If you are in business, whether it is freelance or full-time, you most likely have a story to tell. When it comes to marketing, storytelling can be an extremely effective technique. One of the kings of storytelling for marketing purposes is Seth Godin. In fact, he wrote a book about it.
In this article, I am going to share some of the ways you can use stories to generate more business.
Blog $H!T
Your business has a blog (or at least I hope it does) and in it you are writing educational content to attract and convert readers to customers.
Use your blog to share a story that can offer a way for the reader to relate. I did this in an article for SEOmoz on relationship building. In it, I wrote about how I used social media to build a relationship and in turn increased the social signals related to my website and a specific article. I also wrote an article for SEOmoz on content marketing where I shared a story about a Photocrati campaign, its design, creation and results.
Anyone can write a story, but not every can tell a story. So if you decide to use this strategy, then be sure you are honest and true. Readers can tell when a story is made up, so don’t try to get one over their heads.
Create $H!T
If you are ready to take your storytelling to a new level, you can write a book with your story and offer guidance for readers. This is the same principle as your blog, except in a tangible product. Seth Godin also did this in his book, Poke The Box.
Maybe you don’t want to write a book, but instead, are creating a commercial. Two examples of storytelling in commercial based marketing are Dyson and Old Spice. It appears as though the stories that are told in Dyson commercials are real. However, with the amount of money going into the commercials it is very possible that they are extremely well made up stories.
The Old Spice commercials were obvious fakes, and were not meant to appear true at all. They were created with the knowledge that stories sell. So Old Spice made a series of commercials that told the story of the Old Spice Man, and the videos went viral.
I am currently in the process of creating an eClass on photography website templates, and in it I am including many stories which back the advice that is offered in the course. So if you are thinking about storytelling as proof or evidence, you are on a great path already.
Share $H!T
Now you have published stories on your blog and hopefully in some guest articles. You have also created something tangible, whether an eBook or something else and included more stories. It’s time to share the stories with additional people. Create a series of tweets that contain bits and pieces from your story. For example, “The other day I earned $1,000 from a 2 minute phone call. No joke http://yoururl.com“
Go on Facebook and ask people to answer a question related to your story. For example, “I mentioned in today’s article that 4 out of 10 people carry some kind of camera with them everywhere. Do you and if so, what camera is it? Please share your answers here or at http://yoururl.com’“
You can take these tips and roll with them and tweak them for different social media sites. Don’t be afraid to follow my tip on relationship building (mentioned above) as a way to get your article shared by many other people.
Discuss $H!T
Many times when you share a personal story it can cause controversy. It is important that you, as the writer, reply to comments both good and bad. An example of this, is an article I wrote about a camera with an MSRP at just over $7,000. In the article, I talk about why I believe it is the best possible camera of its kind. Of course the urgency in my language throughout the article caused interesting discussions. I replied to many of the comments that I felt required a response. Discussing your story further develops its legitimacy and gives readers more reason to respect and believe in you.
Crush $H!T
Another king of storytelling is Gary Vaynerchuck, author of Crush It. Funny story about Gary Vee… I grew up in Springfield, New Jersey which is the same place that Gary started his businesses. I’m not going to sit here telling you Gary’s story, because he is very good at telling it in his books, lectures and interviews. (see for yourself below) What I can tell you, is that Gary tells true stories. I remember the Burger King that used to be where the Wine Library now stands. I remember the day the fast food restaurant was destroyed and the original liquor store was expanded. I remember the business growing every day, and how police have to direct traffic all because there is a popular liquor store on a busy road. I remember Gary Vee making a name for himself.
In the video below, you will watch an interview that Jared Polin did with Gary at his office in New York City. The video has a lot of cursing, so please use headphones. In this video not only is Gary talking about his story and why he tells his story, but I thought the language used was appropriate considering the title and subtitles of this article.
It’s also worth noting that Jared Polin, the respected photographer and video blogger interviewing Gary, is also amazing at storytelling. He does this through his frequent videos available on YouTube and his blog.
Another great example of someone “crushing it”, is Rand. In the majority of his Whiteboard Friday videos, he is sharing a story. Didn’t catch them? Go back and view some of the videos again and this time pay attention even more.
Concluding $H!T
There you have it. The art of telling stories, the reason to do it and the impact of such.
You may have noticed, but in this article I shared a couple of stories. There isn’t much strategy behind it. I simply created some notes with what I wanted to talk about, and then thought of stories to go with them. My stories are true, and always will be.
Now it is your turn. I would love to see an article that you have published that shared an engaging story. Please comment below with a link.
Thanks for reading,
Scott
