THE POWER OF STORYTELLING The Secret Behind the World’s Biggest Brands:
If we asked you, “What is the one thing all the biggest brands use to build their influence?” what would you say? You might answer with things like targeted content, a robust social media presence, outstanding customer service, or even authenticity. It’s true that these are all necessary, but any business can post on X (formerly Twitter) or provide great service. The one thing that makes names like Apple and Nike stand out is that they’re great storytellers. As with most things in life, people are more likely to connect with something on an emotional level, and the same is true for your brand. More than price, sustainability, and all of the other things we believe influence sales, consumers are driven by emotions. Maybe you just read that sentence and laughed, “More than price? No way.” And to that, we say, yes way. One study from Capgemini found that 82% of consumers are likely to buy only from brands they feel an emotional connection to, regardless of other factors. Another from Motista reported that customers emotionally connected to a brand are more likely to spend double the amount of money. And, just to add the cherry on top, NetImperative reports that emotional engagement can boost sales by roughly 5%. “What does storytelling have to do with emotional connections?” you ask, and it’s a great question. For a brand to really take off and thrive, it needs to be more than just a product or service someone can buy and move on. It has to be something that becomes meaningful to customers. Think about Apple, for example. They don’t just post on their site that they’re releasing a new phone for
XYZ price. They tell a story. They post a short film of a pet sitter who mistakingly thinks the bearded dragon he’s watching dies and accidentally texts the owner to reveal the phone’s new “unsend text” feature or a video of a determined mother filming her son’s race as she runs alongside him to introduce the new “action mode” feature. These are stories that are not only entertaining, but audiences can relate to them, too. We’ve all sent a text message we wish we could unsend or go back in our camera rolls to discover the video we took is so shaky that it’s unwatchable. We’re also parents, friends, sometimes pet sitters, race runners, and all of the other types of people who would benefit from these features. That’s why so many of us own iPhones. Storytelling provides customers and prospects something they can relate to, which gives meaning outside of the direct product you sell. To that mother, the video she took of her son is more meaningful than the phone itself, but she needed the phone to do it. It’s not just the product or service — it’s the experience it provides. All of these feelings are subconscious connections created through a story. You can’t just tell someone, “Hey, my product will create a meaningful memory with your son.” Genuine relationships, which your brand needs to influence purchase decisions and create loyalty, require consumers to build those bonds on their own; you just have to give them an example they can believe in. So, ask yourself, “What does your brand mean to your customers beyond what you’re selling them? What value do you add to their lives?” If you can show people the answers to those questions without telling them, they’ll buy from you over any competitor any day.
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