something insistently. Especially nowadays, where we are bombarded with content all the time.
In this sense, storytelling is a more subtle strategy for promotion, since the objective is to generate an emotional connection with people.
And the greater this connection, the more likely the audience will know more about the company.
3. Generate more commitment or engagement
As we have seen, good stories generate public identification and empathy. When this happens, people are more willing to engage with this content, either through comments or sharing.
And the more commitment, the more recognition your brand, products and services will have in the market, which is better known as . This can even help you in your viral marketing actions.
We all do Storytelling because we are storytellers
From the beginning, the human being is a born storyteller. An example of this is cave paintings, which allowed people to record their daily lives before the invention of writing.
If you fast forward a few more years, you will find that writing has played an important role in changing traditions from generation to generation, especially in the case of religious books. While not everyone has the ability to write, we all have the ability to tell stories and convey knowledge through speech.
The difference between telling a story in a circle of friends and telling a story for the purpose of selling it is the use of some which we will explain later in the text.
The power of storytelling to influence minds
Most people believe that the decisions we make depend on rational analysis, when in fact we are motivated by emotion, especially regarding consumer habits.
Why does this happen?
A well-told story activates parts of the brain that allow the listener to be “transported” into that experience through a process called neural coupling. During this process, the listener’s brain also releases more dopamine into the system, which facilitates the process of remembering and associating.
According to psychologist Jerome Bruner, people are up to twenty times more likely to remember a person, product or idea if it is associated with a story. Beyond the physical aspects, a well-constructed narrative can inspire and encourage the prospect to take action, unlike information provided in isolation.
The influence of emotions on consumer behavior is also the subject of the book “Error of Descartes”, written by Antonio Damasio from the University of South Carolina (USA). In it, the author shows that consumers value personal feelings and experiences more than the features and functionality of a product when evaluating a brand.
Think about it, nobody buys a doll because it is made of a certain material, but because it refers to a positive feeling.
A survey conducted by showed that:
- The emotional connection a person creates with an ad has much more influence on the purchase decision than the content of the ad itself. It’s up to three times as big for TV commercials, and twice as big for print and internet ads.
- The positive perception of a brand is the factor that most influences consumer loyalty.
- Consumers notice the same kind of personality traits in products. Just as we choose a friend, we are more attracted to certain brands.
Storytelling is not just about good texts
Just take a quick look at Facebook to see that image posts get more engagement than text-only posts, and video posts get up to three times as many backlinks.
Because of that, you can (and should!) use images and other media to enrich the story and make it easier for the user to understand it. Use infographics, video tutorials or any resource that complements the information. Believe me, the more details your story has, the higher the chances of conversion.
An important tip: in a the user tends to focus on images, so they should complement text information rather than overlay it.
in the post , we explain that when too many images or icons are placed on a page, everything draws attention and the visitor gets confused. So be very careful about the images you use in your advertising.
Ndifferent narratives for different goals
While there is no magic formula for storytelling, we can separate storytelling into two main types, which you’ll find in the details below:
1. The hero’s journey
The monomyth, also known as The Hero’s Journey, is the most common type of storytelling out there. In this type of narrative, the “hero” is called out of his comfort zone to solve a problem. This journey into the unknown is not linear and is full of challenges.
The purpose of this type of story is to assess what the character has achieved at the end of the process. The hero’s journey is good for:
- Show the benefit of leaving the comfort zone and taking risks;
- Inspire people not to give up in the face of challenges.
See an example of the hero’s journey in the Digital Makers series.
VIDEO | Professional success and personal fulfillment: how did I achieve it? | Digital Makers
2. I am like you
If you decide on this format, you can use empathy to get closer to the audience: “I understand you, I have the same dreams as you or, on the contrary, we face the same problems”.
When you create this kind of connection with the reader/listener, it’s natural for these people to want to know how they found the solution. Thais, a marketing analyst for , has already made a post in which she tells him about her journey to find a profession that makes her happy. text is available .
How to make a good Storytelling?
It is estimated that Google performs almost 5 million searches per minute. In such a crowded setting, storytelling is a way to set yourself apart from your Y .
Follow our advice and start creating stories with value:
1. Know your audience
We have talked several times here about the importance of knowing your audience well. And when we talk about knowing, it means going beyond general aspects such as gender, age, or city of origin.
It is essential to analyze their spending habits, where they look for information, what problems everyone faces…
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