by By Mona Mangat
Storytelling is as old as communication itself, and almost every important event in human history, has been relayed by an oral tradition, the tradition of storytelling.
It’s the way people have been able to transit meaning and significance, in a way that would be retained and retold throughout generations. Great stories would cross borders and cultures and if good enough, would find the ultimate success by crossing over into the realm of legend.
In the modern era, that’s what we call ‘viral content’ which gets shared almost endlessly via social networks, that instead of being simply verbal, is now content that is digital distributed, but the mechanism remains the same.
Great marketers understand that selling a service or product means it needs to be wrapped up in a familiar story that speaks to the human condition, our emotions and experiences. A brand needs to be associated to much more than a finite object or exercise.
Strong marketing plays to the fact that we are emotional beings who are looking for relevance, context and connection everywhere, and in everything we do.
When you want to sell your service, if you don’t understand how the customer wants to buy, and are unable to help them do so, then you will not succeed. Marketing needs to be more than just selling people your product, but rather it needs to be telling people about it and how it will affect their lives.
Your marketing strategy needs to figure out how to connect to people, to interact with them in a way that leaves them better off than when you first encountered them. You have to empower them to get where they’d like to go and be who they want to be.
And the golden rule for your storytelling is forever this: the customer is ALWAYS the hero. They are the center of your story, the protagonist, and so they are the ones who overcome obstacles and succeed. Your success depends on their success. Your service or product is the trusty sidekick that makes the journey more exciting and memorable for the hero.
The stories that spread today are the ones that empower people and make them believe in their own heroic potential. It’s really not a cliché when back in Marketing 101 we’re taught to speak your audience in their language and talk about what’s in their heart, because that’s the fastest way to reach them, and the most assured way to remain endeared. Customer loyalty is won over when your narrative parallels their own.
So, when you’re imagining a way to touch your market audience, think about who they are and who they want to be, and make sure your marketing story envelops all those points that will enable your customer to be at center stage, and remember how they got there.
No has said it better than Maya Angelou on how best to be known and remembered: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
If you want to get your marketing plan on track and get your story straight, contact us today to see how we can get you on the right path to better results. To get started, register or learn more about our “Top 10 Tips for Creating a Marketing Strategy that ROCKS.”
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