In this Volvo advertisement, the car manufacturer doesn’t use fear to promote its new safety feature. Instead, they tell the story of a child who became an adult thanks to the car’s automatic stopping feature. The commercial does a fantastic job of telling a story and creating relatable characters — the mom, the girl and the driver.
While most brands don’t have a budget as large as Volvo’s, it costs nothing to tell a compelling story. Thanks to social media, it has never been easier for brands to engage their audience and deepen relationships through storytelling.
Just like any skill, storytelling needs to be practiced and refined. Below are some tips for busy business owners to think about in order to make a big impact with storytelling.
Share Your Story Everywhere
The most important part of having a story is making sure your audience sees it across platforms. It’s also crucial that the story be told in multiple forms so it engages different audiences, e.g., short videos, long videos, writing, etc. Make sure the story is available in various formats so other departments within your company can also use it. An engaging story should expand beyond marketing.
Find One Point That Will Have Sticking Power
Have you heard the Nordstrom story? You know, the one where a customer returns a set of tires to Nordstrom, but Nordstrom doesn’t sell tires. They accepted the tires anyway and offered the customer a refund. The story accomplished what every brand should challenge themselves to do when creating a brand story: to identify your one main idea or theme. For Nordstrom, it is that they have outstanding customer service.
Be Authentic
The most important, but challenging part of being a great storyteller is being authentic because it requires vulnerability. Trust the process and trust that customers can tell if a brand is being genuine or not, and if it will respond accordingly. It can seem scary, but the most successful brands have shown that authenticity is key. Defining your brand voice refines your audience’s focus and encourages specific people to engage with your content.
Are you interested in learning more about how UPRAISE can help you make an impact through storytelling? Contact us.
