How to Boost Brand Awareness with Business Storytelling

Think back on the last story you read or your favorite movie. What was the main character's name? What did you find appealing about him or her? What happened to the character during the course of the film? You remember the plot in great detail. 

But now consider the most recent quarterly update that your organization's leadership distributed. you can recollect a number or two, but I'm sure you'd struggle to recall any meaningful amount of the report.

This is due to the fact that there is no story to tell. There is no narrative arc, emotional moments, suspense, or climax. Only the facts. But this does not have to be the case.

All the stories and fables that our mothers taught us as children served as a foundation for us to grow up to be good people and wonderful parents.

We have practiced the art of storytelling for a long time. It does not receive enough attention.‍

What is it about stories that boost content so much?

It's the easiest way to generate an extreme reaction from the prospects. We all know that people buy depending on their feelings. Here's a vital thing to know if you want to engage people and be remembered.

People remember tales 22x more than facts and data alone, and as a result, storytelling can increase conversion rates by 30%. According to Neil Patel, “62 percent of B2B marketers regarded narrative as an effective content marketing tactic:"

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People adore tales. You could use a delightful story to convey a message, amuse, or fascinate your listeners.

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What do you want to gain from your campaigns? To have a good and joyful relationship with your clients. And storytelling can help you form that link. In fact, 92 % prefer ads that feel like stories:

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‍What killed storytelling?‍

Technology has played a role in making stories both unbelievably easy to access and all-too-easy to dismiss. While Amazon provides easy access to over 30 million books, we are only a thumb swipe away from the diversion of immediate tales of global importance and/or celebrity gossip, super-condensed into a few hundred characters on Twitter.

Worse, the long-form tale version of the tweet begins with the soul-crushing tease "Thread." A story on Instagram is now defined as a "slideshow that allows us to capture and post related images and video content, so we can share more of our lives with those we care about."

But all is not lost; among the variety of diverse themes and over 3,000 official talks currently available, there are some treasures. One of the finest is only five minutes long, making it one of the shortest TED speeches ever: Save The Shoes. (Can you recall?)‍

Can you link your story to sales?‍

Do you believe you can? Yes, you can connect your story to your sales. This isn't a practical joke. It arose from the Significant Objects Experiment. A group of scholars sought to see if attaching a story to an insignificant object would increase its value.

At flea markets and yard sales, they sought tchotchkes, trinkets, and thingamajigs. They then created a story for each of the 100 artifacts and auctioned them off on eBay. The items sold for $128.74 and sold for $3,612.51, yielding a 27.06 percent ROI. 1.18 was the lowest ROI. Out of a 100 investments, the worst tripled their earnings.

The magic of storytelling!‍

Clients are hard-wired to listen to storytelling

‍Listening to data only requires two parts of your brain. A story in contrast activates all of our brain regions, from movement to language processing and comprehension. It also engages our imaginations and allows us to empathize with characters and their struggles - making your sales pitch more interesting - both for you and your potential customers.

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So, how do you tell a client a…sales story?

‍1. KNOW YOUR BRAND‍

Knowledge is power. Once you fully comprehend what your company brand story is, and weave into it your company core values, your storytelling begins.

‍2. FOCUS ON YOUR HERO‍

Ahem…this is your client. Don’t tell them how you’re the superhero of your industry. Tell them instead of how your company can make them superheroes in their industry.

‍3. FACTS ARE YOUR FRIEND.‍

Nope, they won’t ruin a good story and bore your client. Data will actually make your sales story believable.

‍4. SPREAD THE WORD.‍

You need someone to back your sales story. So the whole team must be as on board and knowledgeable about your company as you are. 

Key Takeaway

Business storytelling could help your company

• Create its identity
• Boost brand awareness
• Help customers perceive it as something more than a source of products and services
• But also as a human experience that others can connect to

It's time to practice your storytelling. Tell me a story..!