As humans we’re wired to tell and hear stories. We love good stories. By employing certain storytelling strategies you’ll be on your way towards captivating readers with your business, instead of giving them the same old thing.
You may think that you don’t know how to tell stories, or wrap you company into an origin story, and that’s perfectly fine. In this post we’re going to explore a few storytelling strategies that you can use in your copy, blog posts, and any other forms of written communication.
As we alluded to earlier stories are extremely important. Nothing moves people in a more emotional way than the power of a good story. The good news is you don’t need to become a master storyteller in order to derive some benefits. Below you’ll find a few simple storytelling strategies you can test out today.
A boring story is worse than no story at all. No one likes a story that focuses on all the good things that continue to happen to the main character. Drama is inherently appealing. This doesn’t mean you need to intentionally induce drama, but you should focus on a pursuit of something, and all the struggle that comes with it.
Focus on emotion in order to draw people in, don’t be afraid to get a little personal.
The story you’re going to tell will change across different mediums. A story in a novel length work is obviously different from the story you’re going to tell on your about page. If you’re writing the story for a short promo video you’re going to focus on different elements that your blog posts.
Make sure you’re conscientious of the medium you’re using to express your message and adjust accordingly.
If you’re taking forever to get to the point of your story, then people are going to lose interest. On the other hand, if you’re going too fast people won’t be able to keep up with what you’re trying to tell them.
Pacing refers to the speed at which you tell your story and reveal information to the reader. Get your pacing right and the reader is going to love reading what you’ve written. One way to get your pacing right is to ask yourself, “is what I’m writing completely necessary?” If it’s not, then cut it out.
We connect and remember through emotion. This means you’ll want to entice emotion in your readers. If it’s for your business then focus on what emotions people feel when interesting with your business and write to those.
When choosing between data and emotion, make sure you choose emotion every time. You story and ability to connect with your readers will thank you.
Sometimes you need a little help and don’t know where to start. This is when it can be helpful to seek refuge in a classic storytelling structure. One of the most commonly used is a method called The Hero’s Journey, which was made famous by Joseph Campbell. This can help you know what’s coming next as well as your reader.
Implementing elements of classic storytelling doesn’t have to be difficult. Give one or two of the above a try and you might be blown away by the results. If you’re interested in a professional content strategy that’s geared towards your unique company, then get in touch today.
by Calvin Bryant
Digital Marketing Geek
