How to Incorporate Storytelling in Your Content Marketing Strategy
Nothing beats a good story. Storytelling is one of the most effective methods of persuasion and is often more convincing than a recitation of hard facts and statistics. Stories are built to resonate with us as humans, and date back to our earliest ancestors.
Though the way we tell stories has evolved immensely over time, from the spoken word to podcasts and interactive video, it remains one of the most powerful ways to connect with people and affect audience behavior. In fact, research shows people remember stories 22x more than facts and figures alone.
But how do marketers take advantage of storytelling in their strategy and where do they start? Here are five points to consider when incorporating the art of storytelling into your content marketing strategy.
Using Storytelling in Brand Awareness Campaigns
Marketers today are using the potential of storytelling to kickstart their brand awareness campaigns. Storytelling has become a content marketing essential, adopted by both B2B and B2C marketers in order to engage prospective consumers and build strong relationships with their audiences.
Storytelling has a level of flexibility that makes it an important marketing tool for businesses. It can be useful for businesses of all sizes due to the various ways you can tell a story. Businesses can blog about particular brand stories, whereas more visual brands can utilize Instagram, Pinterest, or TikTok to tell their stories. But how can storytelling be used for content marketing in particular?
What is Storytelling Content?
Storytelling content consists of articles or other assets that have a clear narrative. These pieces of content follow a specific structure and plot. Storytelling content forms a more emotional and personal connection to a brand. It is less focused on being overly promotional or informational and more on being authentic.
What is Storytelling in Content Marketing?
Storytelling in content marketing is the incorporation of narrative journalism and classic storytelling techniques within a marketing strategy designed to connect with and persuade consumers. These stories often evoke emotional responses and employ the classic components of story structure including distinct characters, conflict and pacing. Incorporating storytelling into your business could include constructing a narrative written around your brand, its defining mission and how it began. It could include personal customer testimonials, trend pieces, or profiles of thought leaders that follow a narrative structure.
How Do You Use Storytelling in Your Content Strategy?
A storytelling strategy looks beyond the development of content, as well as individual pieces. Instead, a storytelling content strategy will analyze what the brand story and message should be. It incorporates the same narrative journalism techniques but looks more holistically across content types and pieces to create a cohesive narrative.
Why is Storytelling Crucial in Content Marketing?
Storytelling forms an emotional and personalized connection between the brand and a consumer. It can give a face to a brand or help convery brand values. It can also showcase the value your product or service brings, through case studies with clients. Brands who utilize storytelling are leveraging a powerful tool to create strong relationships with prospects and clients. This kind of content marketing can help grow your business while creating brand awareness and improving content marketing ROI.
Apple Computers leverages storytelling in their advertisements to cultivate brand loyalty. Their 1984 ad is considered one of the best ads ever created and showcases a woman carrying a mallet as she is chased into the scene. She is wearing bright red shorts which contrast those in gray around her, who are being influenced by the big brother figure on the screen. At the end of the scene, she smashes the screen and the commercial ends with “On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984”. This commercial creates a story around the brand, while tying the narrative into George Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984. This advertisement showcases Apple’s value to the market and allows consumers to be part of that narrative.
When developing content, it’s important to consider how a piece adds to the overall brand story and how these individual assets can create an emotional connection with your audience. Apple may tell a variety of stories through its commercials and branded materials. However, the overall message is consistent and relates back to the company’s overall vision.
How Effective is Storytelling in Content Marketing?
Storytelling is ingrained in the way we communicate with each other. In his book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Israeli philosopher and historian Yuval Noah Harari asserts that humans are innately wired for storytelling. Using stories to sell products is nothing new, but many organizations are beginning to realize that a well-told story can be more memorable than a branded message. This might explain why a recent study by the Content Marketing Institute revealed that 41% of marketers identified improving their storytelling skills as a top priority.
Storytelling in marketing can also help your brand create more authentic content and establish stronger connections with your consumers. Consider the Nike “Breaking2” project. In 2016, the company partnered with National Geographic to produce a feature-length documentary as three athletes attempted the unthinkable: running a marathon in less than two hours. The film gave runners around the globe the chance to follow the story, and one of the athletes missed the mark by only seconds. When he did finally break the barrier three years after the documentary aired, he did so running in Nike shoes and with 500 million viewers tuned in.
Although it is an effective tool, storytelling in marketing requires teams to think outside the box. Most marketers aren’t trained as journalists, which can be a disadvantage for organizations looking for ways to get started.
How Storytelling Affects the Brain
Stories activate more regions of the brain than language alone. In a 2006 Study conducted in Spain, researchers had participants read words while having their brains scanned by an MRI machine. When words associated with a strong smell were presented (such as perfume), the primary olfactory cortex was activated. These regions of the brain were not active when the word did not have these associations (such as chair).
