Tell Stories And They Will Come

Marketing is all about connecting right? And nothing fosters connection better than stories. They have the ability to get people to relate to what you're saying on an emotional level like no other marketing strategy can. This is where the power in stories lies. 

 Any story can be used to further develop your marketing strategy, from the things that completely change your life to the every day situations we all come across. No matter the kind of story it is, I highly suggest including all the details you can. The details are where connection happens. For instance, if you're recalling a time from your childhood, and you mention the old Coke machine in the corner... that brings with it a whole feeling of nostalgia for so many people. Maybe the Coke machine isn't technically pertinent to the story, but that's something your audience can connect to. This is not to say, however, that your stories shouldn't have a conclusion or point...they absolutely should. A story with no conclusion is kind of like the episode of Big Bang Theory where Amy is trying to assuage Sheldon's need for closure and plays Tic Tac Toe with him but erases the whole board right before he can win. 

It's also bears keeping in mind that although your personal stories are great, your audience doesn't always want to hear about you. In stories that you want to really sell (vs connect with your audience), the story needs to be about your customer, not you. The customer acts as the hero in the story. Always. All too often, entrepreneurs and even marketing professionals make the mistake of telling a story, but they develop the company as the hero. Your customers don't care about your company quite honestly...they don't want to hear how great you are. They want to know, and quickly, how your company is going to help them or solve their problems in some way. This is essential to effective storytelling marketing.

So whether it's to build relationships and trust or make sales, tell stories. They will come. Just keep telling stories. 

If this subject intrigues you and you want to learn more, I highly suggest Kindra Hall's Stories That Stick and Donald Miller's Building a Story Brand.