Straightforward advertising that aggressively promotes a product or service often repels the target audience of a website. Storytelling, on the other hand, conveys information in a way that makes it more memorable and relatable. It does not use aggressive formats or impose opinions.
Well-written, engaging stories create a sense of connection, influence behavior, and help achieve the following goals:
- form lasting associations with a brand or product;
- attract and retain the audience’s attention;
- stimulate targeted action—purchasing a product, registering on a website, signing up for an event.
Stories can be real or fictional
If fiction is used, it must be appropriate. Deception in the description of the success stories and achievements of an online store will have a negative impact on customer trust.
A fictional plot with real employees in a promotional video will not harm the reputation in any way. On the contrary, showing the behind-the-scenes of the company’s life will increase audience loyalty.
With the right approach, storytelling can be applied in almost any industry. It is actively used in business, management, marketing, media, and the film industry. This effective method of promoting goods and services is the basis of many advertising campaigns.
With its help, online stores:
- justify and explain the brand’s philosophy and values;
- convey information about achievements;
- confirm the reputation of a niche leader;
- encourage further communication;
- gain the loyalty and trust of the audience.
The principle of storytelling
The main goal is to motivate the reader to take action.
The structure of a classic storytelling scenario looks like this:
- Introduction. Description of the situation, the hero, and his problems. It should be a hook that sparks the reader’s interest and motivates them to delve deeper into the story.
- Development of events. A story about a chain of events that reveal the hero’s path and difficulties.
- Climax. The most intense moment, ending with the resolution of the problem.
- Denouement. The final part, in which conclusions are drawn and a veiled call to action is used.
The story has a key idea, a main character, a projection, and a special style. All elements are united by a single, well-thought-out plot. Ideally, the story describes existing problems and ways to solve them. It is as close to reality as possible, and thanks to the well-constructed connection between elements, it intrigues and captivates. The style of the story is chosen based on the desired audience response.
Stories can be conveyed in different ways:
- Ask others to do it. Find a storyteller who will tell your story. Most likely, they will do it in their own style. But the story will definitely be relevant and interesting to an already established large audience. This way, the brand rents the trust of the storyteller’s subscribers and reaches a much wider audience.
- Present yourself independently. Tell the story about the company or product yourself. In this case, the reach will be smaller, but you will retain control over the content. If you manage to generate interest and trust, your audience will start to grow.
- Tell readers about themselves. You can use an effective alternative—talk not about the brand, but about the buyers and what interests them. This strategy is used by many well-known media and commercial companies.
The format in which the story is presented depends on the goals, characteristics of the niche, and interests of the audience. There are several options for presentation:
- Social media posts. The most common way is to publish the story as a regular blog post. Social media users actively read interesting content and share it with their friends. The main thing is to help the audience find the necessary information using thematic hashtags and links to the profile.
- Website or landing page. Storytelling on the main website or one-page online store sells best. It is placed on the main page, in the “About the Company” section, and in product cards. These can be case studies, success stories, project demonstrations, legends, and fairy tales.
- Mailings. Mini-stories or long stories broken down into small meaningful parts can be sent by email, SMS mailings, or messengers. These channels are perfect for anecdotes, visual stories, comics, and infographics.
- Industry events. Experts and executives from large companies share their experiences at conferences, seminars, and webinars. This is an excellent opportunity to be remembered by presenting information in the form of unusual and engaging stories.
- Articles on blogs and third-party resources. The platform for storytelling should be chosen depending on where the target audience of the online store is located.
- Printing, outdoor advertising. Stories are also printed in booklets, leaflets, and banners. All kinds of formats are used. But here, high-quality, eye-catching visualization is of great importance.
- Videos. The videos show mini-versions of films with a beginning, climax, denouement, and call to action at the end. The plot illustrates important aspects of the company’s activities and may contain elements of fiction. The effectiveness of the video is influenced by the acting, directing, and other nuances related to cinematography. The style of presentation takes a back seat.
