Welcome, oh colourful you! (photo by Warren on Unsplash)
Stories. We’ve all got them. We all think we can tell them. And copywriters the world over are rampantly re-branding themselves as ‘storytellers’.
But how do you make stories in marketing captivating?
Learn to listen
Start by listening. If you’ve never mastered this art your brand storytelling will be unutterably tedious.
We’ve all been stuck with them at office parties. The hideous bores rambling on to anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby.
Yes, they’re so far up their own posteriors they’re frequently on nodding terms with their colons.
And they’re the losers because it’s only through listening that we understand what other people are doing and feeling. Listening shows us how to use language to make people act, to move them.
But listening isn’t just about hearing words. It’s about observing the spaces in between them. And the most intriguing stories are found in silence.
It’s often in the pauses and what goes unsaid that people reveal what they need rather than want. And what they've lost or never found.
The horror of the office party (photo by Antenna on Unsplash)
Dive deep into difference
When you really listen you realise what you share with others. You connect. And all powerful storytelling in marketing is about connection.
But by listening you’ll also learn how you’re different. You’ll pinpoint your uniqueness — vital if you're going to be noticed above all the noise and nonsense.
But what does ‘difference’ mean when yesterday’s subcultures have gone mainstream? When what was once provocative is now rather humdrum? When even Alan in Accounts Payable sports a nipple ring?
Much of the problem is the abysmal language used in some copywriting.
Everything is ‘authentic’ or ‘revolutionary’ and lets you ‘live your best life’. Seriously, if I hear one more person harp on about living their 'best life'...
These words are so overused they’ve become meaningless. The spittoon that's AI relishes them, naturally.
So, what’s the answer? How do you make yourself irresistible?
Craft a story with copywriting.
People don’t buy products but the stories behind them. And brand storytelling is about what those products symbolise. Stories can reinforce an existing belief — or better yet make you feel something new and entirely unexpected.
But how do you tell those stories so they resonate with other people?
When what was edgy becomes boring (photo by Bekky Bekks on Unsplash)
Hold your memories close
Stories live in us forever because they’re intricately linked to memories. And the power of those memories comes from the emotions they stir in us.
Your first doomed love affair.
Your most hideous boss.
Your night of greatest drunken shenanigans and shame.
These memories mean something special because they’re attached to stories.
Proust coined the term 'involuntary memory' to describe how memory is triggered by the senses. Sight. Smell. Sound. Taste. Texture. These can all take us back to a formative experience.
Sometimes these memories are uncomfortable. Even painful. But embrace this. Cherish your memories. One day they may be all that you have left, of places and people.
Reach for them in your brand storytelling. The details you describe may be unique to you but the emotions they conjure will be universal.
Magnify moments
When that precious memory returns to you, focus on the moment in time it symbolises.
The mightiest moments in business storytelling are often linked to change of some kind.
The moment you hit a crossroads.
The moment you had to make a decision.
The moment you realised you were wasting your life.
Joy. Pain. Sadness. Pleasure. Whatever you felt, it was raw. It almost swept you away. You felt it with your whole body. And that feeling told you something about yourself and your place in the world.
Magnify these moments in your copywriting. Use them as hooks to reel your reader in with relatability.
Get naked
As well as helping people with brand storytelling, I work with creative writers. And I typically mark up their work with remarks like these:
Can you stay longer in this moment?
What is the character feeling physically here?
Is there a more unusual way of expressing this feeling?
Brilliant storytelling of all types delves deep. It’s forensic but bold. It never takes the easy option or gives the obvious answer. It reaches far below the surface and pulls out the beating heart of our collective humanity. It shocks us into feeling alive, fully alive.
But putting your memories into your business storytelling can feel frightening. Sometimes, even dangerous.
I get it.
You’re stripping away the layers.
You’re revealing your inner life.
You’re making yourself vulnerable through honesty.
But vulnerability and honesty are amongst your most formidable weapons. They make you devastatingly attractive, beating killer abs every time.
Your readers and potential customers will respect your honesty. They'll feel heard. Because they too will have experienced similar feelings. And they’re longing for you to show them how you dealt with them.
Revealing fear makes you fascinating. But bravely beating it makes you unforgettable.
Looking to shape your business storytelling and shine amid the digital clutter? I'd love to listen to you.
Comments