"What happens when you put a story at the center of your marketing? You make it easier for people to understand what you're offering, and more likely that they'll buy. This is because stories are how we teach ourselves about life." - Seth Godin The best marketing copy is not a sales or product pitch. It's a story that your customers want to read. It's a story that resonates with your audience and persuades them to act. The goal of any marketer is to create an effective message that will resonate with their audience. Telling a story is one of the most effective ways to do this as it creates an emotional connection that helps your audience see themselves in your brand's shoes.
Whether it's a video, blog post, your website copy, social media posts, or traditional advertising, your clients want to connect with real people and understand your perspective. Marketing copy that tells a story connects with your clients by engaging their senses and imagination, while also establishing trust and credibility.
And there is scientific evidence that shows an audience is more engaged and emotionally connected to stories.
Volvo does a great job telling a story with this video ad from 2017
Apple’s new 911 ad campaign is a great example of storytelling.
John Deere knows the power of storytelling.
Charles Schwab’s “Own Your Tomorrow” campaign is a collection of stories.
Personal Capital leverages customer stories.
A few points to keep in mind when you write your stories. Talk like a real person, not like a corporate spokesperson. Don't use jargon unless you're writing for an industry-specific audience; otherwise, keep things light and easy to understand. The language should be similar to what someone might say when talking about your specific topic at a cocktail party.
William Zinsser, a renowned writer and journalist who has written many books on the art of writing, said "Writing well means breaking some rules." Here are four tips from Zinsser's book ‘On Writing Well’ to help you tell a story like a real person:
1) Write in a way that is clear and simple. This means use sentences that are short and words that are common. Be sure not to write in jargon or other language that only people who work for your company would understand. 2) Make every sentence do one of two things: tell the reader what you're going to say next or summarize what you've just said so far. Don't make them guess what your point is. 3) Many adverbs and adjectives are unnecessary. For example: “He took a picture of the tall skyscraper.” Skyscrapers are tall. By removing the clutter word tall, you are not changing the meaning. 4). Do not get hung up on grammar mistakes because readers will forgive them if the story is good enough.
So, if you're looking for ways to engage and connect with your next client, tell your story.