These findings have spanned other senses and regions of the brain too. The mind does not appear to detect vast distinctions between real-world experiences and narrative. Since stories are powerful in eliciting the senses, consumers can connect with brands in a memorable way if companies choose to leverage narrative in their marketing.
4 Examples of Storytelling in Content Marketing
Below are some content marketing examples where storytelling had a large impact on the success of the campaign.
1. Coca-Cola Embraces Journalistic Storytelling
An excellent example of a brand that has embraced journalistic storytelling techniques is the Coca-Cola Company, which recently turned to so-called brand journalism to entice readers and draw new audiences. Doug Musk, global group director of digital communications and social media, has employed the technique to increase the number of Coca-Cola brand platforms from four to 26, across 35 countries. The Coca-Cola website serves as a digital magazine, allowing the company to connect with its audience in a more intimate way. Musk’s team said they view themselves “as a global network of brand journalists, that serve the business and our brands by telling the stories behind the people that drive those brands, that drive the business and our priorities.” This global content marketing strategy has led to great success for the company and increased connection with consumers around the world.
2. Lego Launches a Magazine Showcasing Creations
Another brand using compelling storytelling in its marketing is The Lego Group. As part of a broader content strategy, Lego launched a magazine geared toward children that feature comics, games, and special offers. The magazine is free for children between the ages of 5 and 9 and encourages them to share their own Lego creations while offering them a chance to be featured on its own pages. As an extension of the storytelling campaign, Lego also released The Lego Movie, which not only captured the attention of young children but allowed a wider audience to dive directly into a story centered around their product.
3. Hyundai Brings Families Together for Its Super Bowl Ad
In 2017, Hyundai Motors demonstrated that focusing on developing an emotional connection with an audience can leave a lasting impact. The brand released a Super Bowl ad that focused on connecting troops with their families to “watch” the game together, virtually. The ad did not focus on Hyundai as a brand but instead went straight for the viewer’s emotions, making the presentation that much more memorable.
4. Warby Parker Gives Insight into Their Company Culture
In a video released by Warby Parker in 2018, “How Warby Parker Glasses Are Made”, they not only focus on their products, but also their company culture and values. They explain the step-by-step process of building a set of glasses right from the cutting of the lenses. They also showcase how a pair of glasses gets donated for every pair bought. This acts to draw in consumers while getting across their mission.
9 Steps to Get Started with Storytelling in Content Marketing
Leveraging storytelling techniques to your strategy can help teams create high-quality content more efficiently. Below are some steps to get your team started.
1. Define Your Brand Story
One of the most important stories available to marketers is the chronicle of their own brand. Determining what message your brand wants to convey and what emotions you want to summon forth is the first step. Take, for example, Toms Shoes, a company that designs and markets footwear. After seeing poor children without shoes in Argentina years ago, the founder, Blake Mycoskie, came up with a concept: for every pair of shoes his company sold, one pair would be provided to a child who didn’t have any. Such a story not only highlights the company’s commitment to social good, but also brings forth feelings of empathy and compassion. Determine what emotions you want to elicit, and the strongest story you could tell. Is it the purpose behind the company’s founding? The way it was founded? Perhaps you have a compelling employee story that speaks to your brand values. Define your focus and then look for narratives surrounding your core message.
2. Be Authentic
People love authentic brands. Since authenticity is the fastest way to connect with another human being, it’s up to your team to create a genuine, unique story. This makes it easy for consumers to connect to your story.
Your story should have a certain level of simplicity and focus, and you should highlight a single problem that your brand can solve with its solutions. Since this story is not a sales ad, you will want your story to connect with customers so product purchase happens naturally.
3. When in Doubt, Turn to the Experts
Journalists and professional writers have mastered the craft of storytelling and editorial content from newspapers and journals are designed with storytelling in mind. Whether exploring the latest health news in a newspaper article or profiling an inspiring leader in a magazine, journalists are skilled at both informing readers and deeply engaging them through their narratives. Consider outsourcing some of your writing to outside experts or thought leaders, to mine it for compelling stories and pieces that can draw in readers. You can also license content from some of the most prominent publications in the world, including The New York Times. Brands can bring compelling profiles and stories written by some of the most well-known journalists in the world directly to their audiences, through their own platforms.
4. Add Structure to Your Content
Stories have a distinct structure that includes the presence of developed characters, conditions that set them in conflict and proper attention to rhythm and pacing. Branded content should be no different. Marketers should consider traditional story elements when writing, including the “voice” of the piece, the nature of the characters and the dynamics of conflict and eventual resolution. Having the right writers on staff or leveraging content from those with a journalism background can help you capture audiences through these narratives.
5. Make it Memorable
Content marketing works best when it is memorable. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, including personal stories, an impactful brand mission, or compelling visuals.
Personal accounts and chronicles of individual experiences are among the most effective types of stories. These stories often elicit emotions in their audiences and tend to be more memorable. Find a way to amplify individual voices. This could include profiles of your clients and their origin stories. Your brand could also demonstrate thought leadership by featuring experiences within your organization or inspirational figures from around the world. These stories should be personal and based on our shared humanity rather than being promotional and self-serving.
