Did you know that goldfish have longer attention spans than humans? Research by Microsoft revealed that, at eight seconds, we are easier to distract than goldfish, who have a nine-second attention span.
What does this mean for marketing? Essentially, we have less time than ever to grab our customers’ attention in an engaging and persuasive way. This is where storytelling enters stage left.
From cave drawings dating back 30,000 years to today’s Tik Tok stories, storytelling has been central to how we communicate. It’s estimated that 65% of our conversations are made up of personal stories and gossip.
So, it’s no surprise that Steve Jobs said, “The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller” and The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising recommend that brands act like entertainers rather than advertisers.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you should consider turning your next marketing campaign into a story.
Storytelling is persuasive
A captivating story can be an immersive experience. It can take you away from reality and transport you to another world.
Yet beyond broadening our imaginations, studies have shown that a well-told story can make your brain react as if you are actually experiencing it yourself.
As a result, your brainwaves start to synchronise with the storyteller effectively putting you on their wavelength and creating a sense of togetherness that increases the chances that you will be influenced by the messaging.
Storytelling helps us connect
Connecting with customers is vital for any business. Studies show that connected customers are more likely to become repeat customers and those who emotionally connect with a brand are 52% more valuable than those who are simply ‘highly satisfied’.
As storytelling involves characters and a narrative, the audience is more likely to forge a personal connection with it, as they relate to the tale. The connection created via storytelling is deeper than that generated by factual messaging as the characters or storyline unite the audience with a reason to care about the narrative.
Storytelling is memorable
When you want your target audience to remember your marketing messaging, you can’t beat storytelling.
Stories are a great way to share information in an engaging way, which increases the likelihood that people will be able to recall the content at a later date. In fact, it’s said that messages delivered as stories are 22 times more memorable than stone-cold facts.
“Nothing sticks in your head better than a story,” says Sam Balter, Sr. Marketing Manager of Podcasts at HubSpot. “Stories can express the most complicated ideas in the most digestible ways.”
Storytelling shapes how people see your brand
There’s more to storytelling than selling products and services. It’s also an effective way of shaping how your target audience views your business. After all, your business has its own origin story.
So, as well as using the power of stories to promote what you do, create and tell stories that help people relate to – and buy into – your brand.
As content marketer and author Jay Baer says, “If your stories are all about your products and services, that’s not storytelling. It’s a brochure. Give yourself permission to make the story bigger.”
Whether you need help to shape your company’s About page, create compelling customer testimonials, or draft enticing stories to showcase your brand, products, and services, we’d love to help.
Check out our Creative & Design page for more details or get in touch for a free marketing consultation.
