At MAYO Designs, one of the first things we do when we onboard a new client is dig into who their target market is. It’s critical for the future success of your marketing efforts that your brand messaging is on-point and resonates profoundly with your ideal customer’s needs, wants, and desires.
But what exactly do we do with that information once we have it? To optimize your marketing plans and strategies, we utilize the art of great and consistent storytelling in different aspects of your business. Whether it’s a conversation with a customer, your website’s About Us page, social media posts, or a pitch in front of investors, we want to help guide you to making sure you get the right story across. Below, we’ll cover our top tips for great storytelling, and why it’s so critical to your marketing success.
What are some of the biggest issues when it comes to telling great stories for marketing?
For starters, it’s incredibly challenging to capture people’s attention. There are so many different channels competing for an ever-dwindling supply of consumer attention spans. To stand out in today’s crowded business world, it’s imperative that marketers get smarter, savvier, and more personalized with their messaging.
The thing is, customers want to purchase from brands that align with their values. For most companies, communicating their values in a way that most resonates with their ideal customer isn’t easy, and it can be time-consuming to articulate the right story for the right people. But these challenges aren’t impossible to overcome, and they don’t negate the value of great storytelling in marketing, either.
Solution #1: Authenticity
This comes back to the insane amount of competition from other brands and marketers for your customers attention. Customers crave authenticity from brands. They want to see a human side to your company, and the unique personality behind it. We recommend you stay truthful and brave enough to talk about your failures and how you’ve overcome them. Ensure the messaging is consistent with how you started, where you are currently, and your plans for the future.
Solution #2: Understanding
Great stories all have one thing in common–the ability to empathize with the characters. In this case, the person you want to empathize with is your reader or ideal customer. Start viewing them as a single, unique person. Craft your messaging around real stories that appeal to their situations so that they can see themselves in you and your story.
Solution #3: Customer Stories
Many consumers choose to buy a product/service because it was recommended to them. User-generated stories and testimonials are ideal for showcasing how your products or services have helped real people.
Solution #4: Think Outside the Box
Again, you’re competing with strong businesses for your ideal customer’s attention, time, and money. Try the unexpected or a different channel for getting your story in front of targeted leads–social media, your website, guest posts, and podcasts are just a few examples.
Your story will act as a differentiator for your company. We want to help you use it consistently in everything you do: from the events you attend, how you optimize your website, and the conversations you have with coworkers, customers, and your network.
All of our customers who follow these tips for storytelling in marketing have been able to narrow down their positioning, discover their exact target market, and direct their customers toward what they want to hear.
Every company deserves to have the RIGHT story told. Reach out to us today to see what our storytelling techniques can do for you. Stay tuned for our next article, “Why Storytelling is Great for SEO.”
