By Abraham Gutiérrez Hernández
As the name implies, it is nothing more than telling a story, however, it’s not just for literary uses, but business & marketing purposes also. Storytelling is the new way of advertising that requires creativity and talent when writing.
The conventional way of selling has gone out of style. Every day we are bombarded with hundreds of advertisements that tell us about the best product at the best price, the benefits of it next to a shocking image, either of the product or of someone happy enjoying it.
The new way of selling
We find ourselves in the middle of an advertising war, with ads constantly being published by companies that want to convince us that they are the most convenient option. With so much crossfire trying to gain our attention, it becomes exhausting and eventually has the opposite effects.
Storytelling is a way of selling that became more popular a few years ago and has given good results. Instead of trying to sell your product outright, you tell potential customers about it in a relatable way. Whether it’s a fictional story or a real testimonial, the main goal is to grab the customer’s attention.
This is done by telling them a story in an engaging way, and they will enjoy reading and be more engaged because of that simple fact. At some point in the narrative, the products or services will be mentioned and noticed.
For example, I can tell you that “Rapunzel” is the best shampoo, that leaves your hair silky and shiny, that it is available to everyone, then put a photo of a beautiful woman with her best smile and dazzling hair. How many shampoo brands can you think of that have used that same strategy? Perhaps, all. Instead, let me tell you Laura’s story.
The art of storytelling
Laura began to lose her hair and found heaps of strands around the house every day. Her dull hair was lifeless, this would sadden anyone. The stress of it all caused her hair to fall out even more. It was a vicious cycle that would end up leaving her bald. Her job and caring for her children left her with no time for herself, so she never had the opportunity to have one of those expensive treatments that promised to restore her desired shine and silkiness.
One day, Laura had a playdate, and while the kids were playing all the parents swarmed around Andrea. Laura and Andrea shared the same hair troubles in the past but now Andrea had luscious, radiant, and soft hair. Andrea walks over to Laura who kept to herself, and away from everyone.
“Hi, Laura!”
“Hey Andy, you’re the life of the party today. Your hair looks amazing by the way. What’s your secret?”
“Thanks, Laura, I’ve been using Rapunzel shampoo, and it works wonders! And with fabulous hair, comes all this confidence.”
“I can see that! I’m getting me a bottle after this playdate.”
A month goes by, and Laura is back at another playdate, but dull Laura with a lack of confidence is gone. After every giggle or laugh, she flips her Rapunzel-treated hair that’s now shiny and bouncy.
Why is storytelling the better strategy?
People want to feel like they are understood and that they are not the only ones experiencing certain things that they go through in life. And by relating to our potential customers, we connect and build rapport. And this rapport and sense of community will get people to spend because there are many Laura’s out there. And even if you are not losing hair like Laura, you might relate to the results she had using the product.
So maybe you weren’t shopping for shampoo, but by connecting or rooting for Laura in her story, you might start thinking that your hair could use a little more radiance and shine. You might even say, “Laura and Andrea loved it, I just might like it, too.”
