On the heels of my last blog, I wanted to zero in on this concept because I think it’s an area that too few marketers and business owners ever really explore, and if you aren’t, you probably should.
Let me just ask you straight: Have you ever thought about what your brand’s narrative would look like? What is the perfect story you can tell with your brand? We’ve discussed in detail the importance of touching upon your buyer’s biggest pain points, and this concept lends itself quite well to storytelling. I mean, what are the key elements of a good story? There’s conflict and resolution with lots of stops in between. Those two anchors provide everything you need to start moving your brand message into a more “narrative” kind of direction.
So the real question here is: How does one use storytelling in the context of web content writing? I’m glad you asked! I have five suggestions for you that I think are worth trying, and I hope that by the end of this article, I will have instilled in you a little excitement to try at least one of them.
Write a Full Narrative Around Your Visuals
This works best when you use original images, but you can work with stock photos, as well. I’ve stated before that it is far better to write copy around visuals than it is to try to fit visuals into the message – most of the time, that approach just leaves you with square pegs in round holes. If you start with images, regardless of where they came from, you’re going to wind up with a better story.
When you use visuals as the basis for your narrative, you can choose to focus on either the conflict or the resolution. Either one can work in various contexts, but positive will always get better play than negative. This is why I recommend zeroing in on the resolution with your visuals and leave it to your words to get the negatives out on the table.
Increase Engagement with Sales Pages
This is an increasingly popular way to deliver brand messaging or zero in on specific products. Sales pages and long-form sales letters can have a huge impact when instead of focusing solely on features and benefits, you tell truthful stories based on customer experiences and testimonials.
I recommend getting permission from the person who gave you the testimonial before you expand it into a sales pitch, but if someone really likes your product or brand, he or she isn’t likely to say no. Afterward, it’s just a matter of developing the details around the testimonial in a believable way. I know marketers who even go so far as to interview some of their more loyal customers to offer a truly authentic message based on customer experience.
Kick Your Blog Up a Notch
If you’re having a hard time engaging with informational articles, you might want to try a more immersive approach, and storytelling is a great way to really draw your readers in. Blogs are one area where conflict and controversy can actually work in your favor, so I recommend driving the pain points in your titles and headlines, especially if you’re advertising on social media.
Once they click through, the “positive visuals” thing still applies, but the mere suggestion that you can solve (or just understand) their problem will make them far more apt to want to hear your message. In many instances, even a fictional or hypothetical account that involves a protagonist overcoming an obstacle will be enough to develop camaraderie between a customer or lead and your brand. People like to know you “get it.” It means you’re probably more qualified than most to actually solve the problem.
Make Your About Us Page About You
Take your About Us page beyond the who, what, where, and when, and give your site visitors a few points of relatability. The thing that many About Us Pages lack is the “why.” Why do you do what you do? What motivated you to start your company in the first place? These kinds of details help people latch on to your vision and get excited about doing business with you.
This is another area wherein you can use the negatives to your advantage. What problems did you face when you first started your company? How did you get over them? People love to root for the underdog, so don’t be afraid to be a little transparent in your About Us story.
Amp Up Your Product Pages
This goes right back to the concept of conflict and resolution. Get into the habit of writing detailed descriptions for your products that focus on how they enhance the life of the user. If yours is a service-oriented business, focus on how your service can turn around a bad situation or provide relief.
Use descriptive language in your story that puts the focus more on the protagonist than on the product. Remember that people don’t buy the steak; they buy the sizzle. What about your product or service makes it a sizzling deal that your readers couldn’t possibly resist?
Write detailed descriptions in first person. Tell the story of your experience with the product. That said, don’t exaggerate or make false claims. If your product really is up to snuff, how it works and what it does should be plenty to form the basis of a believable, trustworthy story.
Final takeaway: Storytelling provides a truly personal experience for your prospects and customers, and the more personal your message, the more people are going to eat it up. Also, there is no business or product out there that won’t benefit from this approach, at least in certain contexts. You know your audience best, so decide for yourself which of the above areas might work best with them.