We tell stories every day.
To our friends, about that cute thing the dog just did.
To our family, about how our day went.
To our followers…about just about anything.
Most of these things we do subconsciously.
When we start to consciously think about how to tell a story, it can send many of us into a panic spiral.
But hooooow? When? Why? Where?
Stories are a powerful tool, but they need to be used in the right way.
In this post, we’ll explore when to use storytelling in your business.
To build suspense
Stories can be a great way to build suspense before the launch of a new product.
You can talk about how the idea came about, create a fictional example to show what’s possible, or even tell a story in a video or image to start building the hype.
To whet people’s appetites
Closer to the launch, you can whet people’s appetites with more details of what your new product or service is capable of.
You could hook them in with a statistic, a before/after example from a case study, or even how your employees use your product/service.
To show results
This is one of the most common uses of stories. It usually comes in the form of case studies.
There’s nothing to stop you from including them in a blog post, email, or social media post as well, though!
Showing the results you’ve helped someone to achieve can really add weight to what you’re saying, especially if those results come with statistics, like saving them 20% of their time, or increasing their revenue by 50%.
Statistics back up what you have to say, but without a story they can get boring really fast.
When you combine statistics with stories, you have a magical combination that attracts your audience’s interest and shows you know what you’re doing.
To renew interest
Sometimes people can get tired of hearing the same message over and over.
You might even get tired of telling the same story.
Stories allow you to explore fresh angles to see which get you the best results.
The same situation might even provide you with several stories depending on what it was and how you tell the story.
For example, if you’re telling a story about how your SaaS tool benefitted a HR business, you can tell the story from different perspectives: CEO, CTO, HR manager, marketing executive, cleaner, etc.
All these people will benefit from the same tool in different ways, giving you plenty of stories just from one customer (or example customer if you’re new).
To change direction
If you’ve decided to take your business in a new direction, a story can explain to your employees, customers, and audience why. This can help them get on board with the big change, which can be intimidating.
Whether you’re changing your business focus, have a new target audience, or there’s been a change of leadership, a story will show everyone what you stand for, what direction you want to go in, and who you are as a person.
To explain an absence
You don’t have to explain, of course.
But if you’ve been quiet for a long time, some of your audience may be concerned about you.
I’ve posted about my chronic illnesses on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram before. And every time I do, my posts perform well.
People want to feel like they’re working with people. Sharing life’s struggles humanises you in a way that nothing else can.
Many businesses (and people) can be afraid of negativity in content, but done in the right way, it can help you form closer bonds with your audience.
Some of my most vocal, active readers? The ones who’ve experienced similar health conditions to mine.
To set an example
Stories are the perfect way to show your audience or employees how you want something done, how you think, or where you want your business to go.
If you’ve got a new five-year plan, or even quarterly plan, creating a story around that goal can tap into people’s empathy and get them on board with your new idea.
Apple did a great job of combining storytelling and goal setting at one of their events, when they got Octavia Spencer to play Mother Nature in a video.
It shows what they want to do, why it matters to them, and answers many questions customers may have in a fun, creative way.
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter what your role is in a business, or how you feel about content marketing. Stories are a powerful tool that humanise us and help us form deeper connections with our audiences.
In fact, they’re something we use every day. It’s only when we consciously think about telling stories that they can become intimidating.
Sometimes you just need to write the idea down—no matter how bad you think it is—leave it for a bit, then go back and edit it so that you can judge it objectively.
Want to bring more storytelling into your business? Get in touch and let’s talk stories.