Today, stories have gone far beyond the realms of the folktales told by our grandmothers into the core of powerful marketing campaigns. Without them, campaigns suffer and are often unnoticed by consumers.
Stories have become essential in the marketing today because consumer attention spans are shorter than ever before; consumers are bombarded with messages at every turn, there is no escape and consumers are growing increasingly frustrated by and uninterested in advertising. For all those reasons and more, stories have become a vital component of marketing. Stories help brands cultivate a personality and convey authenticity as well as grab and hold people’s attention.
We can create emotional and personal connection with customers through storytelling, particularly via visual media.visual, brand stroy
Tell an actual story
Stories tend to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. A story is structured around a narrative that introduces the consumer to the subject, creates progression and then concludes with a resolution. For customers to feel that they are a part of the journey, it’s important that you connect the dots. This is true for videos and photograph as well.
If you are making an explanatory video, it is necessary to introduce a product and then show it in action. This approach allows potential users to insert themselves into the narrative and understand how the product would benefit their own lives. A photograph may be a snapshot of one moment, but in a good photograph, the beginning and ending can be inferred.
Invite people into the story
Content is at its most powerful when it draws the consumer in. Millennial consumers demand authenticity from brands. In this age of social media, people are open to sharing their lives – as they go out to eat, showcasing a new attire and while on holiday! Marketers can tap into these great contents affordably! By embracing user-generated content, marketers can raise the profile of their brand’s personality and authenticity, as well as cultivate a feeling of membership.
Make an emotional appeal
In addition to being inviting and “real,” the stories with the most impact are those that appeal to the emotions—which dictate what we respond to, what sticks with us, our likes and dislikes, and the way we make decisions.
It is easier to elicit emotions by showing rather than telling. With visual content, the choice of colours, images, styles, words, and iconography all serve to connect with human emotions.
Cater to the senses
Creating sensory impact also gives content a stronger punch. The more senses you call on with stories, the stronger the impression you will make. While shooting photography on brands, it is important to ensure that sight, smell, taste, and touch are all activated, in a way that consumers will want to grab the offer immediately. Videos can be even more powerful than photographs because they involve sound as well. Activating the senses cultivates empathy, and empathy forges a meaningful connection.
It is important not to undermine your hard work by a lack of consistency and balance. Even with all the emotional and sensory components and a compelling narrative, a story filled with distractions or an ambiguous message just won’t connect the way you want it to. You have to balance simplicity and complexity; and the trendy and the relevant with the timeless.