The Importance of Storytelling in Marketing

Think through some of your favorite brands. Now consider why they’re your favorite. Is it the feeling that you belong to the culture of that brand? Is it a sense of shared values? Do you feel a strong connection to the mission and vision of the brand? You may not know it, but you’re already on your way to understanding the importance of storytelling in marketing. Among the list of reasons why content creation is important (along with brand messaging in general) is the opportunity to make a lasting emotional connection with your customers, create culture and establish brand loyalty.

At CTMH, understanding your brand and crafting your business story is our favorite role to play. Web content creation services may seem like an abstract offering, but in reality, we start with content marketing interview questions that set the stage for the conversation that happens between your business and your potential customers. Tackle your brand messaging like a pro with our storytelling techniques for business.

Develop your buyer personas

If you really want to understand the importance of storytelling in marketing or why content creation is important, check out Hubspot. Their inbound marketing techniques start with understanding their audience, or buyer personas. This term represents somewhat-fictional ideal customers based on real data and insights from your existing customers. By understanding the challenges, lifestyles and desires of your buyer personas, you provide context for the decisions your business makes, the content and marketing tactics you’ll use to win new business, and help to allocate resources internally.

Developing your buyer personas starts with a detailed persona creation guide and will tie into your content marketing interview questions as you develop content for them. Try creating buyer personas with HubSpot’s persona generator tool.

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”

Simon Sinek has been famously quoted on the internet for years from his speech on “the golden circle.” In this speech, he walks through the importance of storytelling in marketing, how we structure brand messages, and why it’s so important to connect with people rather than simply pitch a product or service. The takeaway?

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” Simon uses Apple, and the cult following they’ve grown, as an example of how captivating copy makes all the difference. Instead of structuring their messaging based on the what, the way other computer or phone manufacturers would, they start with the why. From Sinek’s TedTalk:

If Apple were like everyone else, a marketing message from them might sound like this: “We make great computers. They’re beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly. Want to buy one?” “Meh.” That’s how most of us communicate.

It explains the product, but it doesn’t strike an emotional cord. Instead, Apple positions their products from a place of purpose.

Here’s how Apple actually communicates. “Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly. We just happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?”

He says this technique is so impactful in part because of the way our brains function and handle emotion and logical thinking in different sections. When we start with the “why”, we target the emotional and behavioral responses in the limbic portion of the brain first. Reasoning, consideration and logic take place in the neocortex as the customer moves into the “what” and considers the technical aspect of the purchase. When we strike an emotional nerve, the customer is more likely to be swayed by their emotional connection to then rationalize a choice.

Simon isn’t the only one who has spoken to the power of emotional branding, but with more than 58 million views on this video alone, he’s definitely brought this message back into the limelight. As you develop your business story and message, consider the golden circle message.

Tie your values into your content

Consumer habits have changed over the years. Today, customers aren’t just buying a product or service, they know their dollars buy into the brand and the values a company stands for as a whole. Consumers want to patronize businesses that align with their own mission, values, environmental concerns and charitable efforts. Developing your business story means spelling out your company’s core principles and mission statement. It also means getting creative and asking employees for their perspective. Incorporating your values is one of many great storytelling techniques for business that get to the heart and soul of your brand to connect with your customers.

Ask questions and dig deep

Use your buyer personas, your brand values, mission and goals to develop your business story and brand personality. It’s hard to tell a cohesive story if you don’t know the characteristics that make your brand unique and the ways in which you solve problems for your customers. What does a gecko have to do with insurance? Nothing at all, but Geico knew they needed a strong story to help customers not only connect with the brand but also remember the unique company name.

Our web content creation services start with a content strategy call. We ask a series of content marketing interview questions to get to know your brand — characters, setting, lessons, mission, vision and more. You can use your own set of content marketing interview questions to develop your story, or you can lean on us to implement the best storytelling techniques for business that have proven results.

If you’re still curious why content creation is important, or if you want to learn more about our web content creation services, schedule a discovery call with our team! No pressure, just a fun chat and tons of possibilities!