There are a lot of businesses out there that can offer consumers a solution that’s very similar to yours, right?
Important note before I continue: “Consumer” applies to both B2C and B2B industry. At the end of the day, EVERYONE is a consumer! You are talking to people. Individuals. Think P2P :: Person-to-Person marketing.
And with the internet, location is not a barrier in the same way it used to be. So how do you stand out from your (global) competition?
How to reach that END GOAL…closing that sale…is at the heart of any marketing strategy.
When you’re thinking about how to promote your business, it can be really tempting to focus solely on your products and services.
After all, when you boil any business down to its most essential element it is about getting consumers (B2B or B2C) to purchase the product or service that you are offering.
Enter Storytelling!
Storytelling, with a well thought out content strategy, is an amazing unique way of building a personal connection with your customers, which is the differentiator that will keep them coming back to you, year after year, rather than turning to your competition.
Again…think Person-to-Person marketing.
Why is it so powerful?
- Establishes a Human Connection – Instantly
- Perfect for Social Media
- Guides the Customer Through Their Journey
- Drives Conversions
Let’s break these up a little:
Establishes a Human Connection – Instantly
People can do business with any number of businesses and brands; what makes your brand stand out is storytelling that builds a strong sense of trust and loyalty.
A human connection is the reason someone chooses to buy from a business rather than the faceless corporation or business.
When you embrace storytelling that shows off your business’s personality, highlights fun and personal facts about you, your team members, it makes customers feel like they really know the people behind the brand, that establishes a meaningful, lasting connection.
Also getting personal, transparent and open in your storytelling, your “why”, your essence, your truth, creates true connection, which turns into results, not only in direct sales, but much more on many levels that impacts business.
It’s building a human connection with storytelling.
It’s Perfect for Social Media
A HUGE component of online marketing is about social media. And because the purpose of these platforms is creating connection and telling stories, they’re the perfect place to employ storytelling techniques.
Telling stories through engaging content combined with strong images and video and using this to weave together a cohesive story across social media platforms is such a great way to build trust and brand awareness.
When prospects connect with your brand across different social media platforms, and are always met with a unified voice and message, this establishes your business as trustworthy and authoritative. And builds that connection!
AND, when you take the time to actually interact with people—provide direct answers to their questions, react to photos they share that are related to your business, or undertake personalized engagement—you make your fans feel seen and special. More connection!
Once you’ve made a good impression on social, that helps you drive those prospects to your website, where you can hit them with your comprehensive storytelling that’s designed to move them through the customer journey and BUY your product or service, and work with you.
It Guides Your Prospect Through Their Journey
The customer journey is not as clear-cut as it used to be! There are so many different ways a person can encounter your brand for the first time online.
As I said above, once you’ve made a good impression on social, it helps you drive those prospects to your website.
Your website is the one asset that you have complete control of, so take advantage of that.
Design your site so that the home page immediately addresses the concerns of your prospects and tells them who you are and why you can help.
A short video that shares your mission is a very important way to let people know who you are. We know that video has become a foundational element in marketing because it’s how people want to consume content. They want the ability to listen without reading, to be hands-free, and to have the content coming at them.
From there, you want to structure your website in a logical way that moves customers through the stages of their journey, with storytelling as your guide. The home page is the start of the story: the solution you offer. The next pages should address the middle of the story: how you fix their problem and why you’re the right people for the job. The end of the story is where the prospect reaches out to learn more and become a customer.
It Drives Conversions
Sometimes business owners focus solely on the ultimate conversion: the sale. But in reality, there are multiple conversions all along the customer journey. If a first-time visitor to your website comes back again several days later, that is a conversion. If that person then downloads a valuable free gift that you offer, like white paper or PDF, that’s a conversion, too.
Using smart storytelling that’s targeted at prospects and customers based on where they are in their journey, is a great way to drive those conversions
Storytelling is at the heart of any strong marketing strategy.
Knowing what your business does best and sharing why you’re passionate about your work is the way to win trust … and customers.
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