How to create stories with your content

02 August 2019 | by Georgie Samuels

Storytelling in marketing is the ‘process of making a connection with your customer first and selling a product second.’ Storytelling is a useful narrative, and should show what your brand stands for, NOT a sales pitch. As Christopher Penn puts it, “No child will ever ask you to read them a press release at bedtime. They want you to tell them a story. So do your customers.” Similarly, Simon Sinek points out, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Good marketers will use stories to show the customer what they have to offer rather than telling customers why their brand is the right decision for a job or purchase.

How storytelling can increase reader engagement with your content

The origin stories of your company are its people and its products. Customer experience stories are like case studies and reviews. If you don’t show a clear interaction between you and your customers, then prospects will not be able to relate to your brand. The story you are telling as a company must be emotional and engaging. It should be simple so that the customer understands the point of the story. Like any normal story, it should have a beginning, a middle and a resolution. It must also have a resolution because that will show how your company grows; to be able to overcome obstacles, and ultimately lead to customer satisfaction.  

Great stories often have engagement in common - whether a story is entertaining, educational, universal or unforgettable, they all have the reader’s attention. Gaining this means that you have a reach and an audience to listen to.

baby reading a storyUsing other ways to tell a story about your company can be as easy as making a brand slogan- for example, L’Oréal Paris – ‘Because you’re worth it.’ Having a powerful slogan can say a thousand words; when you hear it, it makes you feel certain feelings such as empowerment and self-worth. It has the ability to make the products that they sell seem luxurious just through the use of four words.

Interactive content is another effective way of helping to portray a marketing message by using storytelling methods. Using interactive media, such as icons, videos, quizzes and infographics- can get people more interested and more involved because they directly engage with your brand and your story, rather than being prescribed information.

To create better content experiences for your prospects, try to make sure you utilise interactive elements and rich user data that is always live and up to date. This helps to ensure that the information you give your prospects is relevant and appropriate, and is all the information that they need to make a full and educated decision on your services or products.

How can we help you to create effective stories?

At Prism, we create marketing materials designed to delight your prospects, customers and partners. We have a broad catalogue of digital, creative and content services, including  infographics, polls and eBooks:

  • Infographics are a great way to highlight data and key information in an engaging and eye-catching way
  • Polls are an excellent method of clearly capturing broad data while helping to direct your customers towards their purchase.
  • Interactive eBooks are an exciting and attractive way to compile lots of connected content and put it into one place, creating a full story for your customers.

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