6. Use Visuals When Possible
Whether it be through photography or graphics, leveraging visual storytelling can help consumers further connect with the content. For example, if you are talking about a famous historical figure, you may want to license portrait photography or obituary photos of the person, so that you can really paint the picture of the story you are telling.
Alternatively, if you are talking about current events and how this may impact your industry, you may want to include our general news photography. The New York Times covers a wide breadth of topics through the lens of award-winning photojournalists. These include COVID-19 images, current events such as the US military photos from the Afghanistan withdrawal, and sports games such as the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Since most of the population (65 percent) are visual learners, adding graphics to your content can make it more memorable. Images can also provide more context for your story, making it easier for readers to internalize the text. Visuals are also a great way to help prospects better internalize your brand message.
7. Curate News Stories & Other Content Pieces
If your brand is still unsure of where to start, content curation can be a great place to begin.. Your marketing team can invite members of the community to share their stories and how products have changed their lives. Lume, a deodorant company, showcases how their product transformed a little girl’s life. She had a rare disorder called propionic acidemia, which doesn’t allow her body to break down proteins properly and could result in organ failure or brain damage. Unfortunately, a byproduct of her life-saving medication was an uncanny smell. While doctors were unable to find an answer, Lume offered her family a solution that worked and changed their family’s life.
Customer stories are a great item to showcase, but there are other stories that your prospects may be interested in hearing as well. You can consider showcasing news content and articles that are relevant to your industry. As noted above, journalists are trained in storytelling and are masters of crafting a narrative. Curating news stories can also provide your brand a chance to showcase expert opinions and establish credibility with your audience.
8. Create an Editorial Calendar
When getting started on a content marketing strategy, it’s important to document how these pieces will fit together to tell a broader brand story. By compiling together an editorial calendar, your content team can have a clear view of what’s being created, which content pieces need to be developed, and which stories may go together for a more cohesive brand narrative.
When beginning this editorial calendar, first assess which content pieces currently exist through a content audit. This step will help you identify content gaps and where stories may benefit existing products. It will also help you better identify how these stories can assist with high, middle, and lower funnel leads, to better lead them down the marketing funnel and customer journey.
9. Showcase Stories Across Channels
When you finally get the content together, be sure to publish the pieces across channels. Content marketing efforts do support your digital ones, and these pieces should be showcased across your network. Add the piece to your blog, social channels, and email campaigns where applicable. You want to be sure that this content reaches your customers where they like to consume content.
How to Use Storytelling in Content Marketing
Content marketing best practices suggest using storytelling techniques across a wide range of asset types, including brochures, industry insights, and case studies. Storytelling can create an emotional connection to a brand and drive customer loyalty. Below are some ways marketers can begin leveraging storytelling in their marketing efforts.
Showcase Industry News
Journalists are trained in storytelling and narrative. By curating news from top publications, your brand can both educate audiences while engaging them with thought-provoking content. News stories can be used across a wide range of industries and topics. Financial news, entertainment news, and business news can be great additions to your current content strategy.
Showcase Customer Success Stories
Customer stories can generate an emotional response from readers and showcase how effective products are. Lume, a deodorant company, shared a video about Maren, a young girl born with a rare and fatal metabolic disease. Her life saving medication also had the unfortunate side effect of creating a fish like smell. Rare diseases like this rarely get the proper funding, leaving many parents unsure of what steps to take to help their children. In the case of Maren, Lume was recommended by a fellow member of the community. It was able to dissolve the odor, giving Maren a chance at a normal life. Stories like this, that focus on the consumer instead of the brand can help create real connections between people and the product. Additionally, it adds credibility to the authenticity of the company.
Incorporate Your Brand Story into Brochures and Branded Assets
Branding should be consistent across your brochures and product descriptions. Once your brand story is developed, be sure to weave this into your current materials for a consistent message.
Leverage High-Quality Graphics and Photographs
Visuals are a great way to communicate ideas and concepts. Graphics can easily communicate ideas, while photographs can give context around people or places highlighted in a story. Consider licensing photographs to better communicate the stories your brand seeks to tell.
Final Thoughts
Incorporating classic storytelling techniques can be a powerful tool for marketers seeking to reach their audiences and stand out in the minds of their customers. Storytelling also should not just be limited to B2C marketers. Any industry can take advantage of these tactics, including B2B, financial, healthcare, and consulting firms. However, content marketing teams are often limited in terms of resources and team capacity and can't embrace all types of storytelling methods. Licensing content can be a cost-effective and time-saving way to incorporate expert storytelling into your content strategy without a significant investment. By embracing personal narratives that evoke strong emotions and turning to experts to support those content efforts, marketers can tell compelling stories that will resonate with their customers.
