We Can be Better Storytellers

I sometimes encounter the attitude that writing product descriptions or copy for a company website is fact not fiction. There's a line between the two that shouldn't be crossed. But to overlook or disregard the usefulness of storytelling in a business environment deprives a company of an effective marketing tool. Storytelling is as old as humankind. It is through stories society is formed and maintained: we gather information, pass on traditions, and learn about good and evil from sharing real life accounts, tales, parables and poems.

Storytelling is powerful. When a person relates how they returned home from a trip to the grocery store and discovered what the cat had been up to in their absence, the experience is unique to that individual. No one else can tell that particular story. It is the same with branding a product or a company.

It doesn’t ask for analysis or the processing of facts – good storytelling inspires connection, change and action. Separating content marketing from storytelling is to rob businesses the opportunity to connect with their clients and customers. A good storyteller aims straight for the heart – the listener should immediately feel something (happy, sad, pensive, determined).

Whether you're writing text yourself or having someone do it for you, your marketing copy will benefit greatly from employing a similar strategy used by fiction writers.

Speak the truth: Just as children can sense when they’re be told a “tall tale”, so can your clients. Being sincere, honest and transparent is the most successful way to draw people in and keep them returning.

Basic story structure: Start at the beginning, develop the middle and don’t stop until you get to the end.

Be animated: No, this does not mean (necessarily) cute cartoon characters. Avoid flat recounting. Make your story come alive with word pictures, copy filled with colour words (adjectives) and your personality.

Create white hat characters: No matter what is being written, create a character readers can relate to and admire.

Make them want to come back: Leave them wanting more. Create copy that leads somewhere – to the next project, the following page or an upcoming campaign.

#storytelling #copywriting #writers