As Matthew Turner says in his article on Marketing Profs, “We receive thousands of marketing messages each day, so we don’t trust marketers’ emails or TV commercials or Internet ads. But people trust people who take the time to share stories and prove they’re authentic.”
Ah, the power of story. I can’t stress this enough when talking to clients. Especially small business owners who are looking for a way to stand out and increase their competitive advantage. Turner suggests one way to do so is to send out video emails. Covideo is a great tool for that. If you’re good on camera, that is. And there’s no reason why you can’t get there, if you’re the bashful type. If that’s you, read this blog post on how to get comfortable in front of the camera.
So what makes for good storytelling?
An Inc. article suggests that the common elements of good storytelling include simplicity, emotion, and truthfulness. The writer of the article, Paul Jarvis, says that “Everything can be a story — you just have to tell it.” If you can engage the hearts and minds of your listeners, whether in-person, on video, email, or even phone, they’ll stick with you long enough to let you also tell them about your products and services. You just have to tie them together.
Jarvis adds that “we’re still hardwired to learn better if someone’s words have meaning and emotion to them (proven with science!) because the use of narrative helps our brain focus. That’s because the neurons that fire when we’re listening to a story are the same ones that’d fire if we were actually doing what’s happening in the story.”
Are you getting a sense of the power of story available for your marketing success? To get a solid education on good storytelling, check out the speakers featured in these TED Talks videos. It’s “story” that makes TED Talks so powerful and engaging.
Some of the best storytelling doesn’t even include words. Remember this Volkswagen commercial featuring a pint-sized Darth Vader? The commercial was made in 2011, and still nabbing Volkswagen tons of downloads. There’s no reason why you can’t have similar results for your products and services.
Get savvy about good storytelling. Then try using it in your next marketing piece.
Contact me. I’m happy to help.
