Once Upon A Time: The Power Of Storytelling In Content Marketing

Humans have been telling stories for centuries, it’s by no means anything new. But do we put enough emphasis on the power of storytelling within marketing?

Essentially, storytelling allows your brand to build an emotional connection with your audience. This, in turn, leads to better engagement, which is more likely to create vital conversions and even boost customer loyalty.

Although you shouldn’t confuse storytelling with copywriting, the skills found in one can help the other. And if you put them together, you’ve got yourself a top-notch content strategy.

So if you’re looking to entice your audience, pick up that pen (or open that laptop, it’s 2023 after all) and start storytelling. And if you need a helping hand, read on for our top tips… 

What is storytelling? 

Storytelling doesn’t just provide a message behind the brand, it engages your audience too. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s only suitable for long-form content, either. The beauty of storytelling is that it’s not about length, it’s about attracting an audience to buy-in to a brand through a desired scenario.

The true art of storytelling within copywriting makes the audience think “I want that to happen to me.” Picture this: You’re a keen hill runner, but it’s taken lots of hard work to reach the level you’re at. You’re passionate about the sport and are invested in excelling. Occasionally you want to update your running wardrobe with new items. But where do you buy from?

The sportswear fashion world is an incredibly saturated market and every business claims to have exactly what you need. Then comes a brand that resonates with you and how you want to be perceived. How have they done this? They’ve told you a story – rather than just encouraging you to buy their products. 

Storytelling in action

Brands and organisations across all sectors have used narratives to hook their audiences. But some have produced more iconic campaigns than others. 

Here are a few to get you inspired:

U.S. School of Music

Possibly one of the most prominent stories in the world of advertising, John Caple wrote a piece that transcended a simple piano lessons ad, instead, offering a scenario that readers wanted for themselves. 

Read it for yourself

Mamamade 

Born from a desire to create healthy yet hassle-free food for babies, Mamamade is the story of a woman on a mission. It resonated with parents up and down the country, allowing audiences to build an emotional connection with the brand.

See what Mamamade

Patagonia 

Popular outdoor clothing brand, Patagonia, targets the adventure-lover. Whilst their site sells clothing and accessories, it also sells the experience – featuring stories from people around the world. So much so, you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that customers aren’t just invested in their products… 

Explore their site

Telling your story

So, what do these examples have in common? They take the potential buyer on a journey, one that makes them think, “huh, I could do that”. Each brand thought carefully about who their target audience was – from pianists to pioneers – and told a story around them.

When it comes to telling your story, consider the following: 

Lay the foundations 

There’s no point writing any old story in the hope that it will resonate with your audience. You need to do the groundwork, explore its history, and establish a mission statement and values – work out who and what it is

Understand your audience 

To tap into your audience’s emotions effectively, you need to get to know their wants and needs. Discover why they value this, then let your ideas flow from there. 

Choose your parameters

Depending on your audience and your overarching strategy, you may select a short video to convey your story, or use the homepage on your website. Whichever method you choose, be aware of the constraints involved, and what’s required to do it justice.

Remember the 5 Ws

Crafting a story can be tricky, especially when you aren’t doing it day in and day out. Remember the 5 Ws: Who – who is your audience? What – what do you want to say? When – when’s the best time to release your story? Where – where will you tell your story? Why – why should they buy from you?

Test out your story

A great way to see if your story resonates before launching it is to put it in front of a focus group. You could also try a split test by having two different pages with different copy, to decipher which one sees more engagement. 

Elevate your storytelling

Struggling to put pen to paper and give your brand a story that does it justice? The creatives at MYC are no strangers to carving stories that resonate with a range of audiences. 

We’ll work with you to establish how best to tell your tale and create the engagement you deserve. Ready to give your brand its happily ever after? Let’s talk.

Words by Kelly

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