“To hell with the facts! We need stories!” – Why your brand needs to be a creative storyteller

I’ve always been a sucker for a good story. It grabs you, draws you in and provides you with thought provoking ideas leaving you pondering aspects of your own life. Think Good Will Hunting, Shawshank Redemption, The Wrestler or Argo. Each story enduring, with a profound impact on the way you view the world around you.

Likewise, song lyrics – think Dylan, Passenger or the Arctic Monkeys – have the ability to steal your soul through their words. It is the power of creative storytelling.

Each of us is hard-wired to respond to stories. As fellow Brit, author Philip Pullman said,“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” 

However, this concept is lost on many brands that are still hammering audiences with marketing messages and not telling a story.  

Content marketing may be the latest catchphrase, but using content to market is not what will set a brand apart; it’s the bare minimum of what’s needed to cut through the noise of a busy marketplace.

Good storytelling is what makes one brand stand out from another.

Stories connect the audience with a brand’s truth, values and beliefs, making the brand both compelling and relevant. Great brand stories take this a step further and connect emotionally with an audience.

To help brands resonate with consumers and make them want to share a story with others, consider:

Becoming hyper-social

It is no longer enough for brands just to post content on their website; brands must turn their content creation to content sharing. It is all about connection and interaction, and sharing meaningful content enhances that communication.

To do this, consumers must have a reason to want to share content online. The traditional marketing model where brands broadcast the same message across two or three platforms does not work as it once did; consumers are demanding something in return for their attention – and stories hit the mark.

For example, rather than posting a media release announcing your support of a local charity across all digital channels, why not consider a 30 second video which gives consumers “behind the scenes” footage of your team’s on-the-ground support?